1952, Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen, 103 mins.
The coming of sound in words and music.
Often cited as the greatest of all Hollywood musical
comedies, Singin’ in the Rain is particularly notable as a historical reconstruction
of the early days of sound cinema and the crisis it brought about in the
industry. Many of the funniest set-pieces are based on the various problems of
recording sound, the biggest joke of all being that the gorgeous leading lady
of the silents, deliciously played by Jean Hagen, has a voice that could strip
paint at fifty yards. So the comedy works a treat but what most people remember
is the music and dancing, both of which are top-notch. Gene Kelly is at his
most creative and least pretentious, particularly in the iconic title number
and the Broadway Melody ballet, and Debbie Reynolds is simply radiant. The sensational Technicolor photography, courtesy of Harold Rossen, is to die for.
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