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At-A-Glance Film Reviews

Singin' In the Rain (1952)

Rating

[5.0]

Reviews and Comments

Not only frequently considered Gene Kelly's best work, but almost universally acclaimed the best screen musical ever. Singin' In the Rain works in every way. There's lots of humor, lots of dancing (jazz, tap, and Gene Kelly's trademark surreal choreography), and an interesting story about Hollywood coping with the transition from silent films to sound films. Among the many brilliant scenes that alone testify to the genius of their creators are the Singin' In the Rain sequence, where Gene Kelly, momentarily freed of the behavioral constraints that come with adulthood, frolicks in the puddles on a soggy city street with a performance that should inspire anyone. Also watch for Donald O'Connor's number Make 'Em Laugh, quite possibly the funniest musical number ever filmed; most of his antics were made up by O'Connor himself after the studio shipped a truckload of miscellaneous props out to the set. This is one of those rare films where pure genius is evident at every turn.

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