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Singin' in the Rain Overview:

Singin' in the Rain (1952) was a Comedy - Musical Film directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly and produced by Arthur Freed and Roger Edens.

SYNOPSIS

Perhaps the finest screen musical of all time is a particular treat for classic movie fans as it portrays the frantic period when Hollywood's pictures learned to talk. But this is no dry history lesson: it moves with a nimble grace through flashbacks and a romantic storyline while featuring a selection of the best Freed-Brown numbers from MGM's musicals of the preceding two decades. The silver-screen characters from the late '20s include matinee-idol Kelly and his silent diva leading lady Hagen, whose voice ensures that she won't make the transition to sound, and fresh-faced Reynolds as an aspiring actress and singer who wins Kelly's heart with her voice and good nature. The justly famous numbers include Charisse's slinky "Broadway Ballet" and, of course, Kelly's exuberant stomp through the title song. Other musical numbers include: "You Were Meant for Me," "Make 'Em Laugh," "You Are My Lucky Star," and "All I Do Is Dream of You."

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

Singin' in the Rain was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1989.

Academy Awards 1952 --- Ceremony Number 25 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best Supporting ActressJean HagenNominated
Best Music - ScoringLennie HaytonNominated
See More Oscar Winners

Singin' in the Rain BlogHub Articles:

HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD: SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952)

By FlickChick on Aug 2, 2014 From A Person in the Dark

Since my slavish devotion to Lina Lamont is well known to anyone who might have stumbled by here in the past, I simply had to include Singin’ in the Rain as part of the Hooray for Hollywood series. I can’t help viewing this film as a musical counterpoint to Sunset Boulevard; sort of... Read full article

CMBA Blogathon: Fabulous Films Of the 50s: Singin' In the Rain

By Vanessa Buttino on May 19, 2014 From Stardust

CMBA Blogathon: Fabulous Films Of the 50s: Singin' In the Rain Believe it or not, this is now the FOURTH time I've had to re-start this blog post. Singin' In the Rain is one of my all-time favourite classic films and yet I can't seem to put pen to paper - or in this case, fingers to keys -... Read full article

HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD: SINGIN' IN THE RAIN

By FlickChick on Jan 22, 2014 From A Person in the Dark

2014 is the year A Person in the Dark celebrates films about my favorite place - Hollywood! Singin' in the Rain When "Singin' in the Rain" was released in 1952, silent films had been a thing of the past for only 24 years or so. Probably more than half of those in the audience remembered them... Read full article

CMBA Film Passion 101 Blogathon: "Singin' in the Rain"

By David on Dec 3, 2013 From The Man on the Flying Trapeze

I was 10 years old when I remember seeing Gene Kelly for the first time, and I was not impressed. It was 1967, and Kelly was the star of a musical TV version of "Jack and the Beanstalk," and he was just so ... so ...smarmy. I felt like he was talking down to me, and I was 10! Besides, I was much ... Read full article

CMBA Film Passion 101 Blogathon: "Singin' in the Rain"

By David on Dec 3, 2013 From The Man on the Flying Trapeze

I was 10 years old when I remember seeing Gene Kelly for the first time, and I was not impressed. It was 1967, and Kelly was the star of a musical TV version of "Jack and the Beanstalk," and he was just so ... so ...smarmy. I felt like he was talking down to me, and I was 10! Besides, I was much ... Read full article

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Singin' in the Rain Quotes:

[after Cosmo gives a good idea]
R.F. Simpson: Cosmo, remind me to give you a raise.
[turns around]
Cosmo Brown: Oh, R.F.
R.F. Simpson: Yes?
Cosmo Brown: Give me a raise.
Don Lockwood: Now Lina, you've been reading all those fan magazines again! Now look Lina, you shouldn't believe all that banana oil Dora Bailey and the columnists dish out. Now try to get this straight: there is nothing between us. There has never been anything between us. Just air.
Lina: Oh, Donny, you don't mean that.
Don Lockwood: Dignity. Always, dignity.
[Don's about to start shooting a new movie]
Cosmo Brown: What's this one about?
Don Lockwood: It's a French revolution story...
Cosmo Brown: Don't tell me. You're a French aristocrat, she's a simple girl of the people, and she won't even give you a tumbrel. Hah!
[after Don shows up late for a party]
Cosmo Brown: Don, how did you come, by way of Australia?
See More Quotes from Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain Facts
John Alton was initially hired as cinematographer after impressing Gene Kelly with his lensing of the ballet sequence in An American in Paris, but was fired over the objections of Kelly and Stanley Donen due to what Donen later described as "political reasons."
Howard Keel was the original choice to play Don Lockwood; however, he was replaced by Gene Kelly as the screenwriters evolved the character from a "Western actor" background to a "song-and-dance vaudeville" background.
Very early on in the pre-production stage, Judy Garland, June Allyson, and Ann Miller were considered for the role of Kathy Selden, but all were considered "too old". Jane Powell and Leslie Caron were also briefly considered before Debbie Reynolds (then a newcomer) was cast.
The "Singing in the Rain" number took all day to set up --and Gene Kelly was very ill (some say with a fever over 101). When it was all set up, Kelly insisted on doing a take - even though the blocking was only rudimentary (starting and ending positions only), and the director was ready to send him home. He ad-libbed most of it and it only took one take - which is what you see on film.
Costume designer Walter Plunkett had worked in films since 1929, and some of his recollections were the source for gags about the perils of early sound shooting. Jean Hagen loudly "tapping" Gene Kelly with her fan in "The Dueling Cavalier" is based on a similar incident with Bebe Daniels and John Boles in Rio Rita.
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