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SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
50th Anniversary Special Edition
Review by Michael Jacobson
Stars:
Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Millard
Mitchell, Cyd Charisse
Directors: Gene Kelly, Stanley
Donen
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Studio: Warner Bros.
Features: See Review
Length: 103 Minutes
Release Date: September 24, 2002
“Whaddya
think I am, dumb or somethin’? Why,
I make more money than Calvin Coolidge…put together!”
Singin’
in the Rain…what
a glorious feeling.
It’s
been called the greatest of all movie musicals, and even that’s something of
an understatement. Francois
Truffaut named it his favorite film, and indeed, fans, critics and filmmakers
alike have kept this sunny MGM offering a top ten favorite for fifty years now.
It’s the kind of picture that you’ll never forget the first time you
saw it, and if you’re lucky, like me, you’ll get to be there when others see
it for their first time.
It’s
a beautiful Technicolor masterpiece, an incredible collection of dances and
songs, a fall-down-funny comedy, and a glorified look back at one of
Hollywood’s most troubled eras: the
arrival of sound. Movie stars who
once made their names without ever uttering a syllable were finding that they
didn’t have the voice to carry one of the new talking pictures.
In
this story, the arrival of talkies even threatens the legendary screen team of
Don Lockwood (the inimitable Kelly) and Lina Lamont (the brilliant Hagen).
Sound is an awkward transition for both, but especially for Lina, whose
lovely face belies a voice that could shatter glass.
In
the meantime, Don finds himself falling for a young starlet, Kathy Selden (a
stunning 19 year old Reynolds), who first puts him in his place, and then later
gives him the confidence he needs to reclaim his good name.
With her help, and the steadfast support of his lifelong friend Cosmo
Brown (the dapper O’Connor), Don gets ready to re-invent his image for the new
era. The only problem?
What to do with Lina…
The
story is wonderful, and much more than an excuse to string together a collection
of song and dance numbers. An
amazing accomplishment for screenwriters Adolph Green and Betty Comden,
considering their assignment was simply to create a film for producer/songwriter
Arthur Freed to showcase his classic songs!
And WHAT a body of songs, each one presented with unforgettable images to
accompany them. Who could forget
the fashion play of “Beautiful Girls”, the flapper number “All I Do Is
Dream of You”, the lovely “You Were Meant For Me”, the spirited “Good
Morning”, and many more.
But
two numbers have become indelibly etched into motion picture history.
Donald O’Connor offers one of the most frantically funny showstoppers
ever to come from out of the movies. “Make
‘Em Laugh” showcases his talents for singing, dancing, and comical
acrobatics at the same time, and often leaves first time viewers catching their
breath. And “Singin’ in the
Rain”…wow. Quite simply, Gene
Kelly’s legendary solo dance number is the movies’ most eloquent moment.
The
“Broadway Melody” is a strange but beautiful sidetrack…enticing enough to
make you forget for a moment that there’s a whole other story going on while
this colorful fantasy unfolds. Who
could forget the curvaceous Cyd Charisse as she taunts and teases her way into
and out of Kelly’s heart? Their
dance with Charisse’s long white veil is technical perfection, as both stars
grace their across a vast stage and create visual art with their movements.
In
short, it’s no one aspect that makes Singin’ in the Rain the most
beloved of all movie musicals. It’s
an incredible collection of individual parts that miraculously makes for
something even greater their sum. It’s
amazing stars at the height of their talent, it’s a story filled with laughter
and romance, it’s a collection of great songs, it’s amazing dancing, it’s
a kaleidoscope of sights and sounds. Like
a soufflé, it came from the oven as absolute perfection, and like a great wine,
it’s gotten even better with age.
And
no matter how old the audience gets, it’s the kind of picture that makes us
feel eternally young. Happy again,
indeed.
Video
****
I’ve
owned three versions of this movie on disc now, and I’ve always thought it
looked great. But this new 2002
digital transfer proves that even greatness can be improved. This Technicolor offering looks absolutely stunning; not one
color is faded, not one image is distorted, not one detail is misplaced or
marred. I frankly can’t imagine
this film looking any better at its 1952 premiere than it does right here.
A benchmark for classic film restoration!
Audio
****
Ah,
5.1 sound for Singin’ in the Rain…I love it! Admittedly, the surround sound is mostly used to boost the
musical numbers, but there are enough of ‘em to make this worthy of a four
star rating. These songs sound
fresh and more vibrant than ever, with full open orchestrations and the voices
of the leads coming across with clarity and cleanness. The subwoofer gives the bottom end extra punch, and the
overall song score gives the audio its dynamic range.
Dialogue and sound effects never falter, either.
Features
****
For
those who love this movie as much as I do, this double disc boasts a joyful
package of extras. The commentary
track is one of the year’s best, hosted by Debbie Reynolds and featuring the
recollections of writers Green and Comden, stars O’Connor, Charisse and Kath
Freeman, co-director Stanley Donen, film historian Rudy Behlmer, and movie maker
Baz Luhrmann. Though not recorded
at the same session, the editing is flawless and the number of participants make
this a fascinating, fun track that covers the film from every angle, from those
who participated in it to those who have admired it.
Disc
One also features the trailer. Disc
Two contains two excellent documentaries: the
hour-and-a-half Musicals Great Musicals which highlights MGM and Arthur
Freed’s glory years, and the brand new What a Glorious Feeling, with
many of the commentary track’s participants on screen for you.
Both are entertaining for fans and invaluable for film students.
Freed’s
songs originated in much earlier MGM films, though, and this disc also includes
excerpts from those films showcasing your favorite songs as they originally
played. There are also music cues
from the scoring session, Debbie Reynolds’ legendary cut number “You Are My
Lucky Star”, and a stills gallery. This
is as good as it gets, friends.
Summary:
