8mm Forum: Singin' in the Rain

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Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on 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

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on October 29, 2006, 04:49 PM:

The best musical ever! Thanks for the review, Paul. Also, let's not forget the two excellent 400ft reels, released by MGM, which, although not sequential, contain the best numbers from the film.

Posted by Mike Peckham (Member # 16) on October 30, 2006, 02:13 PM:

Paul

Great review! This really is one of the best films of all time. I think my copy is a Ken release, it comes in one of those great little vinyl cases and is mounted on 6 x 400ft reels, like yours the colour is outstanding, the image is pin sharp and the sound, though mono, is belting!

A fantastic print that brings a lot of pleasure when ever it's viewed!

Mike [Cool]

Posted by Andrew Wilson (Member # 538) on November 09, 2006, 11:27 AM:

One of the best movies ever.Istill loved this film,though i didn't like the ballet dance sequence.The rest is top notch.Excellent all round.Andy.

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on November 09, 2006, 12:15 PM:

I agree about the ballet sequence Andy - the one unnecessary part of the film, which looks like it was lifted from 'An American in Paris'. Talking of that film, I think it is a bore, even though many people think it is superior to 'Singin'. To me there is no comparison- AIP is artsy and snobbish, 'Singin' is joyous fun from the first frame.

Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on 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

Posted by Mike Peckham (Member # 16) on 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]

Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 549) on November 10, 2006, 04:30 PM:

Yes, simply the best muscial made. I have the two MGM 400 footers and have seen it at the cinema many times; it is still run here frequently at a revival house, The Astor.

Remember that this film was produced in mono sound so the later DVD stereo mixes will be a studio steer job and not how it was originally made at MGM.

Trivia: the man that Gene Kelly hands his umbrella to in the famous Singin' In The Rain sequence is Snub Pollard; the Australian silent comedian in one of his hundreds of bit parts after the end of his stellar silent career.

I was originally bored by the Broadway Dream sequence as a child, but have grown to love it - gotta dance!

David

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on 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?"

Posted by Larry Arpin (Member # 744) on December 30, 2007, 09:53 PM:

Here is a worldwide(Weltweit in German) auction for both reels on one reel with beautiful color. Looks like Agfa 2S as I see A, G, & S on the actual film:

http://cgi.ebay.de/super8-SINGING-IN-THE-RAIN-auf-einer-Spule-top-deutsch_W0QQitemZ170181685071QQihZ007QQcategoryZ108243QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on December 31, 2007, 04:14 AM:

Just bought the feature second hand. The print is a bit grainy but the colours are truly fantastic.

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on February 04, 2008, 09:37 PM:

Jean-Marc,
Take the time to re-record in stereo from the DVD soundtrack, like I did, and you will end up with a fabulous audio track for this great film, which greatly enhances the viewing experience.

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on February 05, 2008, 01:03 AM:

I was planning to do it. [Big Grin]

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on 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.

Posted by Mark Mander (Member # 340) on April 26, 2019, 02:06 AM:

Totally agree Paul,seeing all these classics at cinema's now is like seeing them for the first time in all thier glory for many,this film never gets tiresome.

As for the Derann print a classic in its own right,Mark

Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on 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.

Posted by Leon Norris (Member # 3151) on April 26, 2019, 09:55 AM:

A true musical classic!

Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on April 26, 2019, 05:21 PM:

I have an MGM 200' edition of Singing in The Rain and the reel
contains two uncut songs: "Make 'Em Laugh" and "Singing In The Rain."

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on April 26, 2019, 09:49 PM:

The KEN/MGM 2 X 400FT digests were also both superb, containing all the iconic song and dance numbers in their entirety. Unfortunately my prints are now both faded to pink, but the clamshell boxes still look great so I keep them [Frown]

Posted by William Olson (Member # 2083) on May 29, 2019, 10:17 PM:

I love Singin' In The Rain. The other MGM musical that I feel almost equals it is The Band Wagon. These 2 films along with The Wizard Of Oz are, I think, MGM's best. However, The Wizard Of Oz really is in a class by itself.

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