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A musical that keeps growing on you
"Singin' in the Rain' turns 60
Steve Cohen
Singin' in the Rain seems to grow more popular as the years go by. Turner Classic Movies screened it at a national convention, with an appearance by one of its stars, Debbie Reynolds. Movie theaters nationwide are showing it in digital restoration, just in time for Gene Kelly's 100th birthday on August 23. And it's being reissued on DVD and Blu-Ray.
It was voted the best movie musical of all time by the American Film Institute and was ranked fifth in the Institute's list of greatest American films.
Is this acclaim deserved? After all, when Singin' in the Rain premiered in 1952, it was accepted as a good, but not great film, inferior to the musical made one year earlier by some of the same people: An American in Paris. The most exceptional thing about Singin' in the Rain is that it is basically unexceptional.
Three unforgettable numbers
Singin' has two things in its favor. First, never before or since has a film exhibited such flashy singing and dancing by so many individuals. In Fred Astaire's films, and most other Gene Kelly films, the star shares the spotlight with a single dancing partner. Here we have the director-choreographer, Gene Kelly, distributing great opportunities to Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds and Cyd Charisse.
Three of the song-and-dance numbers are spectacular achievements: Gene doing the title song (splashing about with that unforgettable lamppost), O'Connor doing his slapstick "Make 'Em Laugh"; and Kelly and O'Connor choreographically beating up a pompous diction teacher in "Moses Supposes."
Second, the film lays out an appealing history of show business, portraying Kelly and O'Connor in burlesque, vaudeville and silent films, leading up to the birth of talkies. This nostalgic ploy also worked effectively in Stephen Sondheim's Follies and last year's The Artist. Clearly, this scenario has great appeal. (The Jolson Story mined the same territory in 1947, but that film is now shunned because it glamorized black-faced minstrelsy.)
Conventional story
On the other hand, Singin' in the Rain's love story is conventional, its cinematography straightforward, and Betty Comden and Adolph Green created more sparkling dialogue in other films and plays, like On the Town and The Band Wagon.
I suspect that the film gains appeal because of these flaws, not despite them. Conversely, I know very few people who adore Citizen Kane. Folks respect Kane's near-perfection, but they're put off by it, too. Singin' in the Rain warms viewers' hearts because it's such a simple display of show business, filled with earnest, extroverted performances.
The 60th anniversary Blu-Ray DVD includes a documentary about the film and a book full of behind-the-scenes tidbits. For example, the plot revolves around the idea that the ingénue Kathy (played by Reynolds) has to dub over for the voice of a more famous actress, but Reynolds herself was dubbed in the songs "Would You?" and "You are My Lucky Star" by an uncredited Betty Noyes.
Also, when Kathy is supposedly dubbing a live performance of the title song for Lina (played by the wonderful comedienne Jean Hagen) near the end of the film, Hagen herself actually dubbed Reynolds' singing voice.
Seeing the film again, we rediscovered treats like the impressive backwards tap-dancing of Debbie Reynolds in "Good Morning" and Donald O'Connor in "Moses Supposes." O'Connor, by the way, more than held his own in his scenes with Kelly. While Gene was athletic, O'Connor surpassed him with the grace of his upper-body movement. The audience broke into cheers and applause throughout the screenin— most unusual in a movie theater— which is another indication of this film's infectious joy.♦
To read a related comment by Dan Rottenberg, click here.
It was voted the best movie musical of all time by the American Film Institute and was ranked fifth in the Institute's list of greatest American films.
Is this acclaim deserved? After all, when Singin' in the Rain premiered in 1952, it was accepted as a good, but not great film, inferior to the musical made one year earlier by some of the same people: An American in Paris. The most exceptional thing about Singin' in the Rain is that it is basically unexceptional.
Three unforgettable numbers
Singin' has two things in its favor. First, never before or since has a film exhibited such flashy singing and dancing by so many individuals. In Fred Astaire's films, and most other Gene Kelly films, the star shares the spotlight with a single dancing partner. Here we have the director-choreographer, Gene Kelly, distributing great opportunities to Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds and Cyd Charisse.
Three of the song-and-dance numbers are spectacular achievements: Gene doing the title song (splashing about with that unforgettable lamppost), O'Connor doing his slapstick "Make 'Em Laugh"; and Kelly and O'Connor choreographically beating up a pompous diction teacher in "Moses Supposes."
Second, the film lays out an appealing history of show business, portraying Kelly and O'Connor in burlesque, vaudeville and silent films, leading up to the birth of talkies. This nostalgic ploy also worked effectively in Stephen Sondheim's Follies and last year's The Artist. Clearly, this scenario has great appeal. (The Jolson Story mined the same territory in 1947, but that film is now shunned because it glamorized black-faced minstrelsy.)
Conventional story
On the other hand, Singin' in the Rain's love story is conventional, its cinematography straightforward, and Betty Comden and Adolph Green created more sparkling dialogue in other films and plays, like On the Town and The Band Wagon.
I suspect that the film gains appeal because of these flaws, not despite them. Conversely, I know very few people who adore Citizen Kane. Folks respect Kane's near-perfection, but they're put off by it, too. Singin' in the Rain warms viewers' hearts because it's such a simple display of show business, filled with earnest, extroverted performances.
The 60th anniversary Blu-Ray DVD includes a documentary about the film and a book full of behind-the-scenes tidbits. For example, the plot revolves around the idea that the ingénue Kathy (played by Reynolds) has to dub over for the voice of a more famous actress, but Reynolds herself was dubbed in the songs "Would You?" and "You are My Lucky Star" by an uncredited Betty Noyes.
Also, when Kathy is supposedly dubbing a live performance of the title song for Lina (played by the wonderful comedienne Jean Hagen) near the end of the film, Hagen herself actually dubbed Reynolds' singing voice.
Seeing the film again, we rediscovered treats like the impressive backwards tap-dancing of Debbie Reynolds in "Good Morning" and Donald O'Connor in "Moses Supposes." O'Connor, by the way, more than held his own in his scenes with Kelly. While Gene was athletic, O'Connor surpassed him with the grace of his upper-body movement. The audience broke into cheers and applause throughout the screenin— most unusual in a movie theater— which is another indication of this film's infectious joy.♦
To read a related comment by Dan Rottenberg, click here.
What, When, Where
Singin' in the Rain: 60th anniversary presentation. Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen co-directed. Screened in movie theaters nationwide August 22, 2012 and available on DVD and Blu-Ray. m.fathomevents.com.
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