Movie Monday September 11: Singin’ in the Rain

It’s a rainy day here in New York, which inspired my pick for this week, Singin’ in the Rain. Days like today make me want to curl up with a cup of tea and a good film, which is exactly what I did.

**Warning, mild spoilers ahead, so if you haven’t watched the movie yet, what are you doing?**

At the dawn of Hollywood, silent films are going out of style. After the success of Warner Bros.’s The Jazz Singer, other studios follow suit. Actor Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly), who’s had a varied career as a dancer, vaudeville musician, and stuntman, has the talent to make the transition, but his usual leading lady Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) isn’t. Though she is beautiful, her voice is grating. The previews for their first talkie, The Dueling Cavalier, are a disaster. Don meets Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds), an aspiring actress with a strong singing voice. Though they get off to a rocky start, they soon fall in love. Along with Don’s friend Cosmo (Donald O’Connor), Don and Kathy come up with a way to save the film. They turn it into a musical, with Kathy providing the voice for Lina’s character. With approval from studio executive R.F (Millard Mitchell), they agree not to tell Lina. When she finds out, she’s furious and uses a clause in her contract to force R.F. to make Kathy dub her voice for the rest of her career. The boys make a plan to expose Lina at the premiere, and in the end Kathy is hailed as the real star of the film.

So What Do I Think About Singin’ in the Rain?

I’ve seen Singin’ in the Rain countless times, but it never fails to make me smile and laugh. The magic of Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds is so evident on screen, even if their off screen relationship was so rosy. The music, amazing dancing, and pure comedy makes this a classic. “Good Morning” and “Singin’ in the Rain” are both iconic in a repertoire of catchy and well known songs.

One aspect of the film that I really love is the glimpse into old Hollywood at the dawn of the talkies. The sad reality is that many silent film stars couldn’t cut it with sound. Some couldn’t adjust to speaking roles, others couldn’t meet the demands of the new style. The birth of the movie star and celebrity culture, both of which are seen in the film, added to the stress of actors.

Though both Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds are fantastic in this film, Jean Hagen’s Lina and Donald O’Connor’s Cosmo are two of my favorite characters. Hagen’s comedic timing and hilarious voice are such a funny combo and make her one of my top villain’s of this age of film. O’Connor’s Cosmo is equally on par with Kelly’s Don in terms of dancing and singing. The duo are fantastic in “Fit as a Fiddle” and “Make ‘Em Laugh”, especially the latter. It’s an iconic song that I’m pretty sure I knew before I saw the movie.

One moment I loved:

Don’s montage of his life leading up to being a leading man is such a fun scene. He describes this dignified rise to stardom, but in reality he lived a hard and varied life. Like many early silent film stars and musical actors, he came from Vaudeville. It’s also a nice juxtaposition between Don’s image and his true personality.

One moment that made me laugh:

“Make ‘Em Laugh” is one of my favorite songs and, like mentioned above, shows off Gene Kelly’s and Donald O’Connor’s talent. It really did make me laugh.

I’d give Singin’ in the Rain 8.5 umbrellas out of 10.