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SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
October 1, 2013  | By David Bianculli  | 1 comment

TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET

 

This 1952 comedy classic is, for my money, the best film musical ever made – in part because it provides a clever satiric account of a pivotal point in the history of cinema, the transition from silent movies to sound. Gene Kelly stars as a silent film star poised to make the transition, with Donald O’Connor as his vaudeville pal and teenaged Debbie Reynolds as a chorus girl on the rise. But how about Jean Hagen as Lina Lamont, the silent screen star with a voice made for silent movies? And Cyd Charisse (pictured with Kelly), stealing one part of this movie with those show-stopping legs, in a role billed only as “Dancer”? You’d think, given her routine and talent, she’d have been given another reindeer name. Prancer, maybe. Or, even better, Vixen.

 
 
 
 
 
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1 Comments
 
 
wilberfan
Is Singin' in the Rain the best film musical ever made? Very possibly. I think Cabaret gives it a serious run for it's money, though.
Oct 1, 2013   |  Reply
 
David Bianculli
I agree. I think Cabaret makes the top 3 --along with (ready?) A Hard Day's Night... And perhaps Chicago. And I also have a soft spot for Gold Diggers of 1933. Let the debates begin.
Oct 1, 2013
 
 
 
 
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