The star duo franchise is threatened. What will studio head Millard Mitchell do? Quickly film musical numbers, pairing Don with long-legged glamour girl Cyd Charisse. Dub Lina's squawking voice with that of Don's new girlfriend, Kathy (Debbie Reynolds). Add a score by Don's best pal, Cosmo (Donald O'Connor). But even if the plan works, will Kathy be forced to continue dubbing Lina's voice for the rest of her career?
How others will see it. Today, Singin' in the Rain is widely regarded as the best musical ever made. Actually, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is even better, and so may be A Star Is Born (1954). Nonetheless, Singin' in the Rain is undoubtedly among the finest musicals ever.
It wasn't always that way. Like Casablanca and Citizen Kane, time has been on its side. Singin' in the Rain received only two Oscar nominations (best score, and Hagen as best supporting actress) and no wins. Compare this result with that of An American in Paris (1951), which won six Oscars including Best Picture.
Classic film fans, of course, adore Singin' in the Rain. It is also accessible to those who normally only watch recent releases. The musical numbers are energetic, the sets and costumes are colorful, there are heroes and villains, and many scenes are hilarious (my favorite has Mitchell angrily yanking a 'loose' cable on the stage set, which causes Hagen to flip over backwards).
How I felt about it. As is with the case with all great films, I am fascinated by Singin' in the Rain. What makes it so much better than the Gene Kelly MGM musicals made shortly before and after, An American in Paris (1951) and Brigadoon (1954)? After studying trivia for the film at imdb.com, I believe I have the answer: a combination of budget, direction, and writing.
Flush with the critical success of An American in Paris (1951), MGM was able to flow financial resources into Singin' in the Rain that would be withheld from Brigadoon (1954).
Singin' in the Rain also benefitted from its screenplay by veteran musical playwrights Betty Comden and Adolph Green, who also provided the only original song, "Moses." ("Make Em Laugh" was plagiarized from Cole Porter's "Be a Clown.") Wisely, the producers decided to use well known existing songs. The title song, "Singin' in the Rain", was introduced in 1929, a full generation before.
The plot, a studio faced with the advent of sound, was ideal for laughs. Several of the gags were based on recollections by veteran costume designer Walter Plunkett, a studio hand during the transition to sound.
Finally, co-director Gene Kelly was both a perfectionist and a taskmaster. As much fun as the film is to see, it was no joy for its dancing stars to make. Kelly had a 103 degree fever during his big number in the rain. Debbie Reynolds had to carried off the set when she burst a blood vessel in her foot during takes of "Good Morning." Donald O'Connor allegedly spent a week in bed after filming the wild "Make 'Em Laugh", which includes O'Connor running up a wall.
Gene Kelly wanted the film to be perfect, and he almost succeeded. The film suffers ever so slightly from the pretensions that overcame An American in Paris (1951), i.e. Cyd Charisse and her wind machine-lifted forty foot bedspread gown. To its credit, the film made a star out of young Debbie Reynolds (who was half the age of her romantic interest, Gene Kelly). Singin' in the Rain also kept Donald O'Connor from being remembered principally as the straight man for Francis, the talking Mule.