Gene Kelly originated the role. Some how I can't imagine him having done this part. He always played the good guy in his films. Playing the heel wasn't in his character but Matthew Risch does an excellent job.
You're kidding about Kelly, right? Haven't you ever seen his first Hollywood film, "For Me and My Gal" (opposite Judy Garland), where he plays a heel very carefully modeled on the character traits of Joey Evans?
There are a few clips on here OF Gene Kelly in the 1940 production...pretty believable heel in them , IHMO! He wasn't the "nice guy" till the '50s with MGM, but then in the 50's you couldn't HAVE a heel be the hero of ANYTHING, thanks to "the code"!
Sinatra's white-washed film was an affront and a travesty! Why bother filming it AT ALL if you're gonna dunk it in bleach first? TODAY's another story and it deserves a re-do film a la "West Side Story" and "Guys and Dolls" (yes, THAT's getting re-done too, under Bill Condon)
