Singin' in the Rain (1952)

What A Glorious Feeling

Singin' In The Rain is one of those rare films where everything works: casting, music, sets script and costumes. The two disc package by Turner Entertainment helps the viewer to see and understand the place of the musical in American film history.

The story of Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly), Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Conner) and Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds) is familiar to most viewers. The inside look at Hollywood in the time of the transition from silent film to talkies has been covered in other places but nowhere is it as effective as it was in this 1952 film.

The Special Edition Package contains a weath of material that has been restored completely. The film is in spectacular Technicolor and looks even better than it did when it played on the screen. There is a commentary with nine participants hosted by Debbie Reynolds that covers just about all aspects of the production process. A feature called Rell Sound provides clips from films that were critical to the sound to talkie transition. A branching feature on Inspirations for the film gives three segments of hidden footage relating to specific scenes. The first disc is rounded out with the original trailer and some cast and awards information.

The bulk of the special features are on disc two. The disc starts with the feature length Musical Glorious Musicals: The Arthur Freed Unit at MGM. This feature highlights the life and work of the famed producer. A second feature What A Glorious Feeling is a 35 minute retrospective coving the making of the film and is hosted by Debbie Reynolds. There is an extended selection of excerpts of the Freed-Brown musical numbers taken from their original films. This is a wealth of material that puts the songs from the film in perspective. The final section of the disc gives us the original MGM Orchestra scoring sessions for just about all of the music in the film.

This is a well put together package that is a joy to watch. It is essential viewing for any fan of the MGM musical period. November 10, 2008

Singin in the rain

I saw the movie years ago, enjoyed it, have not yet viewed my DVD, am going to watch it with a neighbor soon. October 30, 2008

Great Classic - the kids love it!

I remember watching this on PBS with my Mom when I was a kid, and just loving it. so I bought it for my 6 and 8 year old to enjoy. They love the "Moses Supposes" song and "tap dance" all over the living room when it's on. When the kids start to argue with each other, I simply break into the song and they start singing along (and stop bickering). It's Great! October 21, 2008

One of the best Musicals

An affectionate look at life at Hollywood life in the 20s. Not superior to An American in Paris as someone labelled it, but splendid in its energy and timelessness even if it is a period picture. Great piece of nostalgia and fantastic dancing sequences. Gene Kelly at his best in designing the choreography and its execution, admirably supported by Donald O'Connor and Cyd Charisse, plus Debbie Reynolds at her cutest.
Great movie!
E.Renard September 24, 2008

"Dignity, Always Dignity"

'Singing in the Rain' from '52 is a much loved Hollywood musical that will find the majority of its audience in the over fifty crowd. Its story line deals with the earliest years of the motion picture industry when the painful transfer from silent movies to "talkies" was revolutionizing the world of entertainment, a time when the film industry was still trying to decipher the proper mix for the medium; action, adventure, romance, attractive women and handsome men? Not initially knowing for sure what the expectations of the audience were they simply threw in everything along with dancing, singing, extravagant stage numbers and a lot of "Old School" vaudeville routines.

Recently viewing 'Singing in the Rain' on DVD now 56 years since it release I must admit that this homage to 'Old Hollywood' now seems so alien and remote in style and tenor when compared to modern day cinematic productions. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I'm left to wonder whether the song and dance of the 40's and 50's can still capture an adoring audience of new, younger fans? If you're fascinated by the Golden Years of Hollywood and the styles and fashions of the time, this is a great glimpse into the glitz and glamour of those early days. If you aren't then this may not be the film for you. September 11, 2008

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