Where Movie Critics Get A Taste Of Their Own Medicine
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SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
by Herb Kane
April 27th, 2003
(Out
of 4 Stars)
Even if Hollywood doesn't resurrect the movie musical, Roger Ebert will every year at the Virginia Theater in Illinois. In 2001, we watched mainstream movie stars sing and dance in Woody Allen's "Everyone Says I Love You". In 2002, George Nierenberg's "Say Amen, Somebody" gave us a big dose of Gospel music. This year we're back to watching movie stars sing and dance in the 1952 MGM musical "Singin' in the Rain" directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen.
The movie's story is simple, fun, and romantic. The vibrant colors in this restored 35 mm print light up the screen with good ole fashioned dance numbers - and the singing is absolutely contagious! Watch this movie and you will sing "Singin' in the Rain." In fact, even if you never saw this movie - you're probably already familiar with the song.
Many people only know one thing about this movie: A soaking wet Gene Kelly sings and dances to the title song on a rainy street. It's sad, but certainly no surprise. In Ebert's review, he quotes Peter Wollen who wrote in a British Film Institute monograph that the "Singin' in the Rain" scene "is the single most memorable dance number on film." Ebert slightly disagrees and says it's tie between Kelly's 'Singin' in the Rain' and Donald O'Connor's "Make 'em Laugh." Regardless of what Wollen and Ebert say, I proclaim here and now that Donald O'Connnor's "Make 'em Laugh" number is the best dance number in the whole movie.
Ebert describes O'Connor's famous dance scene perfectly: "He wrestles with a dummy, runs up walls and does back flips, tosses his body around like a rag-doll, cartwheels on the floor, runs into a brick wall and a lumber plank, and crashes through a back drop." It's no wonder Ebert called this "one of the most amazing dance sequences ever filmed." I get out of breath just reading about it! Even more breathtaking, folks, is that Donald O'Connor himself (77 years-old) sat in the Virginia Theater with us all to watch this movie. When O'Connor later walked on stage for a question & answer session, Ebert said, "This is the greatest moment in the history of this festival." I agree and so did the entire packed house. I would also like to add that this was the greatest film presented at this year's "Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival." It's a rare musical gem, indeed, and movies like this don't come around often. But when they do, you'll be inspired to sing, "Gotta dance!"
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O'Connor moves a bit slower these days, but is still sharp and funny. What a glorious feeling it was to see and hear him talk about one of America's best movie musicals ever made - if not THE BEST. O'Connor, wearing a bright yellow jacket, said he and Kelly did most of their own stunts. When producers thought it was too dangerous, they called in stunt men. He said, "Ninety times out of 100, he would get hurt, and we we would have to do it." What's interesting is that O'Connor was never professionally trained to dance. He gained his knowledge with his family in vaudeville and the circus. You'd never know it.
O'Connor was also known for his "Frances the Talking Mule" movies and when an audience member at the Virginia Theater asked how it felt playing the straight man to a mule, he replied, "Well, I've had a lot of practice with jackasses." O'Connor spoke of many interesting stories including a visit to Buster Keaton's home (they were good friends), giving advise to 17 year-old Debbie Reynolds regarding her concern about french kissing Gene Kelly in scenes (O'Connor's advise? "Just like it."), dispelling rumors about getting hurt in the "Make 'em Laugh" scene, etc. It was truly a magical night and one I will remember forever.
I'm still sad some people only remember the song "Singin' in the Rain" and not the movie. If you are one of those people, go buy the 50th Anniversary DVD (like I did) and experience this film.
Do this and you'll make me - Happy again!
-- CRITIC DOCTOR
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CREDITS: Don Lockwood:
Gene Kelly, Cosmo Brown: Donald O'Connor, Kathy
Seldon: Debbie Reynolds, Lina Lamont: Jean Hagen, R.F.
Simpson: Millard Mitchell, Zelda Zanders: Rita Moreno,
Roscoe Dexter: Douglas Fowley, Dancer: Cyd Charisse.
MGM presents a film directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley
Donen and produced by Arthur Freed. Screenplay by
Adolph Green and Betty Comden. Photographed by Harold Rosspn.
Edited by Adrienne Fazan/ Composer, Nacio Herb Brown. Running
time: 102 minutes. Classified G
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