Plot: What’s it about?
“What a Glorious Feeling!”
It’s hard to imagine, but it’s been sixty years since Singin’ in the Rain graced the silver screen for the first time. Granted, “yours truly” was still about twenty years in the future; but watching a movie like this makes me want to capture the feeling of what it must have been like for audiences seeing it for the first time. Most likely kids will be singing the familiar title song long before they actually see the film–I did. And what of that title song? How many of us instantly recognize the image of Gene Kelly hanging off a light post, a closed umbrella in one hand singing the dictates of his heart? It’s just as recognizable as Dorothy and Toto, Scarlett and Rhett and E.T. flying across the moon. The accolades don’t stop there, either. Not only was Singin’ in the Rain recognized commercially and critically at the time of it’s release (though it only garnered two Oscar nominations, more on that later); but its enduring appeal has yet to diminish. Recently the American Film Institute saw fit to rank it the 5th best movie of all time, the 16th funniest and 16th most romantic (and that’s from a pool of some 40,000 movies, folks). The tagline says it all…”What a glorious feeling!”
Part of the enduing appeal of the film is the fact that it works on many different levels. Not only is it considered the best musical of all time, but even without the music it’s still a great watch. It’s hard to imagine without the music, but the comedy is still there as is the romance. Another aspect of the film is the fact that it uses actual events from Hollywood’s past to center the plot around. The film takes place in the late 1920’s and the world of Hollywood is going full swing. Then, a movie called The Jazz Singer opens to commercial acclaim. What’s different about The Jazz Singer is the fact that it combines synchronized sound and music (i.e. it’s the first “talkie”) and the public craves more. The two Hollywood leading stars are Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) who give off the impression that they’re just as hot of an item off the screen as they are on. When it comes to silent films, Don and Lina are on top of the world; but as their latest film “The Dueling Cavalier” receives a less than stellar reaction at a test screening, the studio decides to make it into a talking picture. In a nutshell, that’s the plot; but there’s more of course and that’s where the film excels.
Don Lockwood and his partner, Cosmo Brown (Donald O’Connor) have come to Hollywood via the “long way.” From their early days of playing their musical act in bars, they have finally made it into show business as musicians. While all of the other stars shine bright, Don and Cosmo are watching from the sidelines. Then, by chance, Don is given a chance to fill in for a stunt man. Giving it his all, he succeeds and he becomes the star that he always thought he could be. Cosmo lives in his shadow, but Don hasn’t forgotten his friend and the two remain close. This is told in a sugar-coated version by Don at the screening of his new movie and gives us a peek at a dance number with Don and Cosmo (“Fit as a Fiddle”). This is where Kathy Seldon (Debbie Reynolds) enters the scene, quite literally. As Don is being mobbed by some adoring fans, he literally makes a break for it and lands in her car. Claiming to be a “serious actress” of the stage, she professes not to know who he is and the two’s initial meeting isn’t a good one. Things don’t change much when she tries to throw a pie at Don at a party and ends up hitting Lina in the face. Kathy is therefore fired from her job and the future between Don and her don’t look too bright.
During all of this, the movie is still being made and despite some obvious setbacks, it’s progressing. Sound adds another angle to the film (within the movie) that no one had taken into consideration. Lina’s voice is equivalent to that of nails on a chalkboard! Dictation coaches are hired for the two stars which gives rise to my personal favorite song in the film, ‘Moses Supposes’. Eventually, a plan is hatched between Don, Cosmo and Kathy (after a long brainstorming session which leads into the ‘Good Morning’ song) in which Kathy will use her voice in place of Lina’s for the film. Sacrificing her own career for the love of Don, the plan works…only too well. Lina wants her to become her permanent voice for all pictures, much to the dismay of Don.
Singin’ in the Rain is one of those movie musicals you just have to see to appreciate. The images stay with you forever and it’s actually one of the movies that get better upon repeat viewings. The story is fresh and fun, and though the only consistent thing that I have heard “wrong” with the film is the overly-lavish last musical number, ‘Broadway Melody’ in which Kelly tries to top his own dance number from the previous year in An American in Paris. However, if this is the only thing people can find “wrong” with the film, then it’s still a winner. The film has held up for six decades and with the new 4K offering, it’s a sure bet that this movie will be winning over new fans for decades more to come. Truly an example of “they don’t make ’em like they used to.” The film gets better and better with age and viewings and it’s a literal no-brainer that this should be a part of anyone’s collection.
Video: How’s it look?
I’ve seen this film on just about every format imaginable ranging from VHS to DVD to Blu-ray and, yes, now 4K. I remember for the film’s 50th anniversary, a new three strip technicolor master was used for the new DVD set. It blew the previously-released version away. A decade later the film was once again updated with a new 1080p master that looked far superior to the DVD it replaced. Another decade has passed and Warner has opted to use the 4K master from 2016 as the basis for this new 4K offering. The result is astounding. Singin’ in the Rain has always looked good. It’s a very colorful movie that showcases bright, bold colors throughout the film. This new 4K disc gives the film a more natural look and feel while giving us some enhanced detail, improved color and even better contrast. For a film that’s 70 years old, I’d have not thought that it would be possible for it to look this good. Thankfully I was mistaken. The only real reason to keep the previous Blu-ray is if you prefer that cover art or you sprung for the deluxe edition with additional supplements. But from a purely visual standpoint – this is the definitive version.
Audio: How’s it sound?
To my well-trained ears, this DTS HD Master Audio sound mix is the same as the previously-released Blu-ray. What is different is the addition of the film’s original theatrical mono mix (under the guise of a DTS HD Master Audio 2.0 moniker). So the purists should have nothing to complain about. And, let’s face it, there are plenty of musical numbers to showcase how good this sounds and for a film of this age. I’m still amazed. Dialogue sounds rich and full and even Lina Lamont’s character’s shrill voice has that extra little “oomph” that makes it that much more annoying. Surrounds kick in, mainly during the musical numbers, for some added resonance. Truthfully this film could have been presented in mono and no one would have complained, but the fact that this sounds so good lends credence to Warner’s commitment to the title. Simply put, listening to this is a glorious feeling!
Supplements: What are the extras?
This two-disc set doesn’t offer us any new supplements, but considering the age of the film and what’s already been released, I’d imagine it’s difficult to come up with something new.
Disc One (4K)
- Audio Commentary – The commentary track by Debbie Reynolds, Cyd Charisse, Kathleen Freeman, Stanley Donen (Co-Director, Gene Kelly was the other), Betty Comden and Adolph Green (Screenwriters), Rudy Behlmer (Film Historian) and Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge) has been ported over from the previous edition. The tracks are recorded separately and each segment is introduced by a moderator. The actors’ tracks are essentially that of the shoot, how long it took and the dance numbers. Luhrmann’s is the most interesting as he is in awe of such a great movie (he is trying to re-invent the Hollywood musical with Moulin Rouge). All in all, it’s a great track, though there are some spots here and there as they are most likely just watching the magic on the screen.
- Musical Numbers – This is “jukebox” feature that allows the user to skip to the part of the film to listen to that musical number. Pretty self-explanatory.
- Fit as a Fiddle
- All I Do Is Dream of You
- Make ’em Laugh
- I’ve Got a Feelin’ You’re Foolin’
- Wedding of the Painted Doll
- The Should I?
- Beautiful Girl
- You Were Meant for Me
- Moses Supposes
- Good Morning
- Singin’ in the Rain
- Broadway Melody / Rhythm / Ballet
- Singin’ in the Rain (Reprise)
- You Are My Lucky Star
Disc Two (Blu-ray)
- Audio Commentary – The commentary track by Debbie Reynolds, Cyd Charisse, Kathleen Freeman, Stanley Donen (Co-Director, Gene Kelly was the other), Betty Comden and Adolph Green (Screenwriters), Rudy Behlmer (Film Historian) and Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge) has been ported over from the previous edition. The tracks are recorded separately and each segment is introduced by a moderator. The actors’ tracks are essentially that of the shoot, how long it took and the dance numbers. Luhrmann’s is the most interesting as he is in awe of such a great movie (he is trying to re-invent the Hollywood musical with Moulin Rouge). All in all, it’s a great track, though there are some spots here and there as they are most likely just watching the magic on the screen.
- Singin’ in the Rain: Raining on a New Generation – This 50 minute documentary features interviews with some of the cast members of Glee, choreographers and directors of films like Moulin Rouge, Nine and Chicago. Clearly these folks were influenced by the movie and they tell us of their experiences seeing it for the first time. Paula Abdul is even interviewed (back in the day she was a choreographer) and tells us of her experience with the film. It’s nice to see a new generation influenced by this wonderful classic, though there’s no telling how much longer Debbie Reynolds will be with us – I’d have liked to see some more content with her.
- Musical Numbers – This is “jukebox” feature that allows the user to skip to the part of the film to listen to that musical number. Pretty self-explanatory.
- Fit as a Fiddle
- All I Do Is Dream of You
- Make ’em Laugh
- I’ve Got a Feelin’ You’re Foolin’
- Wedding of the Painted Doll
- The Should I?
- Beautiful Girl
- You Were Meant for Me
- Moses Supposes
- Good Morning
- Singin’ in the Rain
- Broadway Melody / Rhythm / Ballet
- Singin’ in the Rain (Reprise)
- You Are My Lucky Star
- Theatrical Trailer
The Bottom Line
Some think that The Godfather, Casablanca or Citizen Kane are perfect movies. I’ll throw Singin’ in the Rain in the mix. For me, it’s just that good. Every time I watch it, it’s like the first time. Warner’s new 4K offering ups the ante yet again with improved picture quality and adding the original theatrical mono mix. There’s no down side to this movie or this new 4K disc. Add it to your collection as soon as possible.
