Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Directors:

Stanley Donen
Gene Kelly

Writers:

Adolph Green (story) and
Betty Comden (story)

Release Date:

11 April 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

Singin' Swingin' Glorious Feelin' Technicolor Musical

Plot:

A silent film production company and cast make a difficult transition to sound.

Plot Keywords:

Actress | Love | Friend | Secret | Talkie

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Gene Kelly	...	Don Lockwood
Donald O'Connor	...	Cosmo Brown
Debbie Reynolds	...	Kathy Selden
Jean Hagen	...	Lina Lamont
Millard Mitchell	...	R.F. Simpson
Cyd Charisse	...	Dancer
Douglas Fowley	...	Roscoe Dexter
Rita Moreno	...	Zelda Zanders

Also Known As:

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor) | Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Approved (Certificate No. 15511) (original rating) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Iceland:L | Germany:12 | South Korea:All | Japan:G (2009) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:S | Netherlands:AL | Portugal:M/6 (Qualidade) | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:G (new rating) (1975) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Grauman's Chinese Theater - 6925 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Loew's

Trivia:

Although uncredited, Gene Kelly had two incredibly talented choreography assistants. These ladies were none other than Carol Haney ("The Pajama Game") and Gwen Verdon (Broadway star of "Can-Can", "New Girl In Town", "Damn Yankees", "Redhead", "Sweet Charity" and "Chicago"). In fact, Kelly's taps during the "Singin' In The Rain" number were post-dubbed by Verdon and Haney. The ladies had to stand ankle-deep in a drum full of water to match the soggy on-screen action. Gene Kelly had also recommended Carol Haney for the role of Kathy Selden.

Goofs:

Continuity: The scene where Gene Kelly is shown performing in an action sequence from the silent film "The Dueling Cavalier" actually uses footage from his earlier film The Three Musketeers (1948). At one point, Lana Turner, who played Lady de Winter in that film, is briefly seen coming through a door to embrace Kelly before being immediately replaced by new footage of Jean Hagen hugging Kelly.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Dora Bailey:[broadcasting on radio] This is Dora Bailey, ladies and gentlemen, talking to you from the front of the Chinese Theater in Hollywood. What a night, ladies and gentlemen, what a night! Every star in Hollywood's heaven is here to make Monumental Pictures' premiere of "The Royal Rascal" the outstanding event of 1927! Everyone is breathlessly awaiting the arrival of Lina Lamont and Don Lockwood!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Broadcast News (1987)

Soundtrack:

You Were Meant For Me

Trot Out the Accolades--It's Unparalleled

This is my favorite movie musical with no stage forebear.

Consider what's in the mix: A cachet of songs, all tried-and-true from other movies. A cast that was at the top of its form, all the way from Kelly himself to the supporting leads played by Rita Moreno and Millard Mitchell. A script that is, at once, romantic and exciting and sharp and funny.

Stir together with a generous heaping of MGM color and a dash of a director with a stellar pedigree and the result is, well, something like "Singin' in the Rain."

There's not a misstep in the movie's entire 103-minute running time. I love the pokes at early filmmaking ("She never *did* figure out where that microphone was, boss!") and the sheer energy of the musical numbers ("Fit as a Fiddle," "Good Mornin'").

Not only that, but there's not a more romantic scene in all of filmdom that can compare with Reynolds and Kelly dancing to "You Were Meant for Me." Their side-by-side tap dancing says more about how they feel about each other than pages and pages of dialog.

Great stuff!

If you think this movie is just the sequence of Kelly splashing like a five-year-old in a puddle, you obviously haven't seen the entire film. Do so--now! You won't regret it!

PS: In the "rent-this-too" category, if you've seen and love "Singin' in the Rain," check out "The Band Wagon." It skewers the world of theater in much the same way as this film roasts Hollywood!