22. GENE KELLY
Singin' in the Rain (1952)

There is the wonderful comedy of Kelly's acting in Stanley Donen's candied backstage musical — the sun-browned vanity he brings to his turn as a silent-film star. Then there is the cosmic wonder of his dancing: those muscular escapes, that uplifting splash through a downpour. In contrast to Fred Astaire (prince of the effortless glide), Kelly shows you his heartiness and his heart.