Singing In The Rain

Singin' in the Rain is a musical film released in the year 1952. The film was directed by actor Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen. The producer of the movie was acclaimed musical producer, Arthur Freed. Also, the screenplay was written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Starring in Singing In the Rain was Gene Kelley as Don Lockwood, a popular silent film actor who goes on the transition process into “talkie” films by using music. Along the way, he is helped by his lover Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds) and his best friend, Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor). Yet, Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen), Lockwood's usual leading lady, tries to prove she won't be showed up by a talent she doesn't posses.

Singin' in the Rain was produced during the height of the movie musical era, well after the genre had become established, but more than a decade before it began to run out of steam. In fact, only a few weeks before the world premiere, Gene Kelly's previous starring vehicle, An American in Paris, buzzed through the Oscars, winning six of the eight awards it was nominated for, including Best Picture. That Singin' in the Rain holds up so well today, more than 50 years after its first release, is a testament to the craftsmanship of the filmmakers and the athleticism of the performers.

Singin' in the Rain represented Kelly's second of three collaborations with co-director Stanley Donen (they also worked together in 1949's On the Town and 1955's It's Always Fair Weather). The man backing the film, Arthur Freed, was a legend at MGM. His lengthy resume as a producer of musicals began with an uncredited behind-the-scenes role in bringing The Wizard of Oz to the screen and concluded in 1960 with Bells Are Ringing. During his career, he frequently worked ...