"The new Don Lockwood. He yodels; he jumps around to music!"

Rating: 9/10 (16 September 2007)

Just to get the record straight, I don't really like musicals. Whilst I'm fond of most cinematic genres, the musical has been one to which I have been rather averse. Perhaps it is the sheer absurdity of a character suddenly breaking into song at the most inopportune moment, or maybe it is the films' tendencies to have a flimsy story connecting the numerous song-and-dance numbers. In any case, it is the mark of a truly great musical when it makes me completely forget that I don't really like musicals, and 'Singin' in the Rain' is certainly one example. It must also be telling that, after seeing the film, I spent the rest of the day treading down the rain-soaked paths and singing the title song to myself, and I continued to do this for at least the next three days, even after any traces of precipitation had long-since cleared.
Following the great success of 'An American in Paris' a year earlier, 'Singin' in the Rain' was co-directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly, and is set in 1927  appropriately, the year of cinema's transition from silent films to "talkies." Don Lockwood (Kelly) is silent cinemas biggest star, featuring in a string of monumental financial successes for Monumental Pictures, usually opposite the glamorous Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen), who can't comprehend that Lockwood only acts affectionate towards her for his films' publicity. With the release of 'The Jazz Singer,' every studio is eager to cash-in on the demand for talkies, but Don and Lina find themselves with a problem: Lina's shrill New York accent definitely does not complement her glamorous public image.
After their share of difficulties  including one hilarious, trouble-plagued test screening for Don and Lina's new film, "The Dueling Cavalier"  a possible solution is happened upon. Don's energetic best friend Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor) and pretty, young Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds, just 20 years of age when the film was released) suggest turning the disaster of a movie into a musical  "The Dancing Cavalier"  with Kathy dubbing all of Lina's dialogue and singing. Of course, not everything goes quite to plan, particularly when the selfish and arrogant Lina finds out about this and tries to have Kathy stripped off all the credit for her excellent work. What sets 'Singin' in the Rain' apart from almost every other musical is the story. Whilst it's obvious that most of the songs were selected well before the plot was formulated  sometimes the musical numbers go off on an unnecessary tangent that is irrelevant to the story  no true fan of cinema can go past a film about Hollywood itself.
The actual storyline is genuinely engaging, and Lina turns into quite a loathsome villainess by the end of the film, especially when her selfishness threatens to destroy the career of one so innocent and promising as young Kathy. Gene Kelly is great in the main role, his superb confidence and boyish charm, coupled with flawless singing and dancing skills, helping to make him one of Hollywood's most fondly-remembered stars. Debbie Reynolds was also very good, despite reportedly having a difficult time on set, her underdeveloped dancing skills often incurring Gene Kelly's frustration. Donald O'Connor, who I can't believe I've never heard about before, is absolutely phenomenal throughout, his every appearance funny, energetic and memorable. Likewise, Jean Hagen savours every moment as the dim but influential Lina Lamont, earning an Oscar nominations for her troubles.
Of course, the true highlights of "Singin' in the Rain' are the musical numbers. Whilst very few of the songs are original to the film (for example, the title song was taken from 'Hollywood Revue of 1929'), the use of each is so inspired that they now forever associated with it. I'm not particularly a fan of the slow, romantic love songs, but some of the more lively tunes appealed to me greatly. "Singin' in the Rain," performed by Gene Kelly on a rainswept nighttime street, has now becoming legendary, superbly demonstrating how Don's love for Kathy has eradicated all of his troubles and left him blissfully happy. O'Connor's energetic rendition of "Make 'Em Laugh," in which he somersaults off the walls of a movie set, left him in a state of extreme exhaustion. "Good Morning," a catchy little tune performed by Kelly, O'Connor and Reynolds was also nice to watch. Perhaps the film's centrepiece, Kelly's "Broadway Melody Ballet" has little to do with the plot of the film, but it is such an astounding flurry of colour and excitement that I am willing to forgive its running a bit overlong. For fans of musicals, 'Singin' in the Rain' is a treat for the eyes and the ears. Indeed, even for people who have little interest in watching musicals, you shouldn't give up on the genre until you have at least seen this one.