The Critical History of Singin’ in the Rain
The 1952 original musical, Singin’ in the Rain is one of the most treasured musical films ever made. This heartwarming, hysterical, and enjoyable movie illustrates the challenging shift from silent pictures to speaking films. Singin’ in the Rain was created in a way that gives the viewer a surprisingly accurate glimpse into the history of this period of cinematic evolution. This is all done while providing non-stop entertainment for the audience. The stars of the film, Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds had utterly captivating on-screen personas. Those personas, paired with charming music and fun choreography, greatly contribute to the film’s initial success with the public. In
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spite of the early positive feedback from audiences, Singin’ in the Rain was not as big of a box office smash hit as it was expected to be. For a film that had a production budget of $2.5 million, it only brought it a total of $7.2 million, and was merely the tenth highest grossing film of 1952. Ron Haver, a film historian, “points out that "Singin' in the Rain" was not immediately hailed for its greatness.” (Ebert) It seemed to be viewed as just another movie musical during this time period, not the timeless classic that we all know it to be today. As Singin’ in the Rain was about to premiere, Gene Kelly was still celebrating his recent victorious sweep at the Oscars for his film, An American in Paris, which had just won six Academy Awards. With Kelly’s substantial success being so recent, it is really astounding that Singin’ in the Rain was not initially more prosperous at the box office, since Gene Kelly was both the star of the show and the co-director. He already had quite a fan following that was looking forward to his next film. Kelly’s hands-on involvement, experience and fame really allowed him to own this movie musical. Debbie Reynolds on the other hand, was new to the scene. In fact, the nineteen-year-old was a former gymnast with no musical theater training at all. However, her hard work and dedication to the film are more than obvious to any viewer. While there were copious amounts of speculating rumors going around that Kelly never wanted Reynolds in the film to begin with, Reynolds has repeatedly praised Kelly and given him credit for her long and successful career in the business. She said Kelly was relentless in his teachings with her, so much so that she has said “‘I'd almost pass out trying to keep up.’ In another interview she added, ‘The two hardest things I ever did in my life are childbirth and Singin' in the Rain’.” (The Picture Show Man) Singin’ in the Rain bizarrely “received only lukewarm critical reviews when it was released.” (Hollywood's Golden Age) Perhaps the expectations for the movie were too high, but this film failed to even earn a spot on any film critics’ end of the year lists of best films.
In fact, “it received only two Academy Award nominations - Best Supporting Actress (Jean Hagen), and Best Musical Score (Lennie Hayton) and didn't win any awards.” (Dirks) The nomination for Best Musical Score at least honored the music that was original to the film, but it is shocking that other than Jean Hagen (who was hysterical in this film), no other actor, or the film in general, was recognized by the Academy. In spite of this noticeable Oscars snub, Singin’ in the Rain did earn itself some other notable accolades. “Donald O’Connor won the 1952 Golden Globe award for “Best Motion Picture Actor in a Musical or Comedy” for his performance in "Singin' in the Rain".” (The Picture Show Man) Also in 1952, screenwriters Betty Comden and Adolph Green, were honored with the “Best Written Musical” award by the Screen Writer’s Guild of …show more content…
America. Regardless of the nominations and awards, it took some time before Singin’ in the Rain began to gain the decent recognition that it so greatly deserved. Film critic Roger Ebert stated, that “only after it went into repertory in 1958, as part of a package of MGM classics, did audiences begin to realize how special it was.” (Ebert) This recirculation of Singin’ in the Rain during the latter years of the 1950’s and most of the 1960’s allowed for a reassessment of the film by many new audiences. Several of these new audiences were actually students at colleges and universities where their film professors were including more current movies, such as Singin’ in the Rain, into their studies. In addition to student viewers, in the 1960’s, Singin’ in the Rain became a reoccurring program on prime-time telecasts, which helped the film grow in popularity. Roger Ebert also credits the tremendously influential New York Magazine film critic, Pauline Kael, for helping people realize how special this movie certainly was. Kael made a statement about Singin’ in the Rain in her movie reports that said “this exuberant satire of Hollywood in the late 20s is probably the most enjoyable of all American movie musicals.” (The Picture Show Man) Kael justified her statement by describing the film as energetic, original, and exciting. She additionally said it was so wonderful “due to the screenplay of Betty Comden and Adolph Green, which, shorn of its musical interludes, could still stand on its own as one of the funniest comedies ever written.” (Haver) As time went on, the newer audience and new rave reviews really helped catapult Singin’ in the Rain into “classic film” status. In the years following, Singin’ in the Rain continue to gain more acclaim. In 1982, it was ranked at #4 on Sight and Sound magazine’s list of ten best films of all time. It made that same list once again in 2002, this time coming in at #10. “In 1989 the U.S. Film Registry of the Library of Congress chose Singin' in the Rain for inclusion in its initial list of films deemed worthy of preservation for its cultural, historical and artistic significance.” (The Picture Show Man) The American Film Institute placed Singin’ in the Rain at #10 on their list of America’s 100 Greatest Movies (it was actually the highest ranking musical on that list); it placed #16 on their list of America’s 100 Greatest Comedies and America’s 100 Greatest Love Stories; and proposed that the songs “Good Morning”, “Make ‘Em Laugh”, and “Singing in the Rain” be included on their America’s 100 Greatest Songs in American Movies list. (The Picture Show Man) These credits are extraordinarily impressive for a film that did not win any Academy Awards. Even the best films face criticism, and Singin’ in the Rain is no exception to that.
However, the criticisms that Singin’ in the Rain faced were mild. I have yet to find one that has actually prevented anyone from thoroughly enjoying this movie musical. One reviewer said that the movie fails to recognize the dire situation that the stars of the show would be in if The Dancing Cavalier were to flop. It was too “fluffy” and failed to get to a deeper emotional level. “The film is so busy cracking jokes and dancing around that you never feel that the characters are in trouble.” (Hunter) Another review states that the music does not correspond with the context of the movie, and that the ballet scene was lackluster. I find this review to be comical. Now that I know the screenwriters set out to create a script that incorporated existing musical scores, I would have to say they did an amazing job making all of the music flow within the
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In A Long Walk to Water by, Nya’s section demonstrates determination and how determination is an important attribute for people to succeed and survive. Nya, an eleven-year-old Nuer girl who is living in Southern Sudan during a drought is required to walk back and forth to and from a pond to get water for her family. Firstly, Nya spends most of her days getting water from the pond but she is determined to provide her family with water so she continues her journeys to the pond and back for quite a long time. For instance, the text in A Long Walk to Water explains, “Waiting for water. Here, for hours at a time. And every day for five long months. Until the rains came and she and her family could return home”, (Park, page 27). Nya knows that she
One piece of literary work that has changed my life is a book called Every Storm, by Lori Wick. It has changed the way that I look at my family and how much I depend on them for support. This book is set right after World War II and two sisters, Josie and Lorri, are set to head back to the United States (US) from Australia to visit family. On the way back to the US, there is a huge thunderstorm that results in Josie and Lorri’s plane crashing in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, Josie and the pilot did not make it, forcing Lorri to survive on a random island alone to fend for herself. Lorri is finally able to reach her home and she is faced with all sorts of challenges physically, mentally, and emotionally. This book has always
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At first glance, independence would seem to be an underlying theme is Let the Water Hold Me Down Hank leaves his job and moves to a different country with almost no real plan, this would seem to fall in line with the characteristics of a highly independent person. Upon a more careful analysis, however, we begin to see Hanks actions were motivated not be his want to be independent, but by his fear of being alone and his dependence. Through using the defining terms of dependence in Poor People by William T. Vollmann we can begin to understand how and where Hanks dependence comes from.
It is curious to see the great star of the musical Wicked on Broadway, Indina Menzel, giving her voice to a character in Disney’s Movie, Frozen. This movie, that is an example of success, has won many awards, among them the Oscar for the best animation movie and music. However, does a musical produced in a theater such as Les Miserables or Chicago have the same success and prestige as the movie version? The advance of technology in the field of cinema that has been possible to adapt and improve the stories of books, real facts, and of course, musical theater presentations, makes everyone think the answer is no. Hence, even though the musicals produced in theater and for movies are very similar in the presentations, they have certain differences, such as audience and production that make one more successful than the other.
“The White Umbrella” by Gish Jen is a very reflective realistic fiction story of a chinese american girl’s youth. When the girl was young, her mother went to work without telling anyone. Her mom didn't even tell her father. The narrator and her sister just assumed normal life when their mother started coming home late. The story picks up one day when the two sisters are at their piano lesson. The older sister becomes envious when her piano teacher (Mrs.Crossman) applauds Eugenie (the girl whose lesson was before hers) on her playing. When the Eugenie leaves, the narrator notices that Eugenie has left her umbrella. Before she can react, Eugenie gets in her car and drives away. When the
The movie “Rain Man” was released in 1988. This movie is basically about two brothers who go on an adventure together, but not just for good intentions. This movie stars Tom Cruise, who plays as the character Charlie Babbit, and Dustin Hoffman, who plays as the character Raymond. In the beginning of the movie, one would have never thought that Charlie Babbitt had a brother. Charlie Babbitt owned his own automobile company. He appeared successful and very self-centered. Charlie Babbit’s automobile company is in trouble. He is in serious debt.
In my opinion, what set the stage for the level of entertainment that this movie contains is the opening scene. The opening scene set the role of sarcasm in the movie and gave the movie an immediate sense of humor. Four individual parts of movie making come together in this film to create a dynamic opening sequence. The basic principles of sound, editing, mise en scene, and cinematography collectively give this opening sequence a memorable quality that is without match. The opening of Singin' in the Rain takes place at the opening of the new movie "The Royal Rascal" starring Don Lockwood and Lena Lamont.
The Jazz Singer, released in 1927, is a black and white film that centers on a young man who wishes to conquer his dreams in becoming a professional jazz singer. This film, directed by Alan Crosland, demonstrates new developments from the decade of the 1920’s. During the decade, many new advances; such as the introduction of musicals and other technological advancements, were created. The Jazz Singer utilized these new advances of the decade and incorporated them into each scene. This is evident due to the elements of being the first talkie film, the introduction of the new musical genre and the introduction of the Hollywood stars system. By utilizing the new advances of the decade, Crosland’s film, changed the way cinema would be seen forever.
Love has the power to do anything. Love can heal and love can hurt. Love is something that is indescribable and difficult to understand. Love is a feeling that cannot be accurately expressed by a word. In the poem “The Rain” by Robert Creeley, the experience of love is painted and explored through a metaphor. The speaker in the poem compares love to rain and he explains how he wants love to be like rain. Love is a beautiful concept and through the abstract comparison to rain a person is assisted in developing a concrete understanding of what love is. True beauty is illuminated by true love and vice versa. In other words, the beauty of love and all that it entails is something true.
Savant syndrome isn’t bad or harmful at all to the autistic person it is actually highly beneficial to the person and other people so there is no need for treatment for this. There have been no previous records of anyone trying to treat savant. A big benefit that Charlie had from Raymond was being able to count playing cards. Charlie taught his brother how to play black jack. After Charlie took Raymond to the casinos in Las Vegas Raymond help Charlie when a bunch of money.
The musical selections and songs that were sung told a story and narrated the almost the entire film, as is expected in...
Allen Cohen & Steven L. Rosenhaus. 2006. Writing Musical Theatre. 175 Fifth Ave, New York, N.Y. PALGRAVE MACMILLAN.
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