Singing in the Rain: Purely Magical

Singin’ in the Rain is widely considered as one of the greatest Hollywood musicals of all time. The film did a great job of living up to such high esteem. The competition, such as West Side Story, Wizard of Oz, and the contemporary High School Musical, pales in comparison. Everything about the musical production was enchanting and pure.

The actors proved to be valuable assets to the film. The production had four stars: Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O’Connor, and Jean Hagen. Gene Kelly proved to be an invaluable asset because he was the choreographer, co-director, and actor. Kelly’s singing, dancing, and choreography was flawless. He also gave an outstanding acting performance, in which he portrayed Don Lockwood, a silent screen hero. Debbie Reynolds brought the quirky, cute, and intellectual Kathy Sheldon to life. With her wonderful voice and excellent dancing, Reynolds seemed like she was born to play the role of Kathy Sheldon. In comparison, O’Connor (Cosmo Brown) also gave an excellent performance. Likewise, O’Conner created a goofy, amusing musical director whom the audience grows to love. Lastly, Jean Hagen’s contribution to the film was also significant. Without her amazing voice, the squawky-voiced silent film queen, Lina Lamont, would not be portrayed accurately. Without a central “villain,” the film would be incomplete.

The most understated part of this film is its comedic aspect. When Singin’ in the Rain is discussed, people often compliment the musical numbers and the actor’s various skills, but people usually fail to acknowledge the humor in the movie. The wit of screenplay should not be underestimated. There are a number of hilarious moments. For example, the moments in which the director’s frustration is evident due to microphone issues were hilarous. The dialogue also contains several astonishingly amazing lines. For example, Cosmo describes Lina in the following line, "She can't act, she can't sing, she can't dance. A triple threat."

Lastly, the twelve songs in the movie were surprisingly not corny and banal. Instead, they were fresh, original, and unique. “Good Morning” made the audience want to perform the number at one o’clock in the morning. It almost hypnotized the audience to do such things because it had a happy, upbeat, and catchy tone that proved to be irresistible. In contrast, songs such as “Singing in the Rain” and “You Were Meant For Me” were touching because songs like these celebrate pure and unadulterated love between two individuals. Other numbers were captivating and amusing to watch such as O'Connor’s “Make ‘Em Laugh” and Kelly’s and O’Conner’s “Moses.” O’Conner’s “Make ‘Em Laugh” was incredible because it looked unexaggerated and it appeared to be made up on the spot even though as an audience it is obvious that it is not. "Moses Supposes," with O'Connor and Kelly dancing on tabletops, also seems that way. Both numbers exhibit humor, while displaying great choreography and dancing prowess.

 The actors, comedic screenplay, and music is what truly proves Singin’ in the Rain as the best Hol