Perhaps the Greatest Musican Ever Made

Rating: Null/10 (12 July 2012)

Singin' in the Rain (1952)
**** (out of 4)
If this isn't the greatest musical ever made it's certainly near the very top of the list. Set in 1927, a movie studio decides to pull the production on a silent picture and convert it to sound. The lead star (Gene Kelly) is fine with the idea but the only problem is that the leading lady (Jean Hagen) doesn't have a good speaking voice. After a disastrous preview screening, the idea gets launched that they should dub the actresses voice with that of someone who can sing and speak (Debbie Reynolds). SINGIN' IN THE RAIN just had its 60th Anniversary re-release and it was quite something getting to see it on the big screen but what's even more remarkable was the fact that the film made it this long. It's funny to know that the film was only a moderate success when it was first released and I wonder what the Kelly and company would have thought at the time if people would be gathering sixty years later to watch the film, which is certainly one of the most loved of all time. Even though everything in the film is a major success, I think it's fair to say that Kelly deserves most of the credit since he not only played the lead but he also co-directed, came up with the dances and helped with just about every part of the picture. The work Kelly does here is just remarkable and especially considering how many terrific moments there are with just the singing and dancing alone. The title track and dance is one of the most memorable, charming and joyous in film history but we also get classic takes with 'Make Em Laugh,' 'Good Morning' and the closing big number, a take on 'The Broadway Melody.' Not only are these sequences terrific but so is the main story as it works perfectly well as a throwback to the day when musicals really took off. The stuff dealing with Hollywood's transition from silent to sound rings especially true and leads to some terrific jokes and some very funny moments. Of course, it goes without saying but the entire cast is terrific with Kelly leading the way with a very strong performance in the lead. Reynolds is also very good as the virginal new star and Donald O'Connor gets some terrific moments with his laugh out loud funny performance. Hagen deserves a lot of credit for the high-pitched dumb blonde who can't do anything right. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN is clearly one masterpiece that really lives up to its high reputation. It really doesn't matter how many times you've seen it, the magic lives on each repeat viewing because the dancing, the singing, the mood and the performances are simply so good that it's impossible not to get drawn into the material.