Singin' in the Rain

Singin' in the Rain is a 1952 musical film starring Gene Kelly and directed by Kelly and Stanley Donen. It offers a comic depiction of Hollywood's transition from silent films to "talkies". The movie is frequently described as one of the best musicals ever made. more...

The film was co-directed by Kelly and Donen, with Kelly also taking responsibility for the choreography. Shooting began on June 18, 1951 and was completed on November 21

Plot

Kelly plays Don Lockwood, a silent film star with humble roots. Lockwood barely tolerates his vapid leading lady, Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen), who is convinced their screen romance is real. After the smash-hit of the historical talking picture innovator, The Jazz Singer, Lockwood's studio decides to convert the current Lockwood/Lamont vehicle, The Dueling Cavalier, into a talkie. The production is beset with difficulties, not least Lina's inadvertently comical speaking voice.

After a terrible screen test, Lockwood and his partner Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor) decide to return to their roots and convince the studio to overdub Lamont's voice and turn The Dueling Cavalier into The Dancing Cavalier, a musical comedy. Meanwhile Lockwood falls in love with the overdub artist Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds) and Lamont does everything possible to sabotage the romance.

The film features a rendition of the 1929 song "Singin' in the Rain" by Arthur Freed (who also produced) & Nacio Herb Brown, along with other Freed and Brown tunes from the late 1920s and the 1930s. The song "Make 'Em Laugh" uncomfortably resembles the Cole Porter song "Be a Clown." Comden and Green wrote the music and lyrics to the number "Moses."

Themes

The movie includes a number of timeless themes: in particular the concept of certain arts being inferior to others, or the immortal "if you seen one of them, you've seen them all" (what Rossini said about his operas).

Soundtrack

The soundtrack is largely composed of recycled songs from other MGM musicals from the 1929-1940 period. Main composers include Arthur Freed & Nacio Herb Brown.

Songs

• "Fit As A Fiddle (And Ready For Love)"
• "All I Do Is Dream Of You" from Sadie McKee (1934)
• "Make 'Em Laugh" from "Be a Clown"
• "Beautiful Girl Montage" comprised of "I Got A Feelin' You're Foolin'" from from Broadway Melody Of 1936 (1935), "The Wedding Of The Painted Doll" from The Broadway Melody (1929) and "Should I" from Lord Byron Of Broadway (1930)
• "Beautiful Girl" from Stage Mother (1933)
• "You Were Meant For Me" from The Broadway Melody (1929)
• "You Are My Lucky Star" from Broadway Melody Of 1936 (1935)
• "Moses"
• "Good Morning" from Babes In Arms (1939)
• "Singin' In The Rain" from Hollywood Revue Of 1929 (1929)
• "Would You?" from San Francisco (1936)
• "Broadway Melody Ballet" comprised of "The Broadway Melody" from The Broadway Melody (1929) and "Broadway Rhythm" from Broadway Melody Of 1936 (1935)

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