Singin’ in the Rain

by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly

USA - 1952

Saturday, June 8th • 6PM
At Chaktomuk

Feature Film – 1h35

Color - 1h43

Screenplay Adolph Green, Betty Comden

Cinematography Harold Rosson

Music Lennie Hayton

Cast Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds

Genre Musical comedy

First raleaseMarch 27, 1952 (USA), Sepember 11, 1953 (France)

AboutDon Lockwood (Gene Kelly) is a popular silent film star with humble roots as a singer, dancer and stunt man. Don barely tolerates his vapid, shallow leading lady, Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen), who has convinced herself that the fake romance their studio concocted and publicized is real. One day, to escape from overenthusiastic fans, Don jumps into a passing car driven by Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds). She drops him off, but not before claiming to be a stage actress and sneering at his undignified accomplishments as a cinema actor. Later, at a party, the head of Don’s studio, R.F. Simpson (Millard Mitchell), shows a short demonstration of a talking picture, but his guests are unimpressed. Don runs into Kathy again at the party. To his amusement and her embarrassment, he discovers that Kathy is only a chorus girl, part of the entertainment. Furious, she throws a pie at him, only to hit Lina right in the face. Later, Don makes up with Kathy and they begin falling in love.

AboutSince he was a child, Stanley Donen attended dance classes and debuted on Broadway at age 17. With the help of the producer Arthur Freed and the actor Gene Kelly he got the chance to direct the musicals Un jour à New York (1949), Chantons sous la pluie (1952), and Love Is Better Than Ever (1952) which revolutionized the genre. Another important work of his own was the musical version of the book of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's Le petit prince (1974). As producer, he turned to the genre of comedy, with Surprise Package (1960), but he also produced some films of other genres.

Filmography

1953 - Charade

1954 – Seven brides for seven brothers

1957 – Funny face

1974 – The little Prince

With the courtesy of BFI and Hollywood Classics