Evening star., 1952-05-01

of it's immediate predecessors on
two scores only. One of these is
that the gemlike sparkle of Paris
as a background has been replaced
by MGM's native Hollywood. The
other is that the vibrance of
George Gershwin's music is miss
ing. There are no substitutes for
Paris and Gershwin.
Metro has tried valiantly, how
ever, to prove otherwise in Sing
in In The Rain" 1t has found
some corking music for the latest
Arthur Freed production and it
has cast the large area around
Kelly brilliantly. Debbie Reynolds,
Jean Hagen, Donald O'COnnor,
Cyd Charlse and a flock of the
vibrant studio young figure here.
They are contagiouSly joyous
group singing and dancing their
way through a script that is a
breezy satire on Hollywood's past.
The period caricatured in the
Screenplay by Adolph Green and
Betty Comden is 1927, when the
movies shifted from silence to
recorded speech. Viewed from this
distance, it was a very funny
time. "Singin' In The Rain" has
q lot of fun with it.
So will every one else.
In addition to being it's major
star, Kelly is also co-director.
choreographer and leading spirit
of "Singin' In the Rain" His
role in it is that of a brash, mat
inee-idol type of the late 20S. He
is the exceptional ham, however,
in that he also has talent which
he hides under white fedora,
Gamers hair coat and an amusing
CockineSs.
His male partner in the foolish
ness of making silent films, at
tending world premieres and pla-
eating the movie queen played by
OCdII 11dSCIl, 10 d1IOI1lCA Od4CA4OCO
1rishman, Donald O'Connor.
They are perfect pair at satir-
izing not only the muscular dances
and bouncy songs of the films
period, but also the outrageous
manners of the time.
* X X
The richest single asset of
"Singin' In The Rain" is its
comedy. 1t is wonderfully blessed
in this respect not merely with
Kelly and O'Connor but also Miss
Hagen. Her addle-brained movie
queen with the voice of querulous
child is a memorable character
and the perfect counter point to
the dainty dancer played by Miss
Reynolds.
The latter is the dancing part
ner of both Kelly and O'Connor
throughout most of the film. When
the going gets complicated. how
ever, in the big ballet numbers,
Miss Reynolds defers to Miss
Charlse. The latter is beautifully
up to the intricacies of Kelly's
dance creations.
y \ \ \
The song and dance routineS
of the latest Kelly film are given
the lavish treatment. A number
of the better older tunes are eX-
travagantly recalled in the score
of "Singin' In The Rain" Among
these are such favorites as, of
course, the title tune, Would
YOU" You Were Meant for Me, u
"All I Do Is Dream of You," and
"You Are My Lucky Star"
These may not have been the
tunes to which Hollywood actually
accomplished its conversion from
silence to sound but they are
made to fit the occasion hand
somely.
Incidentally, this changeover to
the talkies provides the comedy
with one of it's most hilarious
highlights. This has to do with
Kelly and O'Connor taking a die
ton lesson from one of those
humorless voice teachers who ap-
proaches his students as if they
were aborigineS.
In :O'Connor, Kelly meets the
nearest thing to a matchingly
versatile and energetic enter
tainer he has yet found on the
screen. The former gets his fullest
opportunity as singer, dancer, and
comedian in "Singin' In The
Rain" He makes the most of his
chances to come as close to steal
ing Kelly's film as is humanity
possible.
X X X X
Kelly's dances in his latest
film are of the same buoyance as
\AILa nd When