Singin’ in the Rain

What a glorious feeling to be seeing Singin’ in the Rain, a pure blast of cinematic fun that Roger Ebert enthusiastically referred to as “the greatest Hollywood musical ever made.”  Singin’ in the Rain is set in 1927 Tinseltown, as silent films are nervously making way for the talkies. The great Gene Kelly plays matinee idol Don Lockwood, as good with the ol’ soft shoe as he is with a swashbuckler’s sword, and whose motto is “Dignity, always dignity,” despite a background of menial and demeaning jobs. Jean Hagen is hilarious as the vain, jealous Lina Lamont, Lockwood’s obnoxious onscreen love interest, whose strangulated shriek of a speaking voice bodes ill for her career in “talking pictures.” Ducking out on his leading lady, Lockwood accidentally encounters a bright-eyed stage actress (a spunky 19-year-old Debbie Reynolds) whom he instantly falls for, and much romantic misunderstanding, cake throwing, and memorable music-making ensue, including Donald O’Connor’s mind-bogglingly acrobatic Make ‘em Laugh and Kelly’s rapturous, rain-soaked performance of the title number, still one of the big screen’s most magical musical moments. (Dir. by Stanley Donen, 1952, USA, 103 mins., Not Rated)