Snack Bar Films

Singin’ in the Rain

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Story

When the transition to “talkies” takes over the film industry, it makes sense that the tabloid’s leading duo would make the change. Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) are already on thin ice as a “couple,” given that they hate each other, so when young, aspiring actress Kathy Seldon (Debbie Reynolds) joins the mix, things get heated. On top of the fued, Lina sounds horrible as a new “talking” actress, and becomes a laughing stock. It seems to be an easy fix to have Kathy voice Lina’s parts, but things start to go sideways. Filled with a top tier cast, songs, and dance numbers, this movie musical one of the best for a reason.

My Thoughts

I can’t help but smile when I talk (or write) about Singin’ in the Rain. It’s not only a great story, but the romance is perfect, the humor hits every time, and the dancing! It’s pretty safe to say that I love a good movie musical (I would say La La Land is a favorite, but I get way too emotional watching that one – that ending?!), but this film incorporates so much more and uses the numbers to its advantage within the story. “Make ‘em Laugh” is perfect because it’s a number about doing a number! I love how the film’s romance, while a huge part, is still not the main part of the plot – instead, it’s about making movies, and all the effort that goes into them, especially when one actor has to speak for another because their voice is just too annoying. This is also one of those films that will always be relevant for talking about the film industry, in the way that an actor’s image or relationship status is made up in the papers.

I was surprised to learn when doing a little digging into the film’s history that it wasn’t an immediate hit and huge success; it’s a film now known in every generation and considered one of the best by the “Sight and Sound” poll. I really like how this is one of those films that can be of interest to all types of movie lovers in the audience, as it incorporates humor, romance, song and dance, and history. The history the movie is talking about, of course, is the transition from silent films to “talkies” and how it was a struggle for actors coming from only needing to know how to act – not talk, too. I think this is such a fun parallel to the other films of the era, such as Sunset Boulevard (dir. Billy Wilder, 1950), where we see “washed up” silent film stars and how they lost their fame with the addition of talking in films. This idea is replicated a lot in TV and film, like in the latest Downton Abbey movie that shows one of the main characters stepping up to voice over an actress with a terrible accent. This idea that it was a completely new type of acting was huge then, so it makes sense that this would have been a real problem faced by actors and directors, alike.

An example of the more directorial problem is the Monumental Pictures studio overall, where they don’t want to lose their leading lady, but also don’t want to become a laughingstock. This changes, however, when Lina shows how devious – not dumb – she could be with finding a loophole in her contract to practically take over the studio.

Character wise, I love the fact that Gene Kelly’s character, right from when he meets her, hates Lina. In the early days of his career as a stuntman, he had turned her away after she treated him like garbage upon first meeting. I find it so funny that his feelings towards her stay this way too. One of my favorite non-dance scenes is when Don and Lina are filming a silent scene and are arguing, saying how much Don hates her, and yet are looking so in love as the scene calls for. Another honorable mention is just Don’s sass throughout the movie, and how he calls Lina all sorts of different names (near the end he calls her a boa constrictor, like, what?)! Even if you weren’t crazy about the musical aspect (which I just cannot fathom; who doesn’t like a good musical tap number?) there are other parts of the film that tailor to everyone, like the humor. The movie is pure joy, and will force a smile out of you, in one way or another. As for Kathy Selden, our new leading lady, she is the epitome of a romantic lead. She doesn’t instantly fall for Don, nor does she cling to him when he becomes interested in her. Even when the two finally get together, their relationship fits so naturally that you – ok, I mean me – want to squeal during their “You Were Meant for Me” scene and Don’s “Singin’ in the Rain” scene. The former is particularly important to the story because it’s the first time we get to see Don’s true emotions and not another lie for his career – i.e. the lie of how he starts his career, to his perfect romance with Lina. Here, we get to see real intentions and a real relationship blossom – and we get something to root for. Then, of course, when we see “Singin’ in the Rain,” it’s a culmination of Don’s romantic feelings, causing us – me – to squeal more.

I still cannot get over the fact that O’Connor, Kelly, and Reynolds all make the incredible feat of their dance and tap numbers look so easy! It was a bit more grounding to learn that it was not, in fact, easy learning choreography, as noted in numerous interviews by Reynolds and Cyd Charisse.

I could probably just go on and on about how it is such a fun film and funny film. Singin’ in the Rain is a classic for a reason, and it is undeniable that it is one of the best movie musicals ever. Obviously, too, that it is one of the best films, period, ever made, as proven by polls and charts. If you need to find me, for at least the next few days, the film will be playing over and over again until I can have at least one dance number down and perfected. Ok, so more like a few years with my lack of dancing skills.

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