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 #103 | 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:

movie studio | hollywood california | reference to moses | 1920s | film history | 

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Taglines:

What a Glorious Feeling !

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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:

Singin' in the Rain

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$2,540,800 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$13,643, 10 November 2002

Gross USA:

$1,826,108

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,864,182

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

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

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

The Police Officer Don meets after singing the title song is seen wearing an oval L.A.P.D. badge. That design wasn't adopted by the L.A.P.D. until 1940 (the film being set in 1927).

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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 Fringe: The Boy Must Live (2013)

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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

Timeles Magic

Can you imagine? Me, a film lover since the age of six, hadn't seen "Singing In The Rain" until last night. I had read and heard so much about it over the years that I knew I was going to be disappointed. As a musical I've never seen anything so perfectly "in tune" I can see how many directors have been influenced by the soul of this gorgeous movie. I've seen even Federico Fellini here. The tap routine with Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor is so energizing that I wanted to see it again and again. The fantasy number with Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse is breathtaking, breathtaking! How extraordinary to see Debiee Reynolds going through the contagious (Good morning!Good morning!) I had seen her a few nights before as Grace's mother in "Will and Grace" She hasn't lost her zest. I'm sure I'll be seeing this movie many times and I intend to show it to very young people from the post MTV generation and I'm betting with myself that they're going to love it. Greatness is timeless.