Singin’ in the Rain 1952

"Singin' in the Rain." Hollywood's greatest musical?

I've been watching classic movies since I was about12, over 50 years now. But I never saw Singin' in the Rain until my mid-40s. I thought the MGM classic was just another cute and corny musical. Mom had told me to watch, who said it was clever and funny—and she was right!

When you look at the passé musicals that other studios were putting out in the early ‘50s, Metro’s Singin’ in the Rain is far more imaginative, funny, smart, vivid, and exuberant, by far.

Debbie Reynolds became a star upon her 20th birthday with "Singin' in the Rain."

With Debbie Reynolds, a star was born in Singin’ in the Rain. Considering that she was then not a singer or dancer per se, Reynolds worked very hard to get up to speed. Co-director Stanley Donen had her two solos dubbed because Debbie sounded too Midwestern—typical MGM, home of the “mid-Atlantic” accent. You can find one of her solos on YouTube with her own vocals and she sounds just fine. While Reynolds wasn't a born dancer like those dervishes Gene Kelly and Donald O' Connor, Debbie keeps up with them in their group numbers. 

Debbie Reynolds shines as Kathy Selden in 1952's "Singin' in the Rain."

Debbie Reynolds was just 19 when Singin’ in the Rain filmed and the release was just days before her 20th birthday. Debbie was obviously working with superior talent and material in Rain. In lesser vehicles, Reynolds could come off as saccharine, like Doris Day; here Debbie is genuinely sweet and girlish. As Kathy Selden, her energy and natural clown personality are well-utilized. This film officially made her America's sweetheart, which came in handy during the downtimes of her career. I prefer Reynolds in her early stardom, when she was a honey blonde sweetie rather than the later bleached blonde dead set on wowing her audience. Debbie’s the girl next door and quite endearing. I won't dwell on co-director Gene Kelly's taskmaster reputation. If Gene had treated prior co-star and neophyte dancer Frank Sinatra the way he treated Debbie, Frankie probably would have knocked his teeth out. But Debbie was from a tough working class Texas family, and she survived.

Donald O' Connor, Debbie Reynolds, & Gene Kelly are triple threats in "Singin' in the Rain."

Debbie, Donald O' Connor, and Gene Kelly were a trio who were triple threats at singing, dancing, and comedy. “Good Morning” is still an instant high, with its upbeat lyrics and joyful dancing. Kelly worked hard with them on the musical numbers and Stanley Donen's sophisticated touch shined on the rest.

Donald O' Connor's famed acrobatic number, "Make 'Em Laugh," from "Singin' in the Rain."

Everyone's on their game here. As Cosmo Brown, Donald O' Connor's impish and energetic, and his dancing is just as brilliant as Gene's. Donald was also a great clown, showcased in “Make 'Em Laugh,” though the song is a total rip off of Cole Porter’s “Be a Clown.” When Donald and Gene sing and dance to the imaginative “Moses Supposes,” the song is a tongue-twisting delight and their dancing is like watching an Olympic event. Gene as matinee idol Don Lockwood is pretty dang perfect. Kelly is at his most handsome and charismatic, and his dancing is superb. There's a great versatility in his showcased numbers, capped by his rain dance of the title tune. And I'm supposing that Stanley Donen, one of Hollywood's smartest directors, helped reign in the three stars tendency to mug. While they all get to clown, there's very little ham here.

Aside from his many talents, Gene Kelly is well-cast as a matinee idol in "Singin' in the Rain."

Singin' in the Rain has that favorite movie myth attached that it wasn't a huge hit upon release, just a modest hit. Those who tell it usually compare Rain to Kelly's previous An American in Paris. Well, if you're talking about Oscars, yes. Paris got 8 Oscar noms and won 6; Rain got 2 noms, and won 0, which I find ridiculous. The only ones nominated were Jean Hagen for Best Supporting Actress and Lennie Hayton for Best Musical Score. Again, proof that Oscars are not a part of what ultimately makes movies memorable. As for the box office, both films cost about the same to produce and Paris made slightly more money. But which film is better remembered today? For my money, it's Singin’ in the Rain.

Cyd Charisse makes a guest appearance for "Singin' in the Rain's" "Broadway Melody."

One quibble: though the 13 minute “Broadway Melody” is presented as a "pitch" to the studio head in the movie, it feels very tacked-on. Superbly done in every respect, it also has zero to do with Singin' in the Rain or especially, the movie within a movie, The Dancing Caballero. It’s certainly superior to a similar showstopper, Judy Garland’s “Born in a Trunk” from ‘54’s A Star is Born. And Judy’s saga is twice as long! While I’ve read some smart comments in defense of “Broadway Melody,” it just feels like a Kelly showstopper, “All About Gene.”

Gene Kelly was never shy about seeking audiences' adulation.

I'm also puzzled as to why Jean Hagen's hilarious Lina Lamont lost to Gloria Grahame that year. Was it because Hagen's shrill star sounded too much like Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday, for which Hagen was her understudy on Broadway? To me, Jean’s shtick is much easier to enjoy in small doses than Judy's shrieking at bellowing Broderick Crawford throughout the movie version of Born Yesterday. As for Grahame, she was the “It” bad girl of the early '50s, but her role as a flirty southern wife in MGM’s The Bad and the Beautiful was a mere nine minutes... and she even dies off-camera!

Jean Hagen, right, gives a hilarious performance as silent star Lina Lamont.
With an equally funny Kathleen Freeman, as Lina's poor diction coach!

With a couple of exceptions, the songs are all from MGM’s early decades, tied to the story of Hollywood's silent era ending and sound beginning. The satire is snappy, with some real life nods to casualties of the silent era. Funny bits abound, with a great cast down to the smallest parts, like hilarious Kathleen Freeman as Lina’s voice coach. Cyd Charisse is spectacular in the “Broadway Melody” number. Watch fast for Rita Moreno as starlet Zelda Zanders.

Perhaps the most famous song and dance number in movie history?
Gene Kelly is "Singin' in the Rain!"

Singin’ in the Rain is such a treat, with memorable song and dance numbers, gorgeous sets and costumes, great humor and performances. It all adds up to be MGM’s greatest musical. 

Here’s my tribute to Debbie Reynolds, when she passed away, on her life and very readable memoirs: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2017/01/debbie-reynolds-double-dose-of-memoirs.html

Debbie Reynolds was no longer in the movie background after "Singin' in the Rain!"

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