Ah, Hollywood! This classic rom-com musical stars Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, and Debbie Reynolds as performers—and perform they do! The talkies are in, and silent film is out, and the transition isn’t going particularly well for Don Lockwood (Kelly).
Besides his pest of a costar Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) being convinced he is in love with her, Don can’t find the girl he actually wants to hang around with, Kathy (Reynolds). When Don and Lina learn their next flick is going to be a talkie, the antics continue as we soon realize that Lina’s voice may be better left silent. A scheme is soon hatched to use Kathy’s voice instead of Lina’s, but in true farce fashion, they must keep it secret from the starlet.
Gene Kelly can’t be beat when it comes to chillingly good song and dance numbers, and as the director of this particular film, he shines once again. Hailed as an American classic and certainly a film to watch not just for the first time but over and over again, Singin’ in the Rain should be nothing short of wonderful on the big screen. (103 min.)
—Anna Starkey