The Greatest Musical Ever

Rating: 10/10 (17 December 2006)

Or is it? I don't know. I first got interested in musicals when I saw Hepburn and Astaire in Funny Face (1957). My logical reaction was to watch Singin' in the Rain (1952). The story is extremely smart and funny - two great silent stars having trouble to pass through to talkies, Lina Lamont is the great, special treat. My problem with it is that years went by and I continued to study musicals.
It seems to me that all numbers are recycled versions of other movies. The titled song first came up in Broadway Melody of 1929, and was quite popular in the 30's and 40's. And what can be said of Good Mornin'? I'm sorry! I know that for most people that song finishes up with Kelly, O'Connor and Reynolds laughing out loud in a couch, but for me it's Rooney and Garland selling a song in Babes in Arms (1939). I've Got a Feeling You're Fooling only reminds me now of Robert Taylor, and Would You brings back the Jeanette MacDonald in San Francisco. As for Make Them Laugh, Freed himself was ashamed of that - I mean, could he more obviously have copied Cole Porter's classic Be A Clown?
In the end, Singin' in the Rain might be considered the greatest musical ever because of its extremely original story, but definitely not because of its musical numbers. I think that, at MGM in the 50's, that title might as well belong to The Band Wagon (1954), Minnelli's underrated masterpiece starring the greatest dancer of all time (Astaire - it's not an argument, Kelly will always be second best and everyone knows it) and Cyd Charisse (a much more interesting leading lady than Reynolds, who I always found annoying).