Thursday, June 27, 2013

Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Directors: Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly

Starring: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell, Cyd Charisse, Douglas Fowley, Rita Moreno

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Singin' Swingin' Glorious Feelin' Technicolor Musical

Plot: In 1927, Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont are a famous on-screen romantic pair. Lina, however, mistakes the on-screen romance for real love. Don has worked hard to get where he is today, with his former partner Cosmo. When Don and Lina's latest film is transformed into a musical, Don has the perfect voice for the songs. But Lina - well, even with the best efforts of a diction coach, they still decide to dub over her voice. Kathy Selden is brought in, an aspiring actress, and while she is working on the movie, Don falls in love with her. Will Kathy continue to "aspire", or will she get the break she deserves?


My rating: 8/10

Will I watch it again? Yes.

I've had this DVD sitting on my shelf (still in the plastic, mind you) for years.  It was a gift from a good friend of mine.  She was stunned that I had never seen it and thought I would really dig it.  So the local cineplex, in conjunction with Fandango, had a one night only showing of this on the big screen.  I had to go because I try to see every old film on the big screen whenever possible.  I loved it.  The dancing is amazing.  These kids were so effortless.  It's funny, the songs are great and the leads are loads of fun to watch.  My friend was right but it took a few years, a few dollars and for it to end up on the big screen for me to get around to it. At least it's there in my collection for when I'm ready to see it again.  It's the Warner Bros. 2-disc set loaded with extras.  I'm going to have to check them out now.  I don't have much of an excuse any more.





1 comment:

  1. I first saw this film in an unusual environment. It was a Virgin Records Christmas party. The target audience was long haired rock music fans, which included me. A few hours of moshing with loud music and lots of beer. Then they showed Hollywood musicals on a big screen. "Cover Girl", "Singing in the Rain", and I fell asleep and missed the third. Somehow we all got into it, despite being a strange audience. Surreal.

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