Singin' in the Rain director Stanley Donen dies at age 94

Legendary director Stanley Donen has died at the age of 94. A master of the musical, Donen oversaw 1949’s On the Town and 1952’s Singin’ in the Rain — both of which he co-directed with the production’s star, Gene Kelly — as well as 1954’s Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and 1957’s Funny Face.

1957 also saw the release of the Donen-directed Kiss Them for Me, which starred Cary Grant, and represented the start of a lengthy collaboration between actor and filmmaker, which would be continued on 1958’s Indiscreet, 1960’s The Grass is Greener, and 1963’s Charade, co-starring Audrey Hepburn.

Donen’s many other credits included the Fred Astaire-starring Royal Wedding (1951), Damn Yankees (1958), Two for the Road (1967) with Hepburn and the late Albert Finney, Bedazzled (1967), Lucky Lady (1975), the science fiction film Saturn 3 (1980), and his final movie Blame It on Rio (1984) featuring Michael Caine.

Remarkably, Donen was never nominated for an Academy Award but did receive a lifetime achievement award at the ceremony in 1998.

According to the Chicago Tribune‘s film critic Michael Phillips, Donen’s death was confirmed by one of the director’s sons.

Several notable members of the film industry, Guillermo del Toro, Edgar Wright and Chris McQuarrie among them, paid tribute to the late visionary following news of his passing.

Related content:

• See Debbie Reynolds in her famous Singin’ in the Rain scene
• Singin’ in the Rain meets La La Landin fan-edited trailer