Singin' in the Rain

1952.

#10 / #5

Nominated for 2 Academy Awards.

Struggling to make the transition from silent films to talkies, Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) finds an unknown chorus girl to dub the lines of star Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen). Singing, dancing, and arguments ensue.

Eddie: This movie is 103 minutes long, but only eighty-five of them are worth watching. It may have been more commonplace when the movie came out, but devoting an entire reel to an overblown dance sequence seems a bit masturbatory, don't you think, Gene Kelly? I'm referring, of course, to the dance finale, not the famous title song that's famous from the Volkswagen commercial.

Besides the eighteen minute dance routine at the end, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN is a great movie. Sure, the plot is looney, but what do you expect from a movie where the songs were written before the story? Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds (who plays Kathy Selden, the chorus girl) are great together, and Donald O'Connor (who plays Don's best friend, Cosmo Brown) is funnier and dancier than the rest of the cast put together, including Kelly.

Sarah: I think the show-stealer here is the attention-crazed actress Lina Lamont. I'm sure Anna Farris took a cue from her when she played a similar character in JUST FRIENDS. People who have never seen the movie will be surprised by how funny it is. "Make 'Em Laugh" is my favorite song in the film.

Did you know Debbie Reynolds didn't know how to tap dance before this film? She keeps up with Kelly (who I hear was not excited to work with her at all) like a pro. For fans of Hollywood, this is an essential movie. Remember life before the talkies? Ahhhh, the good old days.

Why You Should See It: You can't watch SINGIN' IN THE RAIN without the most famous dance sequence in the history of film.