I am continuing to build my musical resume, and Singin' in the Rain (1953) is my latest edition. This film premiered right at the end of the "musical era" but squarely in the middle of Hollywood's Golden Age. It's full of stars and fabulous songs. Read here!
Let's start with the obvious. The music and dancing are great. The original songs "Make 'em Laugh" and "Good Morning" is exceptional. I had heard both of them before but hadn't known where they were from. Donald O'Conner is the actor for the former song, and I am impressed by his performance. It was extremely physically taxing on him even making him bedridden for a time afterward. It's that kind of dedication that makes this musical a boisterous affair.
The title song, "Singin' in the Rain" is understandably the most popular tune and most iconic scene. You can watch it below. I've been humming this for years without even seeing it, and I definitely am today. <Side note: I've always liked rainy days.>
The stars, Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds, are excellent. Reynolds got her start as a 19-year-old with no prior dancing experience, but with Kelly, she became a natural. The chemistry between Kelly and Reynolds is splendid on-screen giving us multiple quality scenes. Speaking of, Kelly is a classic Tinsletown star. He acted and directed the movie with a perfectionist attitude, so filming was... difficult at times. Long and laborious it was, but it did yield the classic we have today.
The story is very interesting. Yes, it's a romance story, but it's also a commentary on Hollywood and its history. Remember that this 1950's movie is a period piece that takes place in the late 1920s. It's easy to forget a detail when the movie is nearly 70 years old.
In 1927, The Jazz Singer debuted... with sound. This was the first "talkie" in the industry. It's the single largest and most important change in film history. It completely changed the landscape. Production companies scrambled to follow-up with lackluster scripts and poor sound quality, and many silent screen stars couldn't adjust. Some people's voices didn't match their personas, and many were victims of poor behind the scenes editing (even intentional at times). In this film, this type of person is exceptionally displayed by Jean Hagen (Oscar-nominated role).
Besides the story behind the emergence of talkies, we view the different stereotypes of Hollywood including the elderly rich man and gold-digging young woman, diva actors, over-eccentric directors, and more. People noticed some issues in the industry even back in the 1950s.
Generally, musicals have lavish or idiosyncratic costumes for many sequences, and this movie is no exception. It takes place in flamboyant Hollywood. The costume designer had to account for the movies being filmed in the movie too (Inception).
Most movies aren't perfect, and this one has such a scene. It drags is a nice description. Unnecessary is a harsher description. Some people I know would continue on with more descriptors. There's a long-drawn-out fantasy sequence full of sizable sets and dances. I appreciate the set designs and artistic efforts, but it was superfluous. Simply, it didn't contribute to the story.
I personally would include this in my top three favorite musicals. I'm glad I was encouraged to watch this and got the opportunity. Singin' in the Rain can be the movie for you too. My film rating is A.
