SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (50th Anniversary Special
Edition)
Fifty
years after its release, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN ($27) regarded as one
of the greatest screen musicals of all time. Although in 1952, SINGIN'
IN THE RAIN was just another studio picture emanating from the
Hollywood dream factory known as MGM. Coming on the heels of the Academy
Award winning AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
didn't garner the critical recognition it should have received in 1952;
however, with every year that passes the movie's mystique grows by leaps
and bounds, bringing the film to its current legendary standing. Over the
decades, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN has been talked about and analyzed by
every major critic and film scholar, many of whom have taken the film
apart frame by frame. Even after all the analysis in the world, the
movie's appeal comes down to one simple fact: SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
is a great piece of motion picture entertainment.
I
count SINGIN' IN THE RAIN as a personal favorite, and I have seen
the movie a ridiculous number of times. I have owned every Laserdisc and
DVD incarnation of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN and have reviewed a number
of these on previous occasions. Therefore, I seriously doubt I will be
contributing anything new or original about the movie at this juncture.
However, what I have always liked about SINGIN' IN THE RAIN is the
fact that the story is so polished and so funny on its own, that it could
play without the musical numbers and still be a great film. However, with
its classic songs, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN truly is one of the greatest
screen musicals of all time.
The
plot of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN offers an amusing look back at
Hollywood in transition. Set in the late 1920's, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
tells the story of the advent of sound in motion pictures and the effect
that the "talkies" had on the movies themselves and silent film
stars in general. Taking place at the fictitious Monumental Pictures movie
studio, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN stars Gene Kelly as Don Lockwood- that
swashbuckling leading man of the silent era. After a disastrous preview
screening Don's first talking picture, the star suspects that his career
is jeopardy. While Don's best friend Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor)
convinces him that the technical flaws in the film can be fixed, both have
serious doubts that anything can be done about the movie's leading lady
Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen), whose lack of talent and grating voice are best
suited to the shadow play of silent movies. However, Cosmo has a
brainstorm involving up and coming actress Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds)
that may be able to salvage Monumental Pictures first taking picture and
save everyone's career.
All
of the performances in SINGIN' IN THE RAIN are absolutely first
rate. Everyone's comic timing is perfect, and all benefit from the witty
repartee of Betty Comden and Adolph Green's screenplay. Jean Hagen is
astonishingly good as Lina Lamont, a brilliant comic character who was
designed with Judy Holliday's BORN YESTERDAY performance in mind.
Donald O'Connor's comic performance is equally good; I especially enjoy
his delivery of throwaway lines. While O'Connor's comic skills never come
into question, I don't think he ever gets the recognition he deserves for
his dancing. The sheer athleticism that O'Connor displays is his solo
number is truly impressive, but when he dances with Gene Kelly, it is here
that his talent as a hoofer truly shines. Study O'Connor's work in the Moses
Supposes number with Kelly and you are sure to come away impressed
and thinking that SINGIN' IN THE RAIN provided Gene Kelly with his
two finest dancing partners- the other one being the marvelous and
absolutely gorgeous Cyd Charisse. The cast of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
also features Millard Mitchell, Douglas Fowley, Rita Moreno and Kathleen
Freeman.
Warner
Home Video has done an incredible job with their two-disc special edition
release of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN. Coming from
newly restored film elements, the 1.37:1 transfer is an absolute marvel.
No video incarnation of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN has ever looked
anywhere as good as this new DVD release. There are no misalignment and
fringing problems here to mar the color reproduction or to soften the
image. The picture is consistently crisp and offers a level of clarity and
detail that I've never seen in the past. Colors most assuredly display IB
Technicolor vibrancy, but never have that over-saturated for video look.
All of the hues appear bright, clean and wonderfully vivid; yet never
display a trace of chroma noise or smearing. Blacks are velvety, plus the
whites appear clean and stable. Contrast is excellent and shadow detail
very good for an IB Technicolor film of that period. Additionally, there
isn't a blemish or a scratch to remind one that the movie is half a
century old- in other words Warner has achieved pure digital perfection
for this release. The dual layer DVD conceals all noticeable traces of
digital compression artifacts.
For
this release, the soundtrack for SINGIN' IN THE RAIN has been
upgraded to a Dolby Digital 5.1 channel mix. However, those expecting a
sonic revelation from the 5.1 aren't going to find it on this soundtrack.
What the new mix does is give the film's soundtrack a greater sense of
presence than one would find in a constricted monaural mix. Also, the
musical numbers seem to have a bit more fidelity than they did in the
past, nowhere near today's levels, but with a warmer, more pleasing sound.
Surround junkies will find that usage of the rear channels is limited, but
that is because the new mix tries to remain as natural sounding as
possible. Dialogue is cleanly rendered and always completely
understandable. Additionally, the track sounds as though it has been
digitally cleaned to remove all noticeable traces of background hiss and
surface noise. The original English monaural soundtrack is also provided
on the DVD, along with a French language track. Subtitles have been
encoded onto the DVD in English, French and Spanish.
Music
underscores the basic interactive menus, which provide access to the
standard scene selection and set up features, as well as the supplemental
materials, which have been spread across the two discs that comprise this
set. Disc one features an audio commentary with co-director Stanley Donen,
screenwriters Betty Comden and Adolph Green, performers Donald O'Connor,
Debbie Reynolds Cyd Charisse and Kathleen Freeman, historian Rudy Behlmer,
and filmmaker Baz Luhrmann. The commentary is hosted by Reynolds and is an
assemblage of comments by the participants, which have been edited
together. There is a wealth of great material presented here and this
track is a must listen for any SINGIN' IN THE RAIN fan. Reel
Sound takes a look at Hollywood's transition to sound with clips
from some of the earliest sound and talking pictures. Singin'
Inspirations offers an opportunity to watch SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
in an interactive mode; whenever a film reel icon appears on the screen,
the viewer can use their remote control to look at the movies that
inspired this classic film. A theatrical trailer, cast & crew listing
and award listing closes out disc one's supplements.
Disc
two offers some of the more extensive supplements, which begin with two
documentaries. Musicals Great Musicals: The Arthur Freed Unit At MGM
is a ninety-six minute documentary that traces the career of the
composer/songwriter turned film producer. Through interviews and film
footage, the program traces the career of Arthur Freed and looks at the
wonderful, classic musicals that his production unit at MGM brought to the
screen during his multi-decade tenure at the studio. What A Glorious
Feeling- The Making of Singin' In The Rain is a thirty-five minute
program hosted by Debbie Reynolds that features new and archival
interviews with the cast and production team of this classic movie. The
documentary includes a lot of fond remembrances of the production, as well
as the hard work that went into making everything appear effortless. The
program also provides a look as some sequences that were cut or changed in
the final version of the film.
Another
really interesting supplement is the Excerpts From Features Where
The Songs Originated, which offers a dozen clips from movies where
the Arthur Freed /Nacio Herb Brown songs made their screen debut. Also
included on the DVD is Debbie Reynolds rendition of You Are My Luck Star,
which was cut from the film, as well as a still galley and some of the Scoring
Stage Sessions, which are the earliest recordings and outtakes of
the movie's musical numbers.
There
is no doubt in my mind that SINGIN' IN THE RAIN is one of the
greatest film musicals of all time. Warner's 50th Anniversary Special
Edition DVD release is the definitive home edition of the movie. The DVD
looks glorious and provides a wonderful array of supplements, making this
disc a must have for every movie library. Warner has done such an
incredible job with SINGIN' IN THE RAIN that I hope they will apply
the same level of care to other classic 1950s musicals. I know I'd love to
see THE BAND WAGON, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS, BRIGADOON,
SILK STOCKINGS, SHOW BOAT, GIGI, HIGH SOCIETY
and KISS ME KATE receive the same kind of care and attention that
has been applied to SINGIN' IN THE RAIN.
Fifty
years after its release, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN ($27) regarded as one
of the greatest screen musicals of all time. Although in 1952, SINGIN'
IN THE RAIN was just another studio picture emanating from the
Hollywood dream factory known as MGM. Coming on the heels of the Academy
Award winning AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
didn't garner the critical recognition it should have received in 1952;
however, with every year that passes the movie's mystique grows by leaps
and bounds, bringing the film to its current legendary standing. Over the
decades, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN has been talked about and analyzed by
every major critic and film scholar, many of whom have taken the film
apart frame by frame. Even after all the analysis in the world, the
movie's appeal comes down to one simple fact: SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
is a great piece of motion picture entertainment.
I
count SINGIN' IN THE RAIN as a personal favorite, and I have seen
the movie a ridiculous number of times. I have owned every Laserdisc and
DVD incarnation of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN and have reviewed a number
of these on previous occasions. Therefore, I seriously doubt I will be
contributing anything new or original about the movie at this juncture.
However, what I have always liked about SINGIN' IN THE RAIN is the
fact that the story is so polished and so funny on its own, that it could
play without the musical numbers and still be a great film. However, with
its classic songs, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN truly is one of the greatest
screen musicals of all time.
The
plot of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN offers an amusing look back at
Hollywood in transition. Set in the late 1920's, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
tells the story of the advent of sound in motion pictures and the effect
that the "talkies" had on the movies themselves and silent film
stars in general. Taking place at the fictitious Monumental Pictures movie
studio, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN stars Gene Kelly as Don Lockwood- that
swashbuckling leading man of the silent era. After a disastrous preview
screening Don's first talking picture, the star suspects that his career
is jeopardy. While Don's best friend Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor)
convinces him that the technical flaws in the film can be fixed, both have
serious doubts that anything can be done about the movie's leading lady
Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen), whose lack of talent and grating voice are best
suited to the shadow play of silent movies. However, Cosmo has a
brainstorm involving up and coming actress Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds)
that may be able to salvage Monumental Pictures first taking picture and
save everyone's career.
All
of the performances in SINGIN' IN THE RAIN are absolutely first
rate. Everyone's comic timing is perfect, and all benefit from the witty
repartee of Betty Comden and Adolph Green's screenplay. Jean Hagen is
astonishingly good as Lina Lamont, a brilliant comic character who was
designed with Judy Holliday's BORN YESTERDAY performance in mind.
Donald O'Connor's comic performance is equally good; I especially enjoy
his delivery of throwaway lines. While O'Connor's comic skills never come
into question, I don't think he ever gets the recognition he deserves for
his dancing. The sheer athleticism that O'Connor displays is his solo
number is truly impressive, but when he dances with Gene Kelly, it is here
that his talent as a hoofer truly shines. Study O'Connor's work in the Moses
Supposes number with Kelly and you are sure to come away impressed
and thinking that SINGIN' IN THE RAIN provided Gene Kelly with his
two finest dancing partners- the other one being the marvelous and
absolutely gorgeous Cyd Charisse. The cast of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
also features Millard Mitchell, Douglas Fowley, Rita Moreno and Kathleen
Freeman.
Warner
Home Video has done an incredible job with their two-disc special edition
release of 
For
this release, the soundtrack for SINGIN' IN THE RAIN has been
upgraded to a Dolby Digital 5.1 channel mix. However, those expecting a
sonic revelation from the 5.1 aren't going to find it on this soundtrack.
What the new mix does is give the film's soundtrack a greater sense of
presence than one would find in a constricted monaural mix. Also, the
musical numbers seem to have a bit more fidelity than they did in the
past, nowhere near today's levels, but with a warmer, more pleasing sound.
Surround junkies will find that usage of the rear channels is limited, but
that is because the new mix tries to remain as natural sounding as
possible. Dialogue is cleanly rendered and always completely
understandable. Additionally, the track sounds as though it has been
digitally cleaned to remove all noticeable traces of background hiss and
surface noise. The original English monaural soundtrack is also provided
on the DVD, along with a French language track. Subtitles have been
encoded onto the DVD in English, French and Spanish.
Music
underscores the basic interactive menus, which provide access to the
standard scene selection and set up features, as well as the supplemental
materials, which have been spread across the two discs that comprise this
set. Disc one features an audio commentary with co-director Stanley Donen,
screenwriters Betty Comden and Adolph Green, performers Donald O'Connor,
Debbie Reynolds Cyd Charisse and Kathleen Freeman, historian Rudy Behlmer,
and filmmaker Baz Luhrmann. The commentary is hosted by Reynolds and is an
assemblage of comments by the participants, which have been edited
together. There is a wealth of great material presented here and this
track is a must listen for any SINGIN' IN THE RAIN fan. Reel
Sound takes a look at Hollywood's transition to sound with clips
from some of the earliest sound and talking pictures. Singin'
Inspirations offers an opportunity to watch SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
in an interactive mode; whenever a film reel icon appears on the screen,
the viewer can use their remote control to look at the movies that
inspired this classic film. A theatrical trailer, cast & crew listing
and award listing closes out disc one's supplements.
Disc
two offers some of the more extensive supplements, which begin with two
documentaries. Musicals Great Musicals: The Arthur Freed Unit At MGM
is a ninety-six minute documentary that traces the career of the
composer/songwriter turned film producer. Through interviews and film
footage, the program traces the career of Arthur Freed and looks at the
wonderful, classic musicals that his production unit at MGM brought to the
screen during his multi-decade tenure at the studio. What A Glorious
Feeling- The Making of Singin' In The Rain is a thirty-five minute
program hosted by Debbie Reynolds that features new and archival
interviews with the cast and production team of this classic movie. The
documentary includes a lot of fond remembrances of the production, as well
as the hard work that went into making everything appear effortless. The
program also provides a look as some sequences that were cut or changed in
the final version of the film. 
Another
really interesting supplement is the Excerpts From Features Where
The Songs Originated, which offers a dozen clips from movies where
the Arthur Freed /Nacio Herb Brown songs made their screen debut. Also
included on the DVD is Debbie Reynolds rendition of You Are My Luck Star,
which was cut from the film, as well as a still galley and some of the Scoring
Stage Sessions, which are the earliest recordings and outtakes of
the movie's musical numbers.
There
is no doubt in my mind that SINGIN' IN THE RAIN is one of the
greatest film musicals of all time. Warner's 50th Anniversary Special
Edition DVD release is the definitive home edition of the movie. The DVD
looks glorious and provides a wonderful array of supplements, making this
disc a must have for every movie library. Warner has done such an
incredible job with SINGIN' IN THE RAIN that I hope they will apply
the same level of care to other classic 1950s musicals. I know I'd love to
see THE BAND WAGON, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS, BRIGADOON,
SILK STOCKINGS, SHOW BOAT, GIGI, HIGH SOCIETY
and KISS ME KATE receive the same kind of care and attention that
has been applied to SINGIN' IN THE RAIN.