Singing In The Rain Analysis

One of the most classic staples in film history, Singin’ in the Rain, influenced the way the film industry made movies forever. Singin’ in the Rain was a musical-comedy produced by Arthur Freed. It was released in 1952, but based in the late 1920’s, depicting the transition from silent films to “talkies.” Don Lockwood, played by Gene Kelly, was an already successful actor in the silent film era. Kathy Selden, played by Debbie Reynolds, was an aspiring actress who fell in love with Lockwood. The plot of the film revolves around Kathy Selden filling in as the voice of Lina Lamont, a silent film star with a voice not appropriate for sound. Before WWII, it was not important for musicals to have realistic aspects, and the plot was not needed to hold the numbers together. As time passed, in the mid-1950’s, film became more authentic and psychological. Along came the “integrated musical”, where one tried to imagine a situation where an individual would sing in the real world.1 Singing in the Rain was a realistic depiction of what the film industry went through during that transitional time. Many of the incidents in the movie were based off real people and experiences. The character of Lina Lamont was partially based on Mae Murray, a famous star who was known for

Every time a character would break out in song dance, it always correlated with the feelings they had. The famous scene of Lockwood singing in the rain portrayed the actual happiness that the character was feeling in that moment. As an audience member, the scene did not feel strange because the average individual knows what it’s like to be so happy, you feel like singing and dancing. The MGM musicals produced by Arthur Freed specifically combined surrealistically imaginative musical numbers, enjoyable scores, a pleasing use of color, and funny, spoofing plots that often still related to the