Quotes

[on Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly] I can watch Astaire anytime. I don't think he ever made a wrong move. He was a perfectionist. He would work on a few bars for hours until it was just the way he wanted it. Gene was the same way. They both wanted perfection, even though they were completely different personalities.

[on Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly] Fred could never do the lifts Gene did and never wanted to. I'd say they were the two greatest dancing personalities who were ever on the screen. Each has a distinctive style. Each is a joy to work with. But it's like comparing apples and oranges. They're both delicious.

[on explaining why she never tapped on-screen] I was pulled up as a ballet dancer and I wasn't used to pounding the floor with bent knees.

The censors were always there when I was on the set. When I was held up, in a lift [in Deep in My Heart (1954)], they were up on ladders to see if I was properly covered.

Fred [Astaire] moved like glass. Physically, it was easy to dance with him. It was not as demanding on me. I didn't need the same vitality and strength.

If I had to give up either acting or dancing, I'd choose to keep dancing.

[When Gene Kelly asked what she would like engraved on her gravestone] People sometimes had a problem placing her face, but they never forgot her pins.

[on how her husband could always tell whether she'd been dancing with Kelly or Astaire that day] If I was black and blue, it was Gene. And if it was Fred, I didn't have a scratch.

[on being asked why the fascination with Marilyn Monroe has never wavered] Well, because she stays in your memory. You know, I don't think anyone ever knew anyone like Marilyn, really. I've never known another girl like Marilyn Monroe.