Singin' in The Rain
Release date 1951
Studio: MGM/currently released by Warner brothers
Directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen
I like to think of films not just as entertainment but as time capsules. To me no film better encapsulates this notion than MGM's Singin in the Rain, arguably the greatest musical ever made. SITR is not just a celebration of art of the Hollywood musical and the tradition of movie making itself in a long-lost era.It's a colorful, brilliant tribute to Hollywood itself and the cumbersome transition from the silents to the "talkie" era.
At the center of SITR are the mesmerizing dance numbers choreographed by actor Kelly and co-director Stanley Donen. Stand-outs are the "Gotta Dance" sequence where Kelly dances with fantasy girl Cyd Chariesse in a surreal-dreamlike interpretation of NYC's Broadway and of course Kelly's iconic wet-prance on the studio-back lot city street to the film's titular song. Audiences still marvel at Donald O'Connors comedic acrobatics during the "Make-em-laugh" number and his one-line zingers and facial contortions keep the laughs coming.
For me the heart and soul of the film is Debbie Reynolds's wide eyed and energetic performance as Kathy Selden and of course Jean Hagan as the irascible Lena Lockwood.
The film continues to rank highly on every critics list of all time films and all time musicals. It is at the top of the AFI's 100 Years of Musicals list, and is ranked as the fifth greatest American motion picture of all time in its updated list of the greatest American films in 2007 according to the latest Wikipedia entry. It is a celebration of a beloved Hollywood genre and a tribute to the art of filmmaking and music. After 60 years it hasn't lost any of its brilliance and energy.
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| Debbie Reynolds and Gene Kelly in a promotional photo for Singin' in the Rain |
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