2. “I’m singin just singin in the
Singin' in the Rain is a
rain....” and Lina Lamont
In 1927, Don Lockwood
1952 American musical are a famous on-screen romantic pair.
comedy film starring Gene Lina, however, mistakes the on-screen
Kelly, Donald O’Connor romance for real love. Don has worked
and Debbie Reynolds and hard to get where he is today, with his
directed by Gene Kelly former partner Cosmo. When Don and
and Stanley Donnen, with Lina's latest film ‘The Dancing Cavalier’ is
Kelly also providing the transformed into a musical and instead of
choreography. It offers a a silent movie it is becoming a Talkie, Don
light-hearted depiction of has the perfect voice for the songs. But
Hollywood, with the three Lina - well, even with the best efforts of a
stars portraying diction coach, they still decide to dub over
performers caught up in her voice. Kathy Selden is brought in, an
the transition from silent aspiring actress, and while she is working
films to “talkies." on the movie she and Don Lockwood fall in
love.
3. “You have to show a movie at a
party. It's a Hollywood law”.
Donald O’Connor plays
Gene Kelly plays main Don’s best friend Cosmo.
character Don Lockwood
but also co-directs and
Choreographs.
Jean Hagen plays
Lina
Lamont, Don’s
Debbie Reynolds on screen
plays Don’s love romantic lead
interest Kathy
Selden.
Millard Mitchell plays
R.F Simpson, Head of
the Film Company.
4. “Make em
Laugh”
There are many famous songs featured in Singin in the Rain;
"Singin' in the Rain,”
"Fit as a Fiddle (And Ready for Love),”
"Temptation" (instrumental only), from Going Hollywood (1933)
"All I Do Is Dream of You," from Sadie McKee (1934)[10]
"Make 'Em Laugh,”
The Pirate (1948).
"Beautiful Girl Montage“
The Wedding of the Painted Doll"
"Beautiful Girl,"
"You Were Meant for Me," from The Broadway Melody (1929)[10]
"You Are My Lucky Star," from Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935)[10]
"Moses Supposes" (music by Roger Edens, lyrics by Comden and Green)
"Good Morning," from Babes In Arms (1939)[10]
"Would You?," from San Francisco (1936)[10]
5. Awards and
•
Recognition
For her role as Lina Lamont, Jean Hagen was nominated for the Academy Award for Best
Supporting Actress. The film was also nominated for a Best Original Music Score.
• Donald O'Connor won a Golden Globe for this film.
• Betty Comden and Adolph Green received the Writers Guild of America for the best
written American musical.
• In 1989, Singin' in the Rain was among the first 25 films chosen for the newly
established National Film Registry for films that are deemed "culturally, historically or
aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for
preservation.
• American Film Institute recognition
• AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies - #10
• AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs - #16
• AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions - #16
• AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains:
– Lina Lamont - Nominated Villain
• AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs:
– "Singin' in the Rain" - #3
– "Make 'em Laugh" - #49
– "Good Morning" - #72
• AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals - #1
• AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) - #5
6. Production
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Release Date:
11 April 1952(USA)
Filming Dates
18 June 1951 - 21 November 1951
26 December 1951 (additional
shooting)
Budget- £2,540,000
Box Office takings;
$7,200,000 (estimated)
Film Production Company- MGM (Metro Goldwyn Meyer)
7. Did you know?
• Debbie Reynolds was not a dancer at the time she made Singin' in the Rain;
her background was as a gymnast. Kelly apparently insulted her for her
lack of dance experience, upsetting her. After shooting the "Good Morning"
routine, Reynolds' feet were bleeding. Years later, she was quoted as saying
that "Singin' in the Rain and childbirth were the two hardest things I ever
had to do in my life”.
• Donald O'Connor had to be hospitalized after filming the "Make 'em Laugh"
sequence as he smoked up to four packs of cigarettes a day.[
• In the famous dance routine in which Gene Kelly sings the title song while
twirling an umbrella, splashing through puddles and getting soaked to the
skin, Kelly was sick with a fever.
• A common myth is that Kelly managed to perform the entire song in one
take, thanks to cameras placed at predetermined locations. However this
was not the case as the filming of the sequence took place over 2–3 days.
Another myth is that the rain was mixed with milk in order for the drops to
show up on camera.
8. In Popular Culture
• In the Pixar film Wall-E (2008), the robot Wall-E briefly swings
himself around a light pole in an echo of the "Singin' in the Rain"
number.
• In The Simpsons episode "Brawl in the Family", Groundskeeper
Willie was singing with an umbrella, but in acid rain.
• In the Family Guy episode, "Believe It or Not, Joe's Walking on
Air", Joe, Peter,Cleveland and Stewie performed a partial rendition
of the "Good Morning" dance routine.
• In the Glee episode "The Substitute," Will Schuester and Mike Chang
perform the "Make 'Em Laugh" song and dance routine as a duo
(which was the hallucination of a sick Will). The cast also performs
a mash-up of "Singin' in the Rain" and Rihanna's "Umbrella" at the
end of the episode.
