Stanley Donen Biography

American director and choreographer Stanley Donen began dancing as a child in South Carolina.

Donen was born on 13 April 1924 in Colombia, South Carolina to dress-shop manager Mordecai Moses Donen and his wife Helen. As one of the only Jews in the neighbourhood, he had a lonely childhood and was occasionally bullied by his classmates.

As a result, he spent a large part of his youth at the local movie theatre where he developed his passion for films especially westerns, comedies and thrillers. He was inspired to take dance lessons after seeing the 1933 film 'Flying Down To Rio' starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

He made his Broadway debut at 16, in 'Pal Josey', and forged a relationship with the show's star, Gene Kelly. Aged only 17, he assisted with the choreography of the show 'Best Foot Forward'.
Moving to Hollywood, he worked as assistant choreographer for 'Best Foot Forward's film version, in 1943. Donen developed his choreography work over the decade, working on Kelly's 1944 film, 'Cover Girl'.

Moving to MGM in 1945, Donen's Kelly collaborations continued, with 'Living in a Big Way', in 1947.

Donen also began his collaboration with Arthur Freed, co-choreographing/directing 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame', starring Kelly and Frank Sinatra, in 1949.

On a roll, Donen and Freed were responsible for exuberant 'On the Town' in 1949, and the famous zero gravity dancing of 'Royal Wedding' in 1951.

During this time, Donen was romantically linked with Elizabeth Taylor despite the fact he had eloped with and married professional dancer Jeanne Coyne in 1948. Their marriage was strained due to their close relationship with Kelly, who Coyne would later marry. Donen and his first wife divorced in 1951.

The most famous of all was his return to working with Kelly, in 1952, with 'Singin' in the Rain' (1952), their humorous pastiche of Hollywood's Golden Age. On 20 May of this year, Donen married actress Marion Marshall. They had two children - Peter born in 1953 and Joshua born in 1955. The couple divorced in 1959.

After some mixed reviews for films such as 'Give a Girl a Break' (1953), Donen struck gold again with 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers' (1954). He worked with Freed for the last time in the ironic, cynical 'It's Always Fair Weather', in 1955, which proved a total flop.
In 1960 he married the ex-wife of 2nd Earl Beatty Adelle, Countess Beatty. Their son Mark was born in 1962 and they separated in 1969 before divorcing in 1971.

He enjoyed later successes such as 'The Pajama Game' and 'Funny Face' in 1957, but moved to England, and into 'straight' film-making with the Cary Grant films 'Indiscreet' (1958) and 'Charade' (1963).
In 1972, Donen married French actress Yvette Mimieux, with their marriage surviving until 1985. His fifth wife was Pamela Braden between 1990 and 1994.

Directing Dudley Moore and Peter Cook's 'Bedazzled' in 1968, Donen continued making intelligent films such as 'Movie Movie' in 1978, before moving back into theatre in the 1990s. He directed his last film 'Blame It On Rio' in 1984 going on to direct TV shows including a musical episode of 'Moonlighting' in 1986 and TV movie 'Love Letters' in 1999. He directed the music video for Lionel Ritchie's 'Dancing On The Ceiling' in 1986 due to his experience directing Fred Astaire's dancing on the ceiling in 'Royal Wedding'.