Photo courtesy of MGM.Many timeless cinema pictures that reigned supreme in old Hollywood have earned the name of a classic. We know various musical numbers and lines from these films, but few have seen them in their entirety. From a collegiate stand point, I will be reviewing these classics to see if they still relate to our busy modern day lives. Pop-culture references will be explored, and I will coin the picture with the title of timeless, or timed out, based on its relevance to modern-day society.
Sixty-three years ago, to the day on April 11, Gene Kelly performed in what many would claim is the best musical ever made. “Singin’ In The Rain” was released, and the soundtrack was made for the world to mock whenever we have an umbrella in hand.
And mock we did. "Glee" gave a rendition of the film's popular song, “Make ‘Em Laugh,” as did Joseph Gordon Levitt on SNL. The lovable robot in "Wall-E" twirled around a pole just like Kelly did in his famous number. “Family Guy” made a few references to the cinema picture as well.
It even reached the darker side of movies, and was sang by Michael Mcdowell in “A Clockwork Orange” during a scandalous crime scene, and that isn’t even the half of them. Truth be told, just about every musical number in the movie can be found reiterated in another form of media.
Even with all of these pop culture references, usually most young adults can identify with Gene Kelly’s title number, “Singin’ in The Rain." That is, if we even know it’s Kelly and don’t blindly guess that it is Frank Sinatra.
Yes, we all have heard of “Singin’ in The Rain,” but few have seen the entire picture in all its musical glory. With witty dialogue, mesmerizing choreography and soothing melodies, the film is a time capsule of sorts, a beautiful picture of another era.
The three main actors, Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds personify a real triple-threat as they act, sing and dance across the stage without the luxury of intense editing like most stars have today. They radiate glamour and professionalism, which has become a rarity. Aside from that major highlight, the movie does a brilliant job of encapsulating an exciting time for film — when dialogue was added to motion pictures.
The movie was released in 1952, but is set in 1927 Hollywood, when the first “talking picture” was created. Gene Kelly plays a major movie star named Don Lockwood, Jean Hagen playing Lina Lamont, his co-star on screen. Lockwood and Lamont are a couple as far as the public is concerned, even though he can hardly stand her. He bluntly tells her, “There has never been anything between us, just air.” Of course in time, Lockwood falls in love with Kathy, a girl that at first does not fancy him, because what’s a romance without a little chase?
To win her over, he serenades her, on a film set no less, and uses all the movie magic to his advantage. The lighting, the fans, the backgrounds and more are all in play as Lockwood walks Kathy through how a romantic setting is made on the big screen.
In another comical scene, we see Lockwood and Lamont trying to record sound properly with microphones for their movie. The problem? You have to talk directly into them. These microphones don't pick up sound like our current sound systems of today do. The stars have to go to diction coaches to make their voices sound clear. They have to time the audio recording just right to the video. In 1927, this wasn't an easy feat.
Not only do we learn the real struggle America made in order to create a talking picture, but we also see how brilliantly movies were made in 1952. The technicolor picture is crisp and clear, and the music is worth infinite replays.
With minimal cuts in each musical number, it is evident every star in “Singin’ In The Rain” had major voice and tap-dancing talent, an ability that we seldom see today.
Whether you're a film major, history major, a fan of musicals or just your average joe, “Singin’ In The Rain” is beyond worth watching. This classic shows you how far our country has come in retrospect of technology, and it shows you real talent. Only Gene Kelly can tap dance around in a puddle and create an iconic number of cinema excellence. We will forever love him for it.
Reach the reporter at dpharias@asu.edu or follow @dpharias on Twitter.
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