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Author
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Topic: Singin' in the Rain
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Paul Adsett
Film God
Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted October 29, 2006 11:50 AM
Singin' in the Rain , 1952
Color, 103 mins, 2000ft
Available from Derann
One of the best movies of all time, ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ consistently appears in the top ten list of best ever films. It is perhaps the best musical motion picture ever made, a product of Hollywood’s golden age, a studio (MGM) that was dedicated to producing the highest quality films, and the genius of Producer Arthur Freed and Directors Stanley Donan and Gene Kelly. Singin’ in the Rain has just about everything you could ask for in a musical film, great songs, great dance routines, lots of comedy, and a very interesting story.
If there is any unfortunate sole on the planet who has’nt seen this movie, the film is based in Hollywood in the late 1920’s. Monumental Studios, headed by R.F. Simpson ( Millard Mitchell) is facing a crisis with the advent of sound movies, because its leading female star Lena Lamont (brilliantly played by Jean Hagen) has a voice that only a parrot could love. She is convinced that the studio’s leading man, Don Lockwood ( Gene Kelly) is in love with her, but Don’s main interest is a young starlet, Kathy Seldon (Debbie Reynolds). The silent film that Don and Lena are working on is called ‘The Dueling Cavalier’, but by the end of the film, thanks to the talents of Cosmo Brown (Donald O’Connor at his most brilliant), and the then new technique of voice dubbing, the film becomes a musical sound film ‘The Dancing Cavalier’!
Singin’ is one of the funniest films ever made, and the title song routine performed by Kelly is legendary. This is one of those magical films where the talents of everyone involved somehow come together to produce an undisputed masterpiece. It is impossible to praise this film too highly. If you are feeling down, this film will change your mood in 90 minutes, guaranteed! It must be the happiest, most joyful film ever made, and the storyline of a 1920's film studio makes this a wonderfully interesting film for film collectors.
The Derann super 8 print of this film is excellent. My print is pin sharp and the color is absolutely beautiful, fully saturated, it looks just like Technicolor! The mono sound track is good, but here again, re-recording in stereo from the DVD raises the impact of this film to a new level.
A film you will want to screen again and again- every reel is a gem.
An absolute ‘must have’ film for any movie collection.
Print A+
Sound B
Very highly recommended
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The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj
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Michael De Angelis
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1261
From: USA
Registered: Jul 2003
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posted November 09, 2006 10:44 PM
Paul,
Thank you for the excellent review
of this feature.
American in Paris is one that
you either love or hate.
Whether it is the story,
Gershwin music or both combined.
I think it is grand, and a different
entry than Singin'in the Rain.
AIP, is directed by the great
Vincente Minelli. It has all of the
color and vibrancy of a painting.
The Tech is gorgeous, and the
acting is first rate.
Not to digress, but it always bothered
me that forty years later, The Silence of the Lambs
wins the Academy Award for
Best Picture in 1991.
As good as that picture is,
I cannot stomach it.
I just love glorious musicals,
and AIP has Minnelli's stamp of
perfection.
Michael
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Isn't it great that we can all communicate about this great
hobby that we love!
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Mike Peckham
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1461
From: West Sussex, UK.
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted November 10, 2006 02:42 AM
Paul
I have to say that the Ballet sequence at the end of AIP is the highlight of the film for me; in fact I have often played just the final reel for that reason. The choreography is just incredible and the use of colour in the costume, which is so well placed against the stylised “fantasy” backdrops for me, works really well. I enjoy it more with every viewing.
Singin’ is indeed in an altogether different category and I love it just as much but in a whole other way, the story line in Singin’ I find far more compelling than AIP, perhaps because it is a story of its time, and the humour, cinematic history and irony adds a twist, but again I love that ballet sequence, possibly for its fantasy value and again the incredible choreography and the early use of “special effects”.
Isn’t this one of the wonderful things about the cinema? That we can all enjoy films on different levels, and for different reasons.
Mike ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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Auntie Em must have stopped wondering where I am by now...
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted November 10, 2006 04:51 PM
Besides "Fiddler on the Roof", (which is a very different kind of musical) Singing in the Rain is the only "classic" movie musical that I can sit through and enjoy!
I think this is because the film deals with the transition from silent to sound films, which is a favorite topic of mine, and due that history, I love it. Besides, I really don't think I have ever seen a more picture perfect romantically beautiful expression of love than Gene Kelly dancing his heart away in the pouring rain. That's the kind of thing a fella in love would do. In a matter of speaking, it's a private "manly" kind of thing that a guy would do.
Notice that he doesn't do this in front of his love, his heart expresses itself best when he is alone and no one is watching. That's why it's so special to me.
Ironic that this musical is largely made up of already existing songs, (including "singing in the rain")
Question : Does the 400ft. version of this title have the full song "Singing in the Rain?"
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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
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Paul Adsett
Film God
Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted April 25, 2019 04:03 PM
Went to see this yesterday (April 24 2019) at the Epic multiplex at Lee Vista. Although I have seen this film dozens of times, it never fails to provide joyous entertainment, and it looked and sounded great on that 50ft wide screen.
One thing I found interesting was how well the Derann super 8 feature length print hold up in comparison to this theatrical digital presentation. That Derann print is really something.
I bet Gene Kelly, Donand O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds et al, never imagined the iconic status this film would attain, and that it would still be showing in theaters almost 70 years later.
Singin' in the Rain.......when Hollywood was great.
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The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj
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Michael De Angelis
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1261
From: USA
Registered: Jul 2003
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posted April 26, 2019 02:27 AM
Paul,
We attended Singn' in the Rain when Turner Classic Movies commemorated the 60th Anniversary in 2012, to a sold out performance. The audience consisted of every age and everyone applauded after each dance scene. The "Moses Supposes" dance with Kelly and O'Connor on the piano had the most thunderous applause.
As you said, a theatrical presentation on a large screen is phenomenal and scenes not noticed on a smaller screen have a tremendous impact: the car flying off the cliff, barnstorming with the plane, the gangsters flipping the shiny silver dollars was eye popping, and when Cyd Charise's vamp leg kicked over Kelley's head, I felt as that her high kick, went through the roof. ( We were seated 3rd row from the screen. ) The detail in the costumes, and she was simply stunning, as a nearly runaway bride.
I never previously realized that during the "Good Morning" number a rift of music in the French Can-Can is taken from An American In Paris!
Indeed, when Hollywood was great.
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Isn't it great that we can all communicate about this great
hobby that we love!
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