SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN
US, 1952, 102 minutes, Colour.
Gene Kelly, Donald O’ Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen
Directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen
Singin’ in the Rain is one of the most entertaining of the MGM musicals of the 1950s. It’s now considered a classic – even one of the greatest of all the screen musicals. Released in 1952, it did not win any Oscars, the year that The Greatest Show on Earth was best film.
The film is set in the era of the transition from silent film to talkies. There is a lot of comedy about the Hollywood studios and especially about actors whose voices could not make it in sound. This gives an opportunity for Jean Hagen to be very funny as Lina Lamont, an actress who is unaware of her terrible voice (Jean Hagen getting an Oscar nomination for this role).
The film was directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen who had directed On the Town. Donen was to go on to make a number of musicals including Funny Face and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Gene Kelly had been one of MGM’s top dancers (athletic compared to Fred Astaire’s graceful style). After his dance career finished he went into direction with such films as Hello Dolly.
Gene Kelly is very good in the central role and is given excellent support by Donald O’ Connor who has one of the best songs, ‘Be a Clown’. A young Debbie Reynolds joins them. Cyd Charisse has an interlude as a dancer, performing with Gene Kelly.
The film was written by Adolph Green and Betty Comden who were responsible for many of the MGM musicals: Good News, The Barkleys of Broadway, On the Town, The Band Wagon, It’s Always Fair Weather, Bells are Ringing. They also wrote the screenplay for Auntie Mame.
The film also features a number of songs, not originally written for this film, but which were performed in a number of MGM films. Many were written by the producer of this film, Arthur Freed.
1. The classic status of this film? The reasons for its reputation? Popularity?
2. The specific quality of MGM musicals of the 40s and 50s: the stars, the staging, the songs, dances, colour, style? Impact now?
3. The importance of the inventive screen play, the presentation of Hollywood in the 20s, the satire? The re-creation of the 20’s, the introduction of sound? The sympathetic portrayal of characters, the egotism of the stars? The spoofing of Hollywood? The charm and the wit and the humour?
4. The title based on the lyrics of a song, the credit sequence with Singin in the Rain, Gene Kelly' rendition of Singin in the Rain, Good Mornin', the comedy of Make 'em Laugh, the elocution song, the love song in the dancing cavalier?
5. How humorous and sympathetic the portrait of Hollywood: Don's memories at the interview and the humorous irony of the truth with the Hollywood glossy magazine style story? The presentation of early film making, the rise of the stunt man to star? The making of films? The humour of the contrast with the glamour? Appearances and realty? The presentation of the previews, the fans and their fainting, screaming? The interviewers and the expected answers for the crown? Hollywood silent films and the conventions of the silent film, their exaggeration in acting, plot? The presentation of making the films, e.g. going past the various sets with their variety of films on the lot? The stars, the magazines? The presentation of sound at the producer’s party and people’s suspicions? Variety and the success of Al Jolson? The transition of the studios and the humour of Lena with the sound and the loud and soft etc.? The poor voices for sound? The sound at stages? The cavalier becoming a singing and dancing cavalier as a sign of the times? The enjoyment of films and the hope for the future?
6. Gene Kelly's portrayal of Don, his origins, friendship with Cosmo, as a character in himself, conscious of his phoniness, his waving and stories at the preview, clashes with Lena, the humour of the fans chasing him and his crashing into Kathy's car, their conversation and the effect of the truth on him, the irony of seeing her coming out of the cake, the pie in Lena’s face? Her importance to him, his search, her part in the chorus, in the film? The genuineness of their falling in love, the failure of the preview, the preparation of the dancing cavalier? Her dubbing, his love for her at the end? His portrayal of The Broadway Melody sequence? Gene Kelly as the genial star?
7. Donald O'Connor as Cosmo and a foil for Gene Kelly, comic style, good support? His character as a friend? The importance of the 'Make 'em Laugh' sequence and his skill in comedy? His work in the studios, music? Dislike for Lena? Participation in the transition of the silent film to a musical? His participation in the comeuppance of Lena?
8. Debbie Reynolds attractive as Kathy, as heroine, her self-righteousness in the car, coming out of the cake, her singing in the chorus, the pie, her work in the chorus line and Don's search for her, falling in love, helping with the transition of the musical, her being hurt at the end, and being called back? A happy ending? A fairy tale story of stardom?
9. Jean Hagen's success as Lena? Seeing her at the preview and her not speaking, her work on the silent films and the spurning of Don until he was a star, her push in her career? Her voice and the revelation of her voice? The satire and comedy in the way she talked? In her performance? Her talking about her being dumb? Believing the fan magazine stories about Don? At Kathy, her hold over Don and Kathy? The humour of her elocution lessons? Her publicity, her trying to adapt to sound and failing, her success at the end and her vindictiveness over the studio and taking it over, making a speech and over-extending herself? Her discomfort, her being exposed? Too cruel, or sharply satiric?
10. The portrayal of the studio people, the studio head and his party, transition to talkies, being blackmailed by Lena, participating in her downfall?
11. The background of directors, elocution teachers, interviewers?
12. The build-up of the finale of the film, the crisis, the happy ending?
13. Why the perennial appeal of this film?
