Singin’ in the Rain review, a classic from 1952

Singin’ in the Rain is a pure nostalgia trip for anyone who loves the singing and dancing musicals of the past. That would include me.

Everyone knows about Singin’ in the Rain. Many movies in the 70+ years since it first released have borrowed from it, especially to put actors in wet streets dancing with umbrellas.

When I watched it recently I discovered something surprising. I’d never seen it before. All I knew about it was THAT scene – you know the one.

One thing I noticed is that acting has come a long way. Talk about chewing the scenery! No one in the cast (except maybe Donald O’Connor) managed to sound like a natural human person having a conversation.

On the other hand, watching Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Cyd Charisse, and Debbie Reynolds dance is still unmatched. Donald O’Connor is brilliant at physical comedy, too.

The film has a plot. I’ll give it to you quickly. Don (Gene Kelly) and Lina (Jean Hagen) are famous silent movie stars. When the talkies come along, they have a problem. Lina’s got a voice like a screeching cat.

Don meets Kathy (Debbie Reynolds) by leaping off a street car into her convertible. He falls in love with her by the time she gets him out of the car. Then he learns that she can sing and dance.

They figure out how to have Lina lip sync her parts, including songs, while Kathy records the voice. They’re still a hit! People still love them! The talkies are it!

But that means Don’s lovely Kathy would be stuck in the shadows behind Lina’s fame. He can’t let that happen. He and his buddy Cosmo find a way to fix it.

Watching movies as a kid, I never liked Gene Kelly. I didn’t like his voice and his singing sounded funny to me (think Pierce Brosnan in Momma Mia!). Watching him now, I get it. I don’t know if I’m wiser because I’m older, or just more tolerant and understanding. In any case, I enjoyed Gene Kelly in this. I enjoyed everyone in this. There were lots of faces I haven’t seen for a long time. That was fun. Rita Moreno was there in a tiny part.

I know a lot of people spend most of their time watching TCM. I seldom go there. You can get TCM as a standalone, or Max also has a section for these well-loved oldies.