Singin' in the Rain (Two-Disc Special Edition)

A Hollywood actor who has risen from vaudville to become a silent film star must make the difficult transition to sound.
Genre: Musicals
Rating: G
Release Date: 24-SEP-2002
Media Type: DVD

Decades before the Hollywood film industry became famous for megabudget disaster and science fiction spectaculars, the studios of Southern California (and particularly Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) were renowned for a uniquely American (and nearly extinct) kind of picture known as The Musical. Indeed, when the prestigious British film magazine Sight & Sound conducts its international critics poll in the second year of every decade, this 1952 MGM picture is the American musical that consistently ranks among the 10 best movies ever made. It's not only a great song-and-dance piece starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and a sprightly Debbie Reynolds; it's also an affectionately funny insider spoof about the film industry's uneasy transition from silent pictures to "talkies." Kelly plays debonair star Don Lockwood, whose leading lady Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) has a screechy voice hilariously ill-suited to the new technology (and her glamorous screen image). Among the musical highlights: O'Connor's knockout "Make 'Em Laugh"; the big "Broadway Melody" production number; and, best of all, that charming little title ditty in which Kelly makes movie magic on a drenched set with nothing but a few puddles, a lamppost, and an umbrella. --Jim Emerson

The 50th-anniversary double-disc reissue of arguably the best musical ever gives us the goods. No flimsy "featurettes" here: a 90-minute Great Performances program from 1996 on the Arthur Freed unit at MGM anchors the extra disc. A new 35-minute documentary hosted by Debbie Reynolds gives a thorough once-over of the film's history--much of which is also found in the excellent commentary track featuring most of the major players. The source material of the songs is included, with an option for the viewer to directly link to the original production numbers while watching the film. The disc also delves into the film's plot--when sound entered film, with glimpses of The Jazz Singer and other early talkies. Audio recording sessions and deleted songs are some of the other treats. Last but not least is a knockout remastering of sound and picture, making the movie look and sound better than ever. --Doug Thomas