Singing in the rain is an upbeat musical from 1952. It comically highlights the challenges of the Hollywood industry in transitioning from silent pictures to talkies. The movie effectively traces the journey and development of the internationally popular musical genre. From initially featuring music and a number of songs throughout the movie it gives way to dances and performances and the motivation of the characters to further evolve the genre with storytelling and dialogue delivery and thus recreate the space of musicals. The introduction of sound made possible the articulation and allowed for a symbiotic relationship and synthesis of the semantic and syntactic aspects of the genre which further enabled and evoked the pleasure of cinema. However, synchronisation with sound and standardisation of the accent were needed accuracy and proper consistent working. The movie also registers the chronological advancement of the theatre and subsequent additions of features such as playback singing, dubbing, and the choreography of the camera. Moreover, the movie became a classic due to the broadway performances and a heart throbbing montage of dance and songs that became superhit. It captured the attention of the audience through it’s dreamlike and grand performances and unique narration of the birth of modern musical on a larger scale and the budding romance and conflicts in love as a parallel storyline.
Development of genres in the Singing in the Rain.
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Film Genre JMI 
One of the greatest musicals ever made, Singin in the Rain comprises of everything that a golden-age musical should have – amazing choreography, collection of captivating songs and an interesting storyline. Even though the musical genre has managed to make it this far, the fact that they aren’t as popular as they once were cannot be ignored. Even so, Singin in the Rain unfalteringly makes it to the list of most popular movies of all times. Also, one of the reasons why this movie has endured the test of time is because its story is centred around a historical transition in the world of films: the introduction of sound films.
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Singing in the Rain is a Hollywood autobiographical which depicts the transition of cinema from silent era to the talkies as the progression in technological advancements takes place. The movie (Singing in the rain) is a musical as its narration progresses through songs and dances. Within it,we encounter different types of genre as the story-line progresses from silent era to the era of talkies. In the making of silent films, we find the distinctive characteristics of Action genre, as various stunt and fighting sequences are performed. The talkie, “The Duelling Cavalier” represents the genre of romance, characterising two lovers and a villain trying to break them apart, and finally the lovers triumphing. We also see the conventional codes of this genre (romance) within the film (Singing in the rain) too, most pertinently, during the sequence when Don proposes Kathy on an empty stage but manipulates its setting with technical elements to create romantic and intimate environment. Finally, the movie ends with the making of “The Dancing Cavalier” featuring conventions of musical genre, through its music, dance and stylised costumes and showing the incorporation of broadway into the film-industry.
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Singing in the Rain is a perfect medley of a musical and comedy. It carries with itself the burden of tracing the historical development of sound in films. Right from the silent era, it shows us how the film industry goes on to embrace sound. It is a film within a film and thus, the audience are twice distanced from the ongoings within. The performances are generally great, especially the comic timing of Cosmo Brown. It is a musical in the truest sense of the genre.
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SINGING IN THE RAIN IS AN AMALGAMATION OF MUSICAL , COMEDY & ROMANCE GENRE (ANUPAM )
All of those songs and epic dances pop up organically. Nobody just bursts into song for no reason; there’s always narrative motivation. Many earlier musical films were just stories with musical numbers thrown in—musical revues, essentially, without using the songs to drive the plot.
Its also a comedy infact a satire . Singin’ in the Rain pokes fun at the ridiculous nature of the movie industry—specifically how very little in Hollywood is actually how it appears. The biggest, brashest, literally loudest example of this is Lina. On screen, she’s elegant, glamorous, and refined. Off screen, she butchers the English language, fights dirty, and sounds like a malfunctioning smoke alarm. The first time you hear her voice, you can’t help but giggle.
It’s also a love story between Don and Kathy that adheres pretty closely to the conventions of the genre. First, Don and Kathy have a classic “meet cute” when he jumps into her car. Then a misunderstanding keeps them apart—we’re talking about when Kathy fears the fallout of accidentally thwomping Lina in the kisser with a cake at R.F.’s party. Once Don and Kathy laugh off the misunderstanding, they start falling head-over-heels for each other
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A scene shown very early on in the film, but essential to the journey of the musical genre is when Don Lockwood remembers his own origins. In showing his past as an entertainer- a singer, dancer and a stuntman- the film also manages to inform us of the roots of the Musical Genre itself. Vaudeville, a theatrical genre which originated in France and was popular in the USA in the 20th century was primarily a song and dance presentation intended to be a comedy, though not necessarily part of a singular narrative. Broadway Theatre performances, the majority of which were and are Musicals, date back to 1857, and essentially tell complete narratives intertwined with song and dance as part of the story.
As Don Lockwood’s history in the industry has its roots in musical theatre, song and dance, so does the Musical itself. The Cinema Musical genre is later born in the film by necessity, to try to save a fictional movie which has been marred by technological incompetency. The idea of playback singing and dubbing is then born to deal with Lina Lamont’s voice. Although comically portrayed, the film fictionalises the technological developments which made the genre what it is today.
The point of tracing the history of song and dance entertainment through the film then is to also underscore the fact that the transition of the idea of the stage musical to a film genre was a gap bridged by technological errors and advancements in the 1920s.
The first feature length “talkie” (also portrayed in the film) was “The Jazz Singer” was recorded on a sound-on-disk technology known as “Vitaphone”, where a ‘disk’ played recorded sound which was then synchronised with the visual presentation. Ultimately, the “sound-on-film” technology, where a single piece of film could have synchronised sound attached to the visual images was developed and used till the advent of digital technology. Although this technology is not explained in any detail in the film, Singin’ in the Rain still shows us the errors which Hollywood had to overcome to fully immerse itself in the age of cinema with sound.
Through fictionalised problems, both behind and in front of the camera, and the stories of it’s characters, Singin’ in the Rain essentially portrays the marriage of the theatrical musicals, and cinema, by the medium of technology.
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Also, one of the most distinctive feature of the Hollywood Studio filmmaking practice that we came across in the film was prevalence of the ‘studio system’.
The studio system proved to be the most effective way of making movies which is why during the 1920s to the 1960s ,this was the dominant way of producing films.
The studio system worked exactly like a system- a certain number of actors and actresses were contracted to a certain studio(for example- MGM , Paramount, etc.)
Because of this practice,some of the professionals be it- actors, actresses, script writers,etc. were involved in nearly all the projects in more or less the same roles.
And as the demand for these kind of films increased,they had to keep on making similar kind of films one after the other.
With films adapting to this factory kind of ‘categorised’ production- certain ‘film genres’ started coming into picture.
An evident example of this studio system in the film was when despite taking the shift from silent to the talkies , the producer preferred to have the same actors work for him and hence,was willing to invest in them by hiring a diction coach and working on their speech rather than working with someone else.
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Besides showing the coming of the talkies and everything that went with it, Singing in the Rain intentionally or unintentionally shows a lot about film genres of that time. The accidental first meeting of Kathy Seldon and Don Lockwood tells us about the studio systems of Hollywood. Kathy says that the kind of work Don does, does not actually involve real acting and goes on to say, “If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.’ Well that actually summarises what studios made. They employed actors on contract basis and made similar films throughout. The actors couldn’t possibly leave the studio and try another kind of work because of the legal contract.
In the sequence ‘Make em’ Laugh’, we see Cosmo hilariously foot tapping but going deep into the lyrics we understand that comedy was one of the most common genres of that time, and not just that, it was the most well paying because everyone wants to laugh.
“Now you could study Shakespeare and be quite elite
And you can charm the critics and have nothin’ to eat “- Make em’ Laugh
Another segment that is important is the comical scene where the Dueling Cavalier is screened first. People seem to be amused listening to romantic dialogues for the first time on screen. They find them funny cheesy. The sudden change from dramatic and expressive romantic scenes to romantic dialogues would have been difficult to adjust to.
Following this, the title of the Dueling Cavalier was changed to the ‘Dancing Cavalier’ when R.F, Don and Cosmo sat together and decided to change the plot of the film, thus changing the genre, because of its bad reception by the people. The spectacular ‘Broadway Melody’ which was an ode to the broadway musicals of that time, was played here. Speaking of that, the costumes cannot be ignored in the film. From the clothes that the actors wore off screen in the film to the clothes they wore on sets. Some of it also gave us a peek of costume dramas. About 500 costumes were designed for the film.
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Singin’ in the Rain is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film. It is a combination of not only musical and comedy, but also theatrical musicals and another sub genre, integrated. This illustrates the development of Genre, which reflects that film is not only a piece of art reflecting on the current world, but a symbol of the past in the history of film and culture. Singin’ in the Rain is also significant in its shallower level of entertainment for the masses as a musical comedy that incorporates elements from both genres, such as dramatic characters, spectacular sets, song and dance, and, of course, a happy ending. Cinema’s theatrical context is especially important in the discussion of musicals; in which song and dance are punctuated by film and aid character creation and plot.
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Singin’ in the Rain is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film. It is a combination of not only musical and comedy, but also theatrical musicals and another subgenre, integrated. This illustrates the development of Genre, which reflects that film is not only a piece of art reflecting on the current world, but a symbol of the past in the history of film and culture. Singin in the Rain is also significant in its shallower level of entertainment for the masses as a musical comedy that incorporates elements from both genres, such as dramatic characters, spectacular sets, song and dance, and, of course, a happy ending. Cinema’s theatrical context is especially important in the discussion of musicals; in which song and dance are punctuated by film and aid character creation and plot.
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Perhaps one of the best musicals ever made- Singin’ in the rain is the very celebration of this entire genre. The plot set around the onset of the talking movies in Hollywood during 1930s. Featuring remarkable performances by Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’ Conner, this movie attempts to capture the very spirit of the marriage that had occured between the Broadway and Hollywood when the silent movies shifted to talkies.
In its heart the movie, like most musicals, is a romantic comedy- centred around the romance between Don Lockwood and Kathy Seldon. However the movie further explores and documents the rise of the genre of musicals which grew in much popularity with introduction of sound in cinema. The shenanigans in the movie are set around the struggle the actors and filmmakers had with the new technology, new format and an entire new dimension of creative expression that introduction of sound offered to them. It makes up for some knee-slapping comedic setups. Not to speak of the old Charlie Chaplin-esque comedy delivered by Gene Kelly and Donald O’ Conner with songs like ‘make’em laugh’ and ‘gotta dance’.
Speaking of gotta dance- one cannot speak of this movie and not mention this song number that pays this huge homage to Broadway and the shift of Hollywood towards the Broadway musicals. The song pays tribute to the very choreography and marriage of music and camera- with a slideshow like display of the popular dance styles from different theatres. Vaudeville being one of them.
The very energy of the movie makes it one amazing experience- on top of it being basically a tour through an extremely important phase of cinema history, which undoubtedly makes it your quintessential musical.
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“Singin’ in the Rain” is a 1952 American musical-romantic comedy film which offers a comical depiction of Hollywood, and its transition from silent films to talkies. The movie is set in 1927 and it takes a look at Hollywood’s reaction when the sound was first introduced and used in the film production industry. It is interesting to note how the whole story combines different elements together; it is humorous, reality-based, and also romantic at the same time. This is perhaps the intrinsic feature of musicals wherein they incorporate all emotions, maintaining a certain touch with songs and dance.
According to me, after an hour and more of laughing and celebrating the grand canvas of the screen, what stays with the audience is the fantastic ending. In the very last scene where Lockwood is singing to Kathy and there is a close up of his face, the scene converges to a poster of the very same film, “Singin’ in the Rain”. With the poster in the background and Don and Kathy kissing at the front, the whole scene almost seems magical.
Since “Singin’ in the Rain” is seen as a documentary about Hollywood, therefore, the last scene suggests that it is also a movie about its own making. The end with a poster signifies successful completion and thus, it can be said that the last scene establishes the fact that it is actually a movie showing the struggles of Hollywood to change from silent to talkies taking its own journey as an example. One more thing that the last scene sets is the importance of Kathy in the whole movie. While she just lends her voice to a super hit movie, the ending proves that she is the actual star to the film alongside Don. Overall, the last scene is very much self-explanatory which creates a lingering effect on the minds of the viewers and stays for a while even when the movie ends.
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Singin’ in the Rain gives us a glimpse into the evolution of cinema in terms of technology and elements of genre. It also attempts to throw light upon the various various cultures by showcasing a number of dance forms in its sequences. Talking about development of genres, we witness the shift from silent films. The fine line between genre and the role of technology in film genre is clearly visible in one of the scenes where the audio and video of the film were not synchronized, changing an emotional romantic film, into a comedy of errors. The studio system was certainly a huge shift for filmmakers and audiences alike in this regard.
The structure of the film – a musical on the evolution of films so to speak – also highlights that genres are developed keeping the demand/changing needs of the audience. That genre is born out of a demand for something new, for an innovation. In this case, it leads to the rise of the musical.
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One of the interesting features about “Singin’ in the Rain” is that it depicts one of the most important events in Cinema history, that of the transition from Silent films to “talkies” and the birth of genre “musicals” by being a musical itself. And for however time it shows the Silent era of cinema, it illustrates that in a quite accurate manner – with the overly dramatic facial expressions, action sequences, physical comedy, etc. There is some witty humour too – but many jokes could be passed on as “dad jokes.” The set design and cinematography of the film is really beautiful and the way they are interwoven together makes it really pleasing to the eye – especially some of the sequences where the set design is based on that of films of the era it is set in. Being a musical, it sure has some, or rather many musical scenes. But some of them are just unnecessarily too long (I might be biased because I am not overly fond of musicals). However, they are done masterfully – no matter how excruciatingly long they might get at times (for me).
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Singing in the Rain, a 1952 film is a perfect combination of Musical, Comedy and Romance, it is an escapist genre which represents the upper class life of Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont who are the actors in the film. The film is set in the time when transitions were being made from Silent Cinema to Talkies, most of the studio’s were facing trouble in adapting and everyone of them were trying to get better at it. Since it’s a musical the story revolves around the song and dance numbers but the film is also a metanarrative, it’s not just a musical which lightens the mood of the audience, but also talks about the industry of filmmaking, the machinery of cinema business, dubbing, playback singing etc. Clearly the production value of the film was very high because importance has been given to grandeur Set Designing, Costumes, Dancing etc besides not just the songs which are musical and choreographed but also the Camera and editing which have a lyricality, rhythm, choreography and music of their own, which makes it an examplary film of the musical genre. It has been made in order to elevate the spirits of the audience, it is genuinely a feel good film.
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Set in the late 1920s at a vital time in film history, the film rotates around a silent film star who begins to look all starry eyed at a hopeful entertainer while adapting to the new mechanism of sound as he attempts to demonstrate his value by making a sound picture. It’s a film with an exceptionally basic story but strong characters.
For individuals who don’t care for musicals, it’s as yet an amusing satire. For individuals who don’t need comedy, it’s a sentiment. For individuals who think sentiment is silly, there’s the cleverly offered history of the progress sound in film.
The Actual Singing In The Rain” scene was beautiful. The film is also loaded up with enchanting melodic numbers and wonderful choreography.
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For me, “Singing in the rain”, an extravagant work of Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, was actually the most interesting history lesson I have ever experienced.
We all know the aftermath of “talkies” through books and Wikipedia, but actually seeing what happened behind the scene after the tremendous change, was so eventful and entertaining.
I wish to talk about the actors in the film, Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen). During that era, when the idea of “superstars” actually existed, where there was a factory system of the studios in which the same crew used to produce different films and everyone was like a salaried employee, the actors played a major role. Whatever the genre of the new film is, the story revolved around the same cast. The leads were the cashing point. They were potrayed as idealistic fellows, on-screen or off. The scene where Don Lockwood was reciting his journey in Hollywood during the red carpet of a premier, “Dignity, always dignity” summed up the idea of his struggle, whereas in the flashback, we can see exactly the vica-versa of it, where he and his friend, Cosmo (Donald O’Connor) took up all sorts of odd jobs to meet their ends. Don and Lina were shown as a perfect couple in public whereas in the back, they might scratch each other’s eyes out.
“Lina:
Oh Donny! You couldn’t kiss me like that and not mean it just a teensy bit!
Don Lockwood:
Meet the greatest actor in the world! I’d rather kiss a tarantula.
Lina:
You don’t mean that.
Don Lockwood:
I don’t – – Hey Joe, get me a tarantula.”
As the movie significantly emphasised, the 20’s and 30’s were the era of stars. Whatever the genre of the new film may be, a Western or a Victorian romantic, the casting was always pre-fixed, neglectful towards the requirement of the script, actually the script was moulded according to them.
“Don Lockwood: Tell me the truth, am I a good actor?
Cosmo Brown: As long as you are working for Monumental Pictures, you’re the greatest of ’em all.”
Also, the striking similarity in the stories in all of the films, was a unique point because of the repetitive nature of the crew.
“Cosmo Brown:
What’s this one about?
Don Lockwood:
It’s a French revolution story…
Cosmo Brown:
Let me guess. You’re a French aristocrat, she’s a simple girl of the people, and she won’t even give you a tumbrel. Hah!”
All in all, “Singing in the Rain” is a complete package with perfect blend of insane comic timing, beautiful musicals and amusing story.
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Scholars have investigated the way in which ‘the musical’ of the 1950s explores the idea of genre itself. Jane Feuer, in “The Self-Reflective Musical and the Myth of Entertainment” points out that historically the art musical has veered towards greater degrees of self-reflexivity. The period between the late 40s and the early 50s saw the production of a series of musicals at MGM that contained within themselves reflections on the genre of the musical itself. ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, located at a time period when the film industry was transitioning from the Silent films to the talkies, attempts to tackle this shift by setting itself at the birth of the musical whilst at the same time using songs that were written for the earliest MGM musicals of the 1929–39 period.
Jane Feuer points out that in “Singin’ in the Rain, spontaneous talent distinguishes Don, Cosmo, and Kathy from Lina Lamont” by stating that “physical flexibility” differentiates the true show people from the untalented Lina, whose mechanical series of poses and shrill voice render her inadequate for the birth of the new genre of musicals, in particular the ‘Dueling Cavalier’. The most prominent instance of this in the film is when Lina struggles to master basic English after which Don Lockwood and Cosmo seize upon the tongue twister and turn the lesson into a spontaneous dance routine.
According to the academic Peter N.Chumo, “In ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, dance and physical flexibility become metaphors for generic flexibility, the ability to move among different forms of entertainment and survive Hollywood’s transition to talkies.” In his article, Dance, Flexibility, and the Renewal of Genre in “Singin’ in the Rain”, he interprets the issue of “musical ability” vis a vis Lina and the other characters, as a metaphor for the larger issue of generic flexibility. He draws parallels between dance and genre by stating that just as dance requires physical flexibility and spontaneity, filmmaking requires generic flexibility, a certain fluidity to assimilate among different genres and forms of entertainment.
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