Title: Singin’ in the Rain
Release Date: April 11, 1952
Director: Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen
Production Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Summary/Review:
Following-up on Sunset Boulevard, Singin’ in the Rain continues the early-50s trend of Hollywood grappling with its own history. Set in the late 1920s, the movie is a comedy musical based on the problems faced by the transition from silent movies to talkies. Gene Kelly stars as Don Lockwood, an experienced vaudeville performer who becomes one of the top leading men of 1920s silents, paired with the vapid Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen). The Hollywood publicity machine has convinced most people, including Lina, that their romance extends into real life as well.
On the night of a movie premier, Don escapes Lina and fawning fans and meets Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds), who expresses her disfavor for movies compared with theatre. Although it’s soon revealed that Kathy’s theatrical experience is as a chorus girl and that she is fan of Don’s movies, Don is attracted to Kathy’s independent mind (it doesn’t hurt that Debbie Reynolds is cute as a button too).
Don and Lina are set to make their first talkie, but their silent movie formula of success doesn’t translate to talkies, especially because Lina’s New York accent is inappropriate to historical romances. To avoid becoming a laughingstock, Don works on a plan to make the movie into a musical with Kathy and his long-time friend and partner, Cosmo (Donald O’Connor). Kathy will secretly overdub Lina’s voice.
The musical contains several notable song and dance numbers including Kelly’s famed performance of the title song, O’Connor’s “Make ‘Em Laugh,” and the trio’s “Good Morning.” The biggest number of all is “Broadway Melody” which has nothing to do with the rest of the movie nor does it make much sense in the movie they’re filming, but it is quite the spectacle, so who cares. If I have one criticism of this movie is that the jokes at the expense of Lina are too many and too harsh. But, Jean Hagen was (deservedly) nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress while none of the other cast received nominations, so I guess she got the last laugh.
Rating: ****
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