Review of Singin' in the Rain (1952) by Ricardo O — 21 Feb 2011

I have finally re-evaluated this movie and yes, Singin' In the Rain is indeed THE greatest of all musicals. It's also one of the 10 greatest films ever made. At least, it's my opinion that this movie belongs in the top 10 but that's just me. Still, how could you not enjoy this movie? Numbers like the iconic "Singin' In the Rain" where Gene Kelly sings and dances throughout the streets in the rain, climbing on a light pole and all; and "Good Mornin'," with the complex choreography featuring Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds singing and dancing through the house are just two of the many unforgettable scenes in the film. One of my favorite scenes is when they're trying to film the scene with the new sound equipment and everything they do just isn't working. Hilarious!

Singin' In the Rain is the best of the "songbook" musicals of the era, the other two famous musicals belonging to this type of musical being An American In Paris and The Band Wagon. The earlier teaming of Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly, On the Town, is a great musical in itself with plenty to show for it; An American In Paris took the excellent choreography of Gene Kelly to whole other level; but it was Singin' In the Rain that is the crowning achievement in Gene Kelly's career in musical numbers. Every single musical number is a gem; Kelly's and Donen's choreography in each one of them is fantastic, especially the "Good Mornin'" sequence. It also benefits from having a pretty good story, something most musicals aren't really known for. But all this wouldn't be convincing without a good cast, and this film has a superb cast. Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds are all charming and a joy to watch, just a shame that none of them were nominated for their great work in the film. The one acting nomination was for Jean Hagen and she certainly deserved it, as she is absolutely hilarious. The ironic thing about the movie is the fact that it didn't make an impact almost at all.

It's also an interesting to note that at the time of it's release it wasn't able to find an audience even with the two nominations it got from the Academy. It was just looked at indifferently. It wasn't really until the compilation film That's Entertainment! was released in 1974 that people started looking back at it and realizing what they had missed. This immediately brought the film all new acclaim, well-deserved acclaim that just seems to keep accumulating each year that passes as more and more people begin to appreciate it. It's a great piece of cinema that is unquestionably charming and fun thanks to the direction and choreography by Donen & Kelly, the timeless songs, and the exceptional cast. This is essential viewing. 10/10.