Among the most iconic Hollywood musicals

Rating: 8/10 (24 May 2017)

"Singin' in the Rain" is one of the most highly praised American films of all time, regularly appearing on critics' top ten lists. It tells the story of a group of film-makers and stars circa 1927 making the awkward transition from silent to 'talkie' pictures.
The film is basically a celebration of the well received MGM musicals that had been appearing for about 25 years at that point. Almost all of the songs featured in the film originated from earlier films. Actually, the story was built around the songs, which is sometimes evident in the tenuous associations given by the script.
Nevertheless, the story is quite interesting as it revisits the period of transition between silent and talking pictures, showing some of the difficulties encountered along the way. The romantic subplot is a bit more pedestrian but, on the whole, the story is both joyous and satisfying.
Whatever the material, the cast certainly left little room for improvement. You couldn't ask for a better leading man than Gene Kelly for what is arguably the definitive MGM musical. He's well suited to the role of movie star Don Lockwood and his singing & dancing are as good as ever. Nineteen year old Debbie Reynolds was as cute as a button while holding her own with both Kelly and Donald O'Connor, who was no slouch himself. Meanwhile, Jean Hagen snagged an Oscar nomination for what is easily the film's best comedic performance. Also notable were Millard Mitchell as the studio head and Cyd Charisse as a featured dancer.
Another of the film's high points is the technical aspect. The co-direction by Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen is top notch and provides us with several memorable moments. The "Broadway Melody Ballet" portion of the film is particularly ambitious and breath-taking, while Gene Kelly's rendition of "Singin' in the Rain" is legendary. And let's not forget the sumptuous Technicolor photography.
All things considered, "Singin' in the Rain" has to be regarded as one of the best movies in the musical genre. While there are a few Hollywood musicals that I would rank above it, there's no denying that the movie is a joy to behold and that it still holds up surprisingly well today.