Tweet Singin' in The Rain,... Blu Ray coming

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003BIFR7O/r ... amp=211189"

I could never quite understand the adulation for this film, which seems to date to "That's Entertainment" crowning it "America's Most Beloved Musical." Really? It's an entertaining film but I think its assessment is exagerated.

Agreed. I also find it vastly overrated as well as detrimental to Silent films.

I enjoy it. However, I've got a VHS copy which is pretty nice looking.
That'll do me.

I enjoy the film. A friend of mine, who knows my love of old movies, was surprised that I don't have a DVD of it. I told him that a blu ray would be out "sometime." I thought that I had read that it would be this year. I hope it is a great transfer to blu.

Rick

I could never quite understand the adulation for this film, which seems to date to "That's Entertainment" crowning it "America's Most Beloved Musical." Really?

I think it was Andrew Sarris who said "You can have 'Singing in the Rain', I'll take 'Swing Time' anytime." That sums up my feelings also, though I'd take any Astaire musical first.

I also find it vastly overrated as well as detrimental to Silent films.

Agreed, I don't understand why they thought it so funny to trash the silent era.

I don't understand why they thought it so funny to trash the silent era.

I don't think that's what they were doing. The writers got a bunch of stories from movie people who were active at the dawn of sound and put them together in the plot. They were really poking fun at the transition to sound. I hope we haven't become so politically correct that we can't take a few good-natured gibes.

<<<I don't think that's what they were doing. The writers got a bunch of stories from movie people who were active at the dawn of sound and put them together in the plot.>>>

Not exactly. More likely Donen, Comden & Green, Freed and Kelly saw the 1946 French film ETOILE SANS LUMIERE - which basically is exactly the same story as SINGIN' (with Edith Piaf (!) playing the Debbie Reynolds part) - and slightly expanded upon it.

Rob

<<<I don't think that's what they were doing. The writers got a bunch of stories from movie people who were active at the dawn of sound and put them together in the plot.>>>

Not exactly. More likely Donen, Comden & Green, Freed and Kelly saw the 1946 French film ETOILE SANS LUMIERE - which basically is exactly the same story as SINGIN' (with Edith Piaf (!) playing the Debbie Reynolds part) - and slightly expanded upon it.

Rob

Well ... whatever. My point is, do we want to be like Trekkies and get all worked up over innocuous comments? Lighten up. Silent movies are not religion after all.

<<<I don't think that's what they were doing. The writers got a bunch of stories from movie people who were active at the dawn of sound and put them together in the plot.>>>

Not exactly. More likely Donen, Comden & Green, Freed and Kelly saw the 1946 French film ETOILE SANS LUMIERE - which basically is exactly the same story as SINGIN' (with Edith Piaf (!) playing the Debbie Reynolds part) - and slightly expanded upon it.

Rob

Well ... whatever. My point is, do we want to be like Trekkies and get all worked up over innocuous comments? Lighten up. Silent movies are not religion after all.

Agreed. I love SINGIN' IN THE RAIN and can hardly wait for the Blu Ray. Hopefully it will look as good as the AMERICAN IN PARIS Blu Ray.

Rob

[Christopher Jacobs]

Yes. It's not so much that SINGIN' IN THE RAIN is poking fun at silent movies, but it's poking fun at the movie industry itself, and setting it in 1927 perhaps makes it "safer" than it would have been to set it in 1952. Even today's college freshmen overwhelmingly enjoy the film and do not miss its still-timely satire of the fan and media frenzy over movie stars and the public image presented by stars vs. what really happened and is happening in their lives.

And although obviously and often heavily exaggerated for comedy effect, most of the moviemaking scenes with the transition from silent to sound produciton is reasonably accurate, and a lot more effective for teenagers than any documentary. It's a movie that even though I've seen numerous times, whenever I run it for a class I still get caught up watching many scenes again, when I'd intended to sit in the back grading papers. It may be the perfect movie about movies (though there are quite a few I love), and I can hardly wait for Warners' Blu-ray. I just hope that they redo the bonus features in HD as well (and maybe put out a few of those original musicals on Blu-ray)!

Agreed, I don't understand why they thought it so funny to trash the silent era.

Eh???
Trash the silent era??

Well, the Debbie Reynolds/Jean Hagen stage bit was very very similar to scenes in Joseph Schmidt's A Star Fell From Heaven and Joe was the one behind the curtain until he was let out!!!!! I have the DVD of this film. Perhaps it could have been an extra on the Kelly blu ray?

Ein Stern fällt vom Himmel (1934)

Singing In The Rain is a fun movie to watch, but I don't think it deserves the title of "Best Original Film Musical". Most of the songs came from earlier Freed and Brown MGM musicals. The only two original songs are second rate at best. Make 'Em Laugh sounds like a bad clone of Be A Clown. I think Debbie Reynolds was miscast, and looked young enough to play Kelly's daughter. Worst (for me) is the Broadway Ballet which is completely out of place and goes on way too long.

Just my $0.02

Count me in with those who think it's the greatest of all American movie musicals, and one of the greatest comedies of the studio era. It is perfection.

Count me in with those who think it's the greatest of all American movie musicals, and one of the greatest comedies of the studio era. It is perfection.

"The greatest" in what respect.
I'm always amused by such superlatives.
Surely you mean "my favourite"?

Count me in with those who think it's the greatest of all American movie musicals, and one of the greatest comedies of the studio era. It is perfection.

"The greatest" in what respect.
I'm always amused by such superlatives.
Surely you mean "my favourite"?

Exactly, Michael. I hate superlatives too. I love the film, but it ain't perfect. During the final ballet sequence, when Cyd Charisse as the flapper with the Brooks bob, appears in a white wedding dress with the long veil, I figure it's time to get a snack or take a bathroom break. Still, it is my favorite musical, even with it's small flaws.

I think it's wonderful and wouldn't change a darn thing about it. It's not the greatest original film musical - that accolade belongs to 42nd Street - but you can argue it out between this and that yellow brick road thing for #2.

It is SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, not Singing....
The Yellow Brick road thingy is #1, as far as I'm concerned (aka THE WIZARD OF OZ). All original music. In the early days of its being on TV, I usually said I'd stick with it thru Munchkinland, but got stuck with the whole thing.

[Mike Gebert]

I find that many of the movies I love the most are the ones where the filmmaker stops trying so damn hard and knocks out a fun quick one. Relaxation at the peak of one's artistry is pretty much a recipe for magic. Singin' in the Rain is to the serious, self-consciously artistic An American in Paris as I Know Where I'm Going is to The Red Shoes and Col. Blimp as Catch Me If You Can is to Schindler's List and Amistad as The Westerner is to Mrs. Miniver and Jezebel as...

I have been holding off buying this film because I seen it a lot on TV. But now I will be getting the Blu Ray. Should look great. Great film for entertainment and production values. I don't understand why some seek to rate movies by their level of perfection. Most great movies are great because they introduce something new or a different approach. So you get some misses with hits in the same film because no one knows what will work. There has never has been a film I liked that had something in it that didn't work well or pricked some sensibility in me. Any film that tries to hard to be perfect is usually boring and pretentious.
An example from my own POV is I've never liked Meryl Streep movies. Just tries too hard to put in the perfect role with too much precise mimicking and weight to her acting which dominate her films. Hence they comes out cold and lifeless IMO.

I find that many of the movies I love the most are the ones where the filmmaker stops trying so damn hard and knocks out a fun quick one. Relaxation at the peak of one's artistry is pretty much a recipe for magic. Singin' in the Rain is to the serious, self-consciously artistic An American in Paris as I Know Where I'm Going is to The Red Shoes and Col. Blimp as Catch Me If You Can is to Schindler's List and Amistad as The Westerner is to Mrs. Miniver and Jezebel as...

I totally agree. I would also add " as 'Hugo' is to 'The Artist' ", and it makes me realise exactly why I preferred the latter to the former. My husband is so familiar with the miraculous anti-depressant qualities of 'Singin' In The Rain' that he will sometimes prescribe me a viewing of it if I am feeling particularly down in the mouth. It never fails to work!

I hope the Blu Ray has the sort of extras that made the special edition DVD such a great buy. That feature where you could jump into the Freed-Brown songs in their original context was terrific, and there is scope for even more rare footage being included to contextualise the film.

I like SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, but EASTER PARADE is by an unfathomable margin the best musical ever made as far as I'm concerned; nothing else I've seen comes close, and if a Blu-ray of that is announced, I won't be able to contain myself. If perfection is impossible, that film comes damn near it, so near that I can't think of any imperfections.

TOP HAT is firmly entrenched in second place.

Brooksie, that bonus disc of the original film version of the Singin' in the Rain songs just may well be my favorite bonus on any film. Well, my favorite bonus that *I* didn't write, that is.