3. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952)
Singin' in the Rain is a fascinating film, because it never was supposed to be made in the first place. Rather, MGM saw that movie musicals were more popular than ever, so the studio heads gathered a list of their songs that no one had heard for a while, and hired a couple of screenwriters to tie them together into a storyline.
What MGM didn't realize was that the tight restrictions on writers Betty Comden and Adolph Green (using only a list of songs from the 20s) allowed them to unleash their creativity. What they chose to do was write a movie about the movie industry during the 20s, when studios were just going through the transition from silent films to "talkies." As a result, Singin' in the Rain is a hysterical look at Hollywood going through a panic, trying to figure out what to do with all of its huge film stars that looked great but sounded awful.
Prime example: Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen), a silent film star with a voice that would kill a dog. As she and Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) feverishly try to save their careers by adjusting to sound, Lockwood falls in love with chorus girl Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds). Of course, Lockwood eventually gets the girl . . . so he sings in the rain. Of course, it's not quite that simple, but as you watch Gene Kelly do some great dancing with an umbrella during a thunderstorm, you can feel his joy at having found a new love.
But lots of movies have interesting stories. What separates Singin' in the Rain from the rest is the sheer energy of the performances by Kelly, Reynolds, Hagen, and Donald O'Connor. All of the performers have such a good time singing and dancing that it would be impossible not to get caught up in the music and clever dialogue.
Notes:
- Nominated for 2 Academy Awards (Supporting Actress for Hagen, and Score)
- Placed #10 on the American Film Institute's "100 Greatest Movies" List
