Singin' in the Rain (1952)

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

Directors:

Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly

Writers:

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

Stars:

Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds

Top Rated Movies #93 | Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 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

1927 Hollywood. Monumental Pictures' biggest stars, glamorous on-screen couple Lina Lamont and Don Lockwood, are also an off-screen couple if the trade papers and gossip columns are to be believed. Both perpetuate the public perception if only to please their adoring fans and bring people into the movie theaters. In reality, Don barely tolerates her, while Lina, despite thinking Don beneath her, simplemindedly believes what she sees on screen in order to bolster her own stardom and sense of self-importance. R.F. Simpson, Monumental's head, dismisses what he thinks is a flash in the pan: talking pictures. It isn't until The Jazz Singer (1927) becomes a bona fide hit which results in all the movie theaters installing sound equipment that R.F. knows Monumental, most specifically in the form of Don and Lina, have to jump on the talking picture bandwagon, despite no one at the studio knowing anything about the technology. Musician Cosmo Brown, Don's best friend, gets hired as Monumental's ...

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Plot Keywords:

national film registry | afi | black and white segues into color | title based on song | cake | 

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Taglines:

Singin' Swingin' Glorious Feelin' Technicolor Musical

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Re-Issue from 1952

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 April 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cantando bajo la lluvia

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,540,800 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$8,819,028

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$13,979,088

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The "Make 'em Laugh" sequence was created because Gene Kelly felt that Donald O'Connor needed a solo number. As O'Connor noted in an interview, "Gene didn't have a clue as to the kind of number it was meant to be." ("Supposedly" it was suppose to be "The Wedding of the Painted Doll", though it was moved to Scene 7.) The two of them brainstormed ideas in the rehearsal room, and came up with a compendium of gags and "shtick" that O'Connor had done for years, some of which he had performed in vaudeville. O'Connor recalled, "Every time I got a new idea or remembered something that had worked well for me in the past, Gene wrote it down and, bit by bit, the entire number was constructed."

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Goofs

When Don runs into a cabin as a stuntman, there is an obvious splice in the film just before the cabin blows up.

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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

Featured in Interactive Film Quiz (2006)

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Soundtracks

All I Do Is Dream of You
(1934)
Music by Nacio Herb Brown
Lyrics by Arthur Freed
Originally from Sadie McKee (1934)
Sung by Debbie Reynolds (uncredited) and Chorus

User Reviews

A Classic

Last year I was very lucky to catch this on the big screen. This film is meant to be seen on the big screen! It was also the first time I saw it at the theaters and I was very impressed with the visuals.

In this film movies are switching over from being silent to being "talkies". However the film is a spoof of the turmoil that afflicted the movie industry in the late 1920s when movies when the change over went from silent to sound. When two silent movie stars', Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont, latest movie is made into a musical a chorus girl is brought in to dub Lina's speaking and singing. Don is on top of the world until Lina finds out.

This is such a great film that if you ever get the chance to see this at the movies then DO IT.

Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds made an awesome team.