8 Directors Who Admitted They Pushed Their Stars Too Far

6. Gene Kelly

Though Singin' in the Rain is a sweet, light-hearted musical classic, the mood on the set apparently wasn't quite so chipper, with director-star Gene Kelly pushing his female lead Debbie Reynolds to the limit.

Because Reynolds wasn't a classically trained dancer, Kelly would scold her for her lack of dance experience, making her cry on numerous occasions. Furthermore, when he insisted she shoot the "Good Morning" dance number in one continuous 15-hour filming setup, her feet were left bleeding by the end.

That's not all, though. Reynolds also said, "He criticised everything I did and never gave me a word of encouragement", and claims when it came time to shoot their first kiss, Kelly took directorial liberties by shoving his tongue down a 19-year-old Reynolds' throat. She said, "It felt like an assault."

Though Kelly never apologised for the assault specifically - and he was long-dead by the time Reynolds finally talked about it - he did publicly state that he hadn't treated her well, and was surprised that she was still willing to speak to him after filming was complete.