Singin’ in the Rain is almost universally regarded as the best movie musical. It’s also the considered the musical that people who don’t like musicals can enjoy.
The Set-Up
Gene Kelly stars as Don Lockwood, half of a famous silent film couple Lockwood and Lamont. His counterpart, Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen), is a screechy, annoying blonde, but she looks glamorous in silent films. At the beginning of the story the Jazz Singer is released and is a huge hit. Subsequently, Lockwood and Lamont’s next film is redone as a talkie. This turns out to be disastrous as Lina’s voice is terrible, Don can’t act, and there are all other sorts of problems with the early sound recording.
Lockwood and his best friend, the movie’s composer Cosmo (Donald O’Connor), decide that they should remake the film as a musical. Since Lina’s voice is so awful they plan to redub her voice with their friend Kathy Selden’s (Debbie Reynolds). Kathy is a bit actor that Don has a crush on. Lina is scared that Kathy is going to upstage her so they try to keep Lina in the dark as much as possible. Naturally, there’s a big reveal at the end.
Why It’s Great
There are few common complaints from people who dislike musicals. People don’t burst out singing in real life. The songs have nothing to do with the plot. There are long boring dance numbers. Singin’ in the Rain deflects all those complaints.
Because all the main characters are performers when they burst out into song it doesn’t feel out of place. The songs don’t always advance the plot, but they are always about the character’s emotions. There is a long dance sequence at the end, but it’s not a ballet and it’s more varied and colorful than most long musical dance sequences.
The main reason the movie is great is the quality of the musical sequences. These are the some of the best songs in any movie musical. They’re catchy, clever, and never too long. The dance sequences are some of the most inventive and impressive ever put on screen, and it’s not just one that stands out. Nearly every song sequence would be the highlight of most other musicals. Kelly, along with Fred Astaire, was the greatest dancer/choreographer ever seen on screen and this is him at his peak. O’Connor was one of the few dance partners who could actually keep up with Kelly.
Everyone should watch this movie. Is has a sense of joy that pervades the whole movie and seeps into you. If you can watch this movie and not smile and be entertained, then something inside you is broken.