9.6.2021
Singin' in the Rain- 1952
The 1952 masterpiece classic titled Singin' in the Rain, was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios- another hit in a long list of treasured titles. This title stars Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds, and is directed by both Gene Kelly, and Stanley Donan.
This movie is based on the period directly after 'talkies' have become popular. Talkies is the term coined and used to describe the first films that had sound added to the film and required an actor to use his or her voice, instead of storyboards to tell the story.
In this film, Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont are both cast in the same movie paired up to portray a romantic couple. As this movie is supposed to be a musical, they are instructed to sing. However, complications arise when it is discovered that only Don has the ability to sing properly in key. Rather than eliminate Lina from the movie, they instead concoct a scheme where Lina's own voice is dubbed over during the musical numbers, using another woman's voice.
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The story opens to where it all feels like a caricature of the time period- over the top, bright colors, bold statements, and fake smiles. A veneer over the truth, much like the too-perfect teeth of our stars: Don and Lina.
Don (Kelly) speaks to his fans of an easy run to the top as he and Lina are at the theatre with a recent release of theirs The Royal Rascal released by Monumental Pictures. Don speaks of being in the right place at the right time ease, while humble, natural upbringing flashback clips play over his words about the start to his career working long with his friend and long-standing working relationship with Cosmo Brown (O'Connor). Clips of them doing the dirty work behind the scenes and failing multiple times contrast with the glamourous tellings of his journey. The flashbacks show him even to do his own stunts- many (if not all) were dangerous.
His co-worker Miss Lamont (especially compared to Don) is vain, self-centered, and completely uninterested in Don. It is only when doing so helps her career, does she give him a second look. Lina Lamont is a physical representation for Hollywood- you are useless unless you can do something for it/them.
During The Royal Rascal, a moviegoer even laments "She's so refined. I think I'll kill myself" because of Lina's persona in the movie and in life. Lina's own facial expressions are two-faced when Don Lockwood speaks to the theatre. When she appears to wish to speak, he interrupts her, causing her to give him a side-eyed glare each time. The reasoning? Her own voice. Her voice is high-pitched and screechy and not what people expect her to sound like. So, to keep in line with what "sells", the movie studio forbade her from speaking to push the "product" along.
Later in the movie, Lockwood and Lina are at a Hollywood party that appears to be a stage play in of itself- people dancing in perfect harmony, Lina and the men around her all pretending to have a good time together throwing their heads back in silent laughs. Even the dresses worn appear to be more costumes than authentic formal dresses.
The only person who will tell Don what he needs to hear is Kathy Selden, a young up-and-coming actress in the stage profession. Don meets her when he (literally) drops in on her while running away from crazed fans in the street. Kathy unlike Lina (Hollywood) is not in awe or interested in the false and silent personas that one finds on the silver screen (remember at this time, people did not emote or even speak on film).
Three weeks go by, and Don is still haunted by Kathy. Don and Cosmo speak of the new movie The Jazz Singer- the first talking picture released by Warner Brothers is a smash hit (after producers at Monumental Pictures expected huge losses). While speaking, Cosmo mentions "If you've seen one, you've seen them all", and it reminds Don of Kathy.
Don becomes angry when he finds out that Kathy lost her job- not because of what she did to Lina (throwing a pie in her face that was meant for Don), but because Lina threatened Kathy's job to do so.
Moments later the head of Monumental Pictures arrives telling everyone to go home until further notice. The Jazz Singer has performed so greatly that every other studio has begun to flip over to talking pictures to meet the demand of the audience. No one knows much how the equipment works, but each studio has jumped on the bandwagon for nothing more than monetary reasons.
This too showcases Hollywood's false narrative: Regardless of how one feels about a subject, everyone jumps on the bandwagon simply because one thing does well-even if the new medium has unknown long-term prospects (though in this case, 'talking pictures' was a wave of the future).
Don finds Kathy's refreshing viewpoint to be something that endears him. She tells him the truth (a bent truth, but a truth), and it's always something that is for his betterment. Don on the other hand cannot just tell Kathy what he feels- even though his thoughts are genuine that he likes her, he has to set up a sound stage to create an atmosphere in which he's comfortable. He's vulnerable when outside of the facade of Hollywood that he has long been entrenched by. He can only seem to tell Kathy how he feels in a musical number.
After Lockwood & Lamont's new movie is released for review to horrid reviews, Don, Kathy and Cosmo decide to fix the movie and turn it into a musical. By taking creative control, he's able to present a NEW facade (or rather truth in his case) to his brand. "The New Don Lockwood" Kathy and Cosmo pitch the idea to Don who gleefully accepts and the trio break into a song & dance number "Good morning".
Good Mornin' by O'Connor, Reynolds, Kelly
Arguably the film's most famous scene occurs right after as Lockwood is heading back home from dropping Kathy off at home. Kelly sings "Singin' in the Rain" while filled with joy and hope and optimism at what will be coming to him in his professional and personal life.
After finishing the new 'The Dancing Cavelier", Don tells Kathy that he's ready to tell the world the truth about their relationship (they kept it under wraps because of the image that has been given to the media of him and Lina being an item). It is at this moment that Don wants to strip away the falsities that he lives in because of his Hollywood stardom. Even Kathy tries to question his decision telling him "Your fans will be bitterly disappointed", to which he responds simply "From now on, there's only one fan I'm worried about."
The end of the movie shows what happens when falsities are exposed with Lina being embarrassed on stage when it is discovered that she herself was not talented as it was being presented on film or sound. Kathy is shown to be the true voice for the Dancing Cavelier and she has a career in Hollywood because of doing the right thing. She and Don have a happy relationship, married and and a career based on the same values: Honesty, truth and love.
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