Singin' in the Rain

Rating:
Summary: A great muscial film! Very entertaining!
Review: Having finally decided to watch this film (which is of my parents' time frame), I was awed by the costumes, numbers & its ingenuity. Set in the heyday of silent movies & about to enter the era of "talkies",the movie was filled with Kelly's superb numbers (e.g. the unforgettable "Singin' in the Rain" number)& O'Connor's funny antics (yet, equally admirable muscial genius). Reynolds, with her limited exposure, was just as good with her songs & tap-dance numbers. Lina Lamont, portrayed by Jean Hagen,was the funny villaniness with her hair-raising screechy voice. Very different from the modern, high-budget films of today, the actors were not only beautiful but were very talented as well. Such a wholesome movie. How come we do not have this nowadays?

Rating:
Summary: The Musical everyone will like...
Review: If you want to win someone over who thinks they hate musicals, you have two choices: show 'em something subversive, like "Caberet" (who knew musicals could have a bisexual love triangle!), or show them this: The single most joyful movie I've ever seen. I've never seen anyone not get caught up and charmed by this one. I'm sure I've watched this a dozen times, and it simply improves every time. Even the "Broadway Ballet" that seems to derail the movie a bit the first time you see it instead becomes a little "movie within a movie", and it repays repeated viewings.

The DVD package is a little disappointing. My VHS version has a deleted scene and an interview with the screenwriters - why not include these with the DVD? I was tempted to delete a star for this, but how could I give "Singin' in the Rain" anything less than 5 stars?

Rating:
Summary: Still very good
Review: Singin' In The Rain is one of the most loved american films and it's considered one of the greatest musicals of all times. Even without the musical numbers the film does just fine. It's a light comedy, with charming characters.

The story is set during the transition from silents to talkies. Monumental Pictures' greatest on-screen couple, Don Locwood and Lina Lamont, is having a hard time adjusting to the times, since Lina (Jean Hagen) has a rather unpleasant voice. Meanwhile the male half of the partnership, Don (Gene Kelly) finds himself head over heels for a young aspring actress named Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds). The plot twists are clever (we must remember this was 1952 almost 40 years before milli vanilli) and the ending is satisfying.

However, while many people consider the musical numbers to be Singin' In The Rain's greatest heights, i never felt quite convinced with a few of them. One reason i liked West Side Story so much was the effortless way the musical numbers and the normal action came together. One existed to embellish the other and everytime a musical number happened it almost seemed logical. Singin' In The Rain misses that aspect.

For example, the first musical number is All I Do Is Dream Of You, or something like that. It's a great, energetic, cute dance that seems perfectly in place (a party), nevertheless the next number Make 'Em Laugh, though amazing, exists only to showcase Donald O'Connor's abilities as an acrobat, since the number doesn't really influence the future development of the film and doesn't seem quite as related to what's going on in that moment (Don is feeling like he is in the wrong track and O'Connor advises him to make people laugh?).

Another number "Beautiful Girl" also seems completely unnecesary and it's not that great of a song. But there is also You Were Meant For Me where Don and Kathy dance as they start to grow feelings for each other, it's a simple beautiful and emotive number. Then there's moses supposes, again just an excuse to make Kelly and O'Connor try to outdo each other.

Then there's Good Morning with some pros and some cons. The pros are the good choreography and music and the cons the inadequate theme and the embarrasing part with the coats. But it's all forgiven when the next number comes along. One of the most classic moments in movie history. Kelly shakin', dancin' and singin' in the rain in the culminating number of the entire genre. This time song, music, lyrics, choreography and setting all agree to make this a wonderful spectacle to watch, this is really the glorious feeling everybody talks about.

Five times as complicated is the next number, a musical extravaganza, a story within a story: The Broadway Melody. I'll have to admit that it's as related to the story as Make 'Em Laugh but this one is a masterpiece, with several moods and tones it either sucks you right in or gives you fourteen minutes to go drink some coffee.

I really don't consider Singin' to be the greatest musical of all times. But it does showcase the entire cast at their musical best (Jean Hagen steals the show) and it does feature that guy walkin' around, lookin' happy, shakin' that umbrella and splashin' in the water like there's no tomorrow. That number alone redeems all the rest.

Rating:
Summary: Singin', Dancin', This One Has It All
Review: This is a movie that'll give you Happy Feet just thinking about it once you've seen it. Quite possibly the purest movie musical ever made, "Singin' In the Rain," directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, has everything you could want in a musical: A good story, perfect cast, imaginative choreography, memorable music and songs, terrific performances, and a presentation that is nothing less than inspired. It takes you behind the scenes of the movie business, set during the transitional period between the heyday of silent films and the advent of talkies. Don Lockwood (Kelly) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) are two of the biggest stars in Hollywood, the Tracy and Hepburn of Monumental Studios, which is about to release their latest movie-- a swashbuckling costume drama. But a rival studio has just released "The Jazz Singer," and overnight the industry is revolutionized, and silent films are just that quickly a thing of the past. To keep up and stay afloat, the major studios need to produce pictures that talk. And where does Monumental start? By retooling their latest big star vehicle (with Lockwood and Lamont) into a MUSICAL swashbuckling costume drama. If it's song and dance the public wants, then that's what they'll get-- right along with the drama of the costume and the swashbuckling thrown in to boot. There's one problem, though; the sound of Lina's voice has the effect of fingernails scraping a chalkboard, and her diction isn't going to land her the role of Juliet anytime soon. The powers that be at Monumental fear they may soon have a "falling" star on their hands. But there's always a solution, of course; and leave it to Don's partner, Cosmo (Donald O'Connor), to come up with it. And it just happens to involve a young lady named Kathy (Debbie Reynolds), with whom Don has just recently become acquainted. And that's where the story really begins.

Kelly and Donen (who also teamed up for "On the Town" and "It's Always Fair Weather") certainly know how to put on a show. The name of their game is Entertainment-- yes, with a capital "E"-- and that's exactly what you get. The dazzling production numbers are upbeat and electrifying: Donald O'Connor's "Make 'Em Laugh;" "Good Mornin'," which features Debbie Reynolds (joined by Kelly and O'Connor); a diction lesson by Kelly and O'Connor that begins with "Moses," who "Supposes his 'toeses' are roses;" and a transporting routine with Kelly and Cyd Charisse. But the highlight is Kelly doing the title song while "Singin' and dancin' in the rain." And these are but a few of the magical marvels of this film.

When Kelly sings "Gotta dance!" you'd better believe it, because he's the best of the best, and he's at the top of his game here. He's a consummate entertainer and a perfectionist, and simply a joy to watch. And with O'Connor next to him you really have something special, as they tend to bring out the best in one another (I submit their "Moses" number as evidence). Also, they seem to genuinely enjoy working together; there appears to be an almost fun sense of spirited competition going on as they dance, and it's an invigorating experience (if this wasn't so, then they've pulled off a marvelous bit of acting). But no one can out-dance Gene Kelly. Period. And he may not be the world's greatest singer, but in this film his voice is in top form, as well.

Also a consummate performer, Donald O'Connor more than holds his own with Kelly on the dance floor (and he's at the top of a very short list of those who can), and the sense of humor and personality he brings to the film are invaluable. His energetic "Make 'Em Laugh" number does just that; and while it's funny, it also showcases O'Connor's versatility and gives him a chance to display some amazing moves (how many people-- even professional dancers-- can dance up the side of a wall and into a back flip?). And he makes it look so easy. As Cosmo, he's the quintessential second banana and jack-of-all-trades. He dances, sings, plays piano, cracks jokes, pops up for tech work in the sound booth, and on top of everything else he's an idea man and a general facilitator of anything and everything that needs facilitating. If Danny Kaye had a brother it would be O'Connor; and-- like Kelly-- he's just a pleasure to watch.

Debbie Reynolds was twenty-years-old when she made this film, and she's a perfect fit with Kelly and O'Connor. Beautiful and talented-- and mature beyond her years-- she has a kind of sparkle all her own and a terrific screen presence. She can sing and she can dance, she looks good no matter what she's doing, and there's a wholesome, girl-next-door quality about her that makes her endearing. It also makes Kathy a very real and believable character, and Reynolds plays her perfectly.

As Lina Lamont, the girl with a voice that could make cats cry, Jean Hagen is an absolute riot. Reminiscent of a character Mia Farrow would create years later in "Radio Days," Sally White-- though perhaps a bit more dense-- Lina takes the "vain" out of "vanity," and Hagen brings her to life with a vivid, memorable performance. And it's just another of the many elements that make this such a great film.

The supporting cast includes Millard Mitchell (Simpson), Rita Moreno (Zelda), Douglas Fowley (Roscoe) and Kathleen Freeman (Phoebe). If pure entertainment is what you're after, you need look no further than "Singin' In the Rain," which successfully dispels any doubts that there is, indeed, magic in the movies. Because this movie is magic, a sheer delight from beginning to end no matter how many times you see it. There's been a number of great musicals made over the years, but of them all, with Kelly and O'Connor at the top of their form, this one just may be the definitive offering.

Rating:
Summary: Simply the Greatest Movie Musical of All-Time
Review: "Singin' in the Rain" is simply the greatest Movie Musical of all time. This is a movie that everyone needs to get around to seeing sooner or later, but none of the others on that list ("Citizen Kane," "Casablanca," etc.) are anywhere near as happy a viewing experience as this one. Gene Kelly dancing to the title song is an indelible Top 10 Movie memory and Donald O'Connor might be a second banana but his "Make 'Em Laugh" is almost as unforgettable. Then there is the whole "Moses supposes his toeses are roses, but Moses supposes erroneously," which is just a notch below "The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle" in my mind. Screenwriters Betty Comden and Adolph Green did the lyrics for that Roger Edens tune, while most of the songs were written by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed. Yes, the "Broadway Melody" sequences is shoe horned into the picture, but that is redeemed by the by the punch line at the end when R. F. Simpson (Millard Mitchell) says, "Well, I'll have to see it." Besides, Cyd Charisse is in it and my father always liked "Cyd Baby" as he called her, which, seeing those long legs, I can understand. The other great in-joke in this film is that Betty Noyes does the singing for Debbie Reynold's dubbing the singing for Jean Hagen because Lina Lamont has a voice that can peel paint ("Well of COURSE we talk. Don't everybody?) and the excuse for all this merriment is that the Lockwood and Lamont silent film "The Dueling Cavalier" needs to be changed into a new fangled talking picture. Remember the rules: If it originally appeared on Broadway then it does not get to be considered as a Movie Musical. This means "Singin' in the Rain" is not in competition against "The Sound of Music" or "Grease" but rather against "Easter Parade" and "White Christmas." Ergo, the Greatest Movie Musical of all time.

Rating:
Summary: Perfect except for Kelly's overindulgence...
Review: You don't have to look far to find movie experts who say "Singin'" is perhaps the greatest movie musical, and I won't dispute that. I have two significant beefs with the movie, and they both involve Gene Kelly.

In the "Broadway Melody" segment a ten minute, lavish, overdone musical number is inserted directly into the heart of a movie which is clipping along just fine WITHOUT this totally unrelated number. It's a fine song and dance number - it just has NOTHING to do with the rest of the movie.

The other beef is with Kelly's "acting". There are the scenes where he is SUPPOSED to be "overacting" as the great Lockwood - but in the OTHER scenes, the "back in real life" ones - his "acting" is almost exactly the same. You could argue this character is SUPPOSED to be this way, but I say nay, Lockwood is supposed to be the sympathetic half of Lockwood and Lamont, and you should WANT him to be a more "regular guy" so that you can better believe that Debbie Reynolds would fall for him.

The REMAINDER of the movie is so utterly perfect that this is quibbling. Donald O'Connor steals all of his scenes, and "Make 'em Laugh" steals the whole show!

Rating:
Summary: Classic....one of the best!
Review: A must for every DVD library! My kids enjoy this great show as well!

Rating:
Summary: A musical that will make you sing and dance!!
Review: Singin' in the Rain is one musical that even all musical haters cannot ignore. This musical I feel has everything that a musical should have. The great songs "Good Morning," "You are my lucky Star" and of course the title track are forever timeless classics. The film is about Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont who are big movie stars of the silent era. Thank goodness for the film called The Jazz Singer because the silent movie world is all about to change. The Jazz Singer is a "talkie" and the silent movie actors find themselves undergoing singing and speech lessons so they can make their "talkie" movie. Don Lockwood passes but Lina Lamont cannot be a successful talkie actress. This film also shows us a romantic side of Lockwood and a showgirl named Kathy Seldon. Kathy pretends that she does not know who he is or anything about him, but we later find out that she knows everything about Don. Kathy and Don end up falling in love with each other. Later on Lockwood sees Kathy as a strong chorus girl who can overdue Lamont's voice, but Lamont tries her best to break them up. This films humor is hilarious but at times a bit cruel. A lot of it is at the expense of Lamont, because of her annoying voice and inability to sing and dance she is ridiculed throughout this film. Singin' in the Rain features some extraordinary dances ever filmed. One of my favorites would be during the Make 'Em Laugh scene which is performed by Cosmo Brown. This number is a reason alone to see this film. The dances choreographed by Gene Kelley are very entertaining. The film also contains plenty of humor, especially where Don is talking about his early movie career to the press as having everything, while we see images of his past that are not really glamorous at all, as Cosmo and Don are being rejected just about anywhere. This film has a rather sweet ending as Don is singing "You are my lucky Star" to Kathy in front of hundreds of movie fans. It shows his love for Kathy is so strong. I would recommend this film to anyone whether they are a musical fan or not. If you are ever in the mood for a fun and entertaining musical I would recommend you rent Singin' in the Rain.

Rating:
Summary: You'll be walking down the lane with a happy refrain!!!
Review: Singin in the Rain is perhaps the greatest movie musical ever made. I absolutely just love this film. It combines music, dance and a really witty script to make the most magnificent of MGM's musicals. The story goes like this: Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) are the toast of 1920's Hollywood. Then The Jazz Singer comes out and all hell breaks loose when they realize that talkies are going to be the next big thing. Unfortunately, Lina has a voice that could shatter a mirror and caaaiiint seem to get anything done when a microphone is present. Don't worry though; Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds) saves the day and knocks Don right off his feet. She promises to dub over Lina's voice and stay at the back of the cameras. Of course while Lina believes the press that Don and her are an item, Don is falling in love with the beautiful Kathy.
All of the stars put in brilliant performances, especially Donald O'Connor, his 'Make em Laugh' scene has to be one of the best-choreographed displays ever. Jean Hagen's portrayal of the shrill blond bombshell is absolutely hilarious, which won her a Best Supporting Actress nomination that year. And of course the multi-talented Gene Kelly: he can act, sing, and dance... the triple threat. It still amazes me how Gene Kelly was also able to choreograph and co-direct while taking on the role of the main character. Debbie Reynolds is great too, but in my opinion she plays second fiddle to Ms. Hagen.
My favorite bit would have to be the trademark Singin in the Rain scene. Just watching Gene Kelly sing and dance around in the streets while it is pouring rain is just wonderful. This is a great film and I recommend it to everybody. If you haven't seen Singin in the Rain then you must go see it, if you already have seen it then watch it again, and for those who don't think highly of musicals; this one is a must for you guys cause it will change the way you view musicals.

Rating:
Summary: To Non-Musical Lovers
Review: This musical is not for everyone, but i know plenty of people who as a general rule don't like musicals, but loved this one. Even without the music, the plot itself is hilarious and masterfully carried out through the acting. The songs are great, and the dancing superb. Some parts seem a little random and odd, but it only serves to contribute more to the overall theme and mood of the peice. I forget the name of Gene Kelly's sidekick in this film, but he is one of the best reasons to watch the movie (besides Gene Kelly and Deborah Reynolds).
The ending is the icing on the cake, and is a hilarious ending to a great show.