Always one of my favorite films, Singin’ in the Rain was conceived by Arthur Freed as a vehicle for his new songs, written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and co-directed by Gene Kelly and Stanely Donen. Though the plot was almost an afterthought, the story is a surprisingly engaging one. Singin’ in the Rain takes us back to the mid 1920’s when Hollywood was making the transition from silent films to talkies. In 2012 that might feel like ancient history, but when Singin’ in the Rain arrived in movie theaters back in 1952, many stars of the silent era were alive; some still working in the industry.
As the film begins, Don Lockwood (Kelly) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) are two of the silver screen’s biggest stars. They appear as a couple so often on screen, that fans believe their romance continues off-screen; for Don, nothing could be further from the truth. However, Lina, who isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, believes they are indeed a couple—because she read it somewhere. At the premiere of their latest movie, Don bumps into Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds) a struggling, young actress, full of spunk. Don is immediately attracted to energy and love for life.
Around the same time, The Jazz Singer opens, becoming a massive hit and turning the film industry on its ear. Monumental Pictures honcho R.F. Simpson (Millard Mitchell) decides that he needs an instant non-silent hit, so who better to turn to than his most bankable stars, Lockwood & Lamont? Unfortunately, Lina has the kind of voice that should never be recorded (think Lauren Bacall with a frog in her throat, on helium). While Don’s voice is pleasant, he still uses the big, overstated gestures of the silent era. Far from a smooth transition, a once adoring audience laughs and shouts out insults during the test screening. Don is dejected, and convinced his career is finished. However, his best friend Cosmo (Donald O’Connor), and Kathy plant a seed that becomes a possible solution—turn The Dueling Cavalier into The Dancing Cavalier, a musical comedy. Kathy will dub Lina’s voice, enabling Lockwood & Lamont to make a triumphant entry into the talkies. Naturally, things don’t go quite as smoothly as planned. Lina insists on using her own voice, the actors are having trouble remembering their lines and the fact that they must project into microphones placed strategically throughout the set. But alas, after a few more bumps in the road, everything works out for the best.
Aside from some great comedy—Jean Hagen may be one of film history’s most underrated comediennes—Singin’ in the Rain has some of the best dance numbers ever committed to celluloid. Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor show tremendous timing and skill with their routines for “Fit as a Fiddle” and “Moses Supposes.“ And Gene Kelly’s performance of the title song? That’s remarkable stuff. He reportedly filmed it all in one take, even though he had a fever of 101+ degrees! In what may be the film’s most impressive number, “Good Morning,” Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds dance across a room and up a flight of stairs unedited and in unison. No matter the musical number, Singin’ in the Rain never fails to impress; add in lots of humor, and fine performances by all the actors involved, and this is a film that belongs in every movie lover’s collection.
Warner has done another fantastic job bringing a classic to Blu-ray. Presented in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio, the transfer is pristine, the result of a restoration at 4K resolution. No dirt or scratches are present throughout the film. The colors are bright and vivid, with no bleeding issues. The whites are strong, with no sign of crush, and the blacks are deep and inky. This is the way Singin’ in the Rain was meant to be seen.
The 5.1 DTS-HD MA track reproduces the music and dialogue very nicely. The track is mixed very well, giving the songs nice tone and bass where necessary, without overpowering the dialogue. The track is free of hisses, pops, or other audio distractions. It should also be noted that the musical numbers take advantage of the surrounds, making the viewer feel right in the center of things.
English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German SDH, Italian SDH, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Hungarian, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, and Swedish subtitles are available.
As with Warner’s previous Casablanca and Ben-Hur limited edition gift sets, the 60th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition release of Singin’ in the Rain comes packaged in a handsome box (11½ w x 8 h x 3 d) bundled with several collectibles. Housed neatly inside is a 3-disc DigiPak that contains a single BD and two standard DVDs (one filled with bonus features, the other a copy of the film), a thin 48-page hardcover book with production notes and photographs (11 w x 7½ h), an envelope containing miniature reproductions of three theatrical door panel posters (11 w x 3½ h), and a full-size Singin’ in the Rain-themed umbrella in a red nylon case.
As to the special features on the discs:
- Audio Commentary (Disc 1): Debbie Reynolds, Donald O’Connor, Cyd Charisse, Kathleen Freeman, co-director Stanley Donen, screenwriters Betty Comden and Adolph Green, filmmaker Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge) and author Rudy Behlmer discuss the film’s legacy. Though recorded separately, the actors and filmmakers share production anecdotes and personal stories, Luhrmann and Behlmer discuss the film’s influence and place in history, while the others cover the actual making of the film, from Singin’s development to its performances, songs, choreography, impact on cinema, etc.
- Singin’ in the Rain: Raining on a New Generation: (Disc 1, HD, 51 minutes): An impressive lineup of current singers, dancers, musicians, directors and choreographers, from film and television, discuss the craft, technique, style, choreography, difficulty and pure fun of the song-and-dance numbers featured in Singin’ in the Rain.
- Jukebox (Disc 1, HD, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround): Create, save and listen to an audio/video playlist of Singin’ in the Rain songs, among them the main title, “Fit as a Fiddle,” “All I Do Is Dream of You,” “Make ‘Em Laugh,” “You Were Meant For Me,” “Beautiful Girl,” “Moses Supposes,” “Good Morning,” “Singin’ in the Rain,” the “Broadway” pieces, “You Are My Lucky Star” and more.
- Theatrical Trailer (Disc 1, SD, 4 minutes)
- Musicals Great Musicals: The Arthur Freed Unit at MGM (Disc 2, SD, 86 minutes): Director David Thompson’s feature-length 1996 documentary examines the impressive career of Singin’ in the Rain producer and lyricist Arthur Freed. It covers not only his contributions to Gene Kelly’s 1952 musical, it also delves into his work on other MGM classics, from 1929’s The Broadway Melody to The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St. Louis, An American in Paris, Gigi and many more.
- Excerpts from Features Where Songs Originated (Disc 2, SD, 50 minutes): Many of Singin’ in the Rain‘s songs originally debuted in much earlier films. Included in this section is “All I Do Is Dream of You” from Sadie McKee (1934), “Beautiful Girl” from Going Hollywood (1933), “The Broadway Melody” from The Broadway Melody (1929), “Broadway Rhythm” from Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935), “Good Morning” from Babes in Arms (1939), “I’ve Got a Feelin’ You’re Foolin'” from Broadway Melody of 1936, “Should I” from Lord Byron of Broadway (1929), “Singin’ in the Rain” from The Hollywood Revue of 1929, “Would You?” from San Francisco (1936), “You Are My Lucky Star” from Broadway Melody of 1936, “You Were Meant for Me” from The Broadway Melody and “Temptation” from Going Hollywood.
- What a Glorious Feeling: The Making of Singin’ in the Rain (Disc 2, SD, 36 minutes): Behlmer, Comden, Green, Charisse, Donen, Freeman, O’Connor and other key members of the cast and crew gather to reflect on the film and its production in this 2002 Debbie Reynolds-hosted documentary.
- You Are My Lucky Star Outtake (Disc 2 SD, 4 minutes): A deleted solo performance by Reynolds.
- Scoring Sessions (Disc 2, SD, 76 minutes): The film’s musical numbers, as recorded on MGM’s scoring stage.
- Gallery (Disc 2, SD, 2 minutes): A montage of production photographs.
- DVD Copy of the Film (Disc 3, SD): The Singin’ in the Rain standard DVD disc includes the film (presented with Dolby Digital 5.1 EX surround), its audio commentary, “Raining on a New Generation” and theatrical trailer.
