Singin' in the Rain (1952)

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

Directors:

Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly

Writers:

Adolph Green (story), Betty Comden (story),

Stars:

Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds

Top 250 #86 | Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 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

Storyline

In 1927, Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont are a famous on-screen romantic pair. Lina, however, mistakes the on-screen romance for real love. Don has worked hard to get where he is today, with his former partner Cosmo. When Don and Lina's latest film is transformed into a musical, Don has the perfect voice for the songs. But Lina - well, even with the best efforts of a diction coach, they still decide to dub over her voice. Kathy Selden is brought in, an aspiring actress, and while she is working on the movie, Don falls in love with her. Will Kathy continue to "aspire", or will she get the break she deserves ?

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Plot Keywords:

love | actress | friend | singing | secret | 

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Taglines:

Singin' Swingin' Glorious Feelin' Technicolor Musical

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 April 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cantando bajo la lluvia

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$2,540,800 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Loew's, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), RKO-Pathe Studios Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor) Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the sixth time the song "Singin' in the Rain" was used on the big screen. It was introduced in The Hollywood Revue of 1929 when it was sung by the MGM roster in front of a Noah's Ark backdrop. A clip from that footage was later used in Babes in Arms. Jimmy Durante sang it briefly in Speak Easily. Durante was the first to add the often used "Doo Doo Doo Doo " and "Ya Da Da Da". Judy Garland sang it in Little Nellie Kelly. The song was also featured as an elaborate musical sequence performed by William Bendix and cast in The Babe Ruth Story.

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Goofs

During "Beautiful Girls" number, the camera shows all the outfits curving downward starting with the pajamas and ending with the wedding dress. But when the camera closes in on the man singing and the women coming behind him, the wedding dress is in the middle with the others going outwards.

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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!

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Connections

Referenced in Effects (1980)

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Soundtracks

"You Were Meant For Me"
(1929) (uncredited)
Music by Nacio Herb Brown
Lyrics by Arthur Freed
Originally from The Broadway Melody
Sung by Gene Kelly
Danced by Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds

User Reviews

The talkies

The transition from the silent film era to the newly arrived technique of the 'talkies' proved to be the ruin for many well established stars that were great on the screen, but who had no professional training in the theater, or otherwise, and had horrible speaking voices. Thus, a star of the magnitude of Lina Lamont, suffers a hard blow to her career and ego.

That's the basis of one of the best movies about old Hollywood of all times: "Singin' in the Rain". The film is one of the classics it is because of the marvelous direction of Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, two men who knew a lot about musicals. The screen play is by one of the best people in the business, Betty Comden and Adolph Green.

MGM was the studio that employed all the stars one sees in the film, and what a cast they put together: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Cyd Charisse in a dancing part, Millard Mitchell and Rita Moreno. As if those names weren't big enough, there is the fantastic musical numbers that even, viewing them today, have kept their freshness because of the care in which this film was crafted.

"Singin' in the Rain" is one of the best musicals of all times. It's right up there with the best of them thanks to the vision of Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen and it will live forever as more people discover this wonderful example of entertainment.