Singin' in the Rain

Given my usual aversion to musicals, I approached Stanley Donen's (Charade) Singin' in the Rain (1952) with a large degree of caution. Surely this would be another example of my being annoyed or befuddled by a "classic" musical, right? Fortunately, though, Singin' in the Rain actually does live up to its reputation. A witty, fun and all-around entertaining piece of work, Rain is perhaps the musical for filmgoers who don't generally like musicals. Of course, even someone like myself is not a complete absolutist in this regard.

It's the mid-1920's, and dashing Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and gorgeous Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) are two of Hollywood's biggest stars. Things change rapidly, however, when sound overtakes the cinema world - and Lockwood's broad acting and Lamont's high-pitched, ill-mannered voice make them ill-suited for the new technology. The disastrous premiere forces studio head RF Simpson (Millard Mitchell) to reshoot their current film as a musical - with Lockwood enlisting the help of his snarky sidekick Cosmo (Donald O'Connor) and spunky dancer-turned-love interest Kathy (Debbie Reynolds) to help things turn out right.

Singin' in the Rain is such a fun all-around film that only a churl could criticize it. The movie's interesting story - about the evolution of cinema, and the broken careers it leaves along the way - is well-portrayed; certainly it's more interesting and inventive than the predictable melodrama to be found in most Hollywood musicals. The script (by Adolph Green and Betty Comden) is full of wit and sharp dialogue, even if it occasionally falls back on obvious and unsubtle humor. Although most of the songs are borrowed from various other films and stage shows, they're well-staged with inventive dance numbers. As in most musicals, the art direction and costume design are without peer. Perhaps most of all, the appealing, well-played characters go a long way towards making the film such fun to watch, and the cast deserves most of the credit.

Gene Kelly is at his absolute best here. Already an iconic star of musicals, Kelly would become a cinema legend here. His dashing Everyman charm, comic timing and exceptional singing and dancing talent serve him perfectly; Kelly gives one of the best musical performances of all-time in this film. The adorable Debbie Reynolds and hilarious Donald O'Connor provide fine back-up for their star, each having their moment to shine. Cyd Charisse has a memorable extended cameo; Millard Mitchell (The Naked Spur) is good in his straight man role. Jean Hagen gets the scene-stealing role as the adorably oblivious Lina; the movie fails only in making her a villain in the later scenes, which seems unfair all things considered.

Singin' in the Rain is among the best Hollywood musicals. Admittedly not an overly prestigious title, in this writer's opinion, but the fact that I enjoyed it quite a bit should say something.