007 Singing in the Rain
Singin’ in the Rain (Stanley Donen/Gene Kelly, 1952)
Besides being an incredible musical all on its own, Singin’ in the
Rain is also a kind of tour through the history of the musical as
a genre. The film begins as an imaginary Hollywood studio is
forced to adjust to the coming of sound to motion pictures in
the 1920s. Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Lina Lamount (Jean
Hagen) are stars of the silent cinema but when The Jazz Singer
(1927) hits the screen, the death knell for the silent film is
announced as audiences reject all but new talking pictures. With
the help of Cosmo Brown (Donald O’Connor) and Kathy Selden
(Debbie Reynolds), Don Lockwood convinces his producer to
create a fully developed sound musical. Lina Lamount’s voice is
a disaster and while she tries to hold onto her career, her
squeaky, crass tongue betrays her otherwise striking appearance.
In the end, it becomes clear that Kathy Selden is the voice
behind Lamount’s new found success. As the film closes, a title
card for Don Lockwood’s and Kathy Selden’s new picture
appears on a bill board somewhere in the hills of Hollywood. It
says: Singin’ in the Rain. (from The Studio System/End of the Silent Era)
Notes on: The Studio System/End of the Silent Era
screening Singing in the Rain
