That's What They Said About the Horseless Carriage!

Rating: 10/10 (21 June 2006)

"Singin' in the Rain" is a great movie about change. The change it describes, of course, is Hollywood's shift from silent film to talkies in the late 1920s. Ironically, it was made during another period of change. In 1952, Hollywood was shifting from mostly black and white movies to mostly color and from standard format (1.33:1) to widescreen. "Singin' in the Rain" bridges the gap; it's shot in Technicolor in standard format.
A better title might have been "Dancin' in the Rain". Almost all of the musical numbers have their dance sequences. From Gene Kelly's tap duets with Donald O'Connor to his fantasy ballet with Cyd Charisse, the film is a study of the human body in motion.
In most musicals, the songs are written to fit the simple plot. In this one, a complex plot was constructed to fit songs that were over 20 years old, and it works. The film doesn't stand still during the musical numbers: the plot drives the songs and the songs drive the plot. The "Broadway Ballet" finale and the corny but hilarious ending are epilogue; the film's real climax is the scene where Don Lockwood (Kelly) dances along a rain-washed street. He has fallen in love with the girl of his dreams. The problem of Lina's voice has been solved. Everything that follows is inevitable.
Set in 1927, the plot revolves around silent star Don Lockwood, his on screen romance with Lina LaMont (Jean Hagen) and his off-screen romance with aspiring actress Cathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds). Mix the love triangle, the career-wrecking advent of talking pictures and comic relief man Cosmo Brown (O'Connor) and stir liberally for a great screwball musical comedy.
The coming of sound destroyed the careers of many silent film stars. It was a form of entertainment-industry Darwinism. Those who didn't have good voices suddenly couldn't get work. Don is a wonderful song & dance man, but Lina's voice is sharp enough to cut steel. Until now, her job has been to look pretty and pantomime on the silent screen. As Cosmo puts it, "She can't sing, she can't dance and she can't act. A triple threat." Her well-rounded incompetence and her spoiled-brat attitude make her one of the greatest comedy villains of all time.
Most movies try to hide the tricks of the trade, but "Singin' in the Rain" is a movie about film-making. It revels in the secrets of movie-making and the technical foibles of early sound films. In one of its most memorable scenes, Don declares his love for Cathy on a movie set. In the process, he demonstrates some special effects machinery.
For the 50th anniversary edition, Warner Bros. (which now owns the rights to the movie) has put together a handsome 2-DVD package worthy of the film. The documentaries on disc 2 are all interesting. The easter eggs (on both discs) are even better. In fact, the egg on disc 1 is one of my all-time favorites.