Singin' in the Rain

Before any of you give me a hard time, I have seen Singin' in the Rain before. However, this was years ago and long before I became dedicated to movies. Anyway, onward with the review.

Singin' in the Rain is named one of the best musicals ever made. And this was a movie made when studios were cranking out musicals every week. What makes Singin' in the Rain still remembered nearly sixty years later is that it doesn't depend solely on the musical numbers. It also relies on the characters and their development.

Of course with musicals, everyone has their favorite numbers. For me, my favorites are "Make 'Em Laugh", "Moses Supposes", "Good Morning", and, of course, "Singin' in the Rain". You didn't think I could pick just one, did you?

By all accounts, making Singin' in the Rain was no bed of roses. After shooting the "Make 'Em Laugh" number, Donald O'Connor suffered from exhaustion and carpet burns, and was in bed for a week. (Can you imagine his response to having to shoot that number again after the initial footage was accidentally destroyed?) Debbie Reynolds said making Singin' in the Rain was one of the two hardest things she's ever had to do. (The other thing was childbirth.) And the most famous complication was Gene Kelly shooting the "Singin' in the Rain" number with a temperature of 103. When you take into account all the turmoil the three leads went through, it makes the final result an ultimate payoff.

It's movies like Singin' in the Rain that show why I'm so in love with them in the first place. What better way to forget your troubles than by watching a movie? In closing, I think Singin' in the Rain is now among my favorites. Scratch that. It is now among my favorites.

My Rating: *****