"People think we lead lives of glamour and romance, but we're really lonely, terribly lonely."
--- Don Lockwood
Gene Kelly was the king of great musicals at MGM. He danced, sang, acted, choreographed and even directed some of MGM's best known musical numbers. His most famous performance is arguably his solo act in the title number of the Kelly-directed musical Singin' in the Rain. What makes this such a great number is not just the singing and dancing, although they are wonderful, but also the emotion behind the song. Gene Kelly's character Don Lockwood is a dancing fool in the rain because he's in love with the young and lovely Kathy Selden, played by an eighteen year old Debbie Reynolds. His new feeling of love is so forceful that it propels him into the wet streets where he can proclaim his love both vocally and physically, even if no one is there to hear him.
Although the main plot in this movie is the awkward and hilarious transition the film industry made from silent movies to talkies, romantic love is the undercurrent that carries the two main characters through this unique situation. Don helps Kathy in her entertainment career by suggesting she become the voice of well-known star Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen), an irritating woman with an equally irritating and non-screenworthy voice. His motivation for this suggestion is more about his growing love for Kathy than for the need to replace Lina's voice (he admits that he has been searching for Kathy for months prior in an effort to court).
Directed by both Gene Kelly and his former assistant Stanley Donen, Singin' in the Rain is a wonderful reminder of how much fun new love is. When you first fall in love with someone new, all you want to do is shout it from the rooftops, proclaiming to everyone that you are incredibly happy and thankful for your new fortune. When you are in love, things like rainy nights do not stop you from enjoying life; in fact, rainy nights might prove to be the stage for your most joyous proclamation, as it is for Don Lockwood in this movie. There are many fantastic musical numbers in Singin' in the Rain, but the title number is a favorite not just for its inventiveness but for the sheer joy Gene Kelly looks like he is experiencing as he sings and dances in the downpour. For that, and for so much more, it is easy to see why Singin' in the Rain is one of the best musicals ever made.
FUN FACT: In the scene where Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds) sings for Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) in the Dancing Cavalier, the voice singing is actually actress Jean Hagen herself!
FAVORITE QUOTE: "I'm laughin' at clouds, so dark up above, the sun's in my heart, and I'm ready for love."
---Don Lockwood, Singin' in the Rain
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