When It Rains Pennies
From Heaven-Debbie Reynolds, Donald O’Connor and Gene Kelly’s “Singing In The
Rain” (1954)-A Film Review
DVD Review
By Leslie Dumont
Singing in the Rain,
Debbie Reynolds, Donald O’Connor, Gene Kelly, 1954
An old associate of mine
in this wacky journalism business once told me that when writers, meaning in
that case reporters but here commentators and reviewers, start airing “their
dirty linen in public” that usually means some problems are congealing up the
ladder, up in the administrative offices, when decisions such as assignments
and plum pieces get decided. That old associate also pointed out that when
things get dicey it is much easier to put one administrator under the bus than
fire a whole raft of writers who make the whole thing hum. We shall see, we
shall see. Here is my gripe. I seem to be getting a whole raft of these silly
feel good musicals, song and dance ones a specialty. I just got this one, this
silly Singing In The Rain, which is
so corny it could not possibly be made today and not just because song and
dance films are passe, quite passe, but because would try the patience of an
eight year old if an eight year could be wrestled into the theater something in
my day which could be done since there was nowhere else to put us if Grandma
had other business to attend to and we were force fed this stuff which we
couldn’t understand then, or now. These musicals other than endless songs and
dances at the drop of a hat, and maybe you didn’t even need to do that with a
song bursting at the seams or some guy dancing up the walls to show his
prowess. With that in mind this thing is a loser despite its future
post-release iconic status which must have been led by those poor wrestled kids
brainwashed into sitting through this turkey. One of these days I will kindly
refuse to swallow yet more pride and say no.
For now though as Laura
Perkins, who got the saying from Sam Lowell who used to be the head honcho in
the film room here, and who said it was okay for me to use when I mentioned
that I would not because she had it “patented” “here is the skinny.” Don, Gene
Kelly’s role, is former vaudeville duo with Cosmo, played by Donald O’Connor,
who have played every venue without coming up roses. Hard times indeed in the
1920s when vaudeville was losing it grip to surging Hollywood. They, mainly
Don, once they hit Tinsel Town tried everything to get into the movie business
from go-for to stuntman. Finally he got and finally he got his
Big chance with a big
star, Lina, who made all the men weep for her hand-in the “silent film” era.
Don made it big on Lina’s say so and both rode the stardom trail until the
advent of “talkies.”
That is where Lina had a
little problem. Her low-rent Brooklyn-Bronx-Yonkers someplace in urban New York
anyway accent and manner were zero when The
Jazz Singer ruined many a lucrative career by making actors more than mimes
and forced then to talk the King’s English. Don and Lina had been touted by the
studios and egged on by Lina as a Hollywood star pair but that was strictly for
show. Strictly PR stuff but Don had Lina tagged as from nowhere in his dream
girl nights. What did get Don in a dither was meeting Kathy, played by all-American
“girl next door” Debbie Reynolds who was star-struck and stage-struck but before
some big break was getting by as a chorus girl showing her gams for the
nightclub set. Strictly second-rate stuff but better than being beaten back to
Boise or Omaha on some one-way Greyhound bus. For a while as is almost standard
in these older films she gives Don the big chill but only for a while, made him
burn like a firecracker but eventually she defrosted after he rushed her.
Meanwhile what to do
about Lina and that horrible voice which will turn audiences off in about two
minutes. This is the lamo gag that was supposed to get audiences worked up-rise
up. Star power Lina would do the on stage acting in the latest Don-Lina vehicle
which conveniently was turned from a loser period piece romantic drama into,
guess what, a musical so Kathy can do the talking and singing and old battle
axe Lina could lip-synch. Beautiful and the screenwriters should have gotten
millions of that little sleight of hand. But what about tons of talent Kathy.
Will she ever get her big break. Come on now you know she will once by another screenwriter
sleight of hand Lina is exposed as nothing but a manqué for Kathy’s real talent.
What still makes me grind my teeth days later is how such a thin story line can
promote about eight million songs which have nothing to do with the plotline or
the title of the film and about seven million dances one in that very rain out
of nowhere. Beware, beware too the critics who claim this musical is the greatest
thing since sliced bread. Gene and Donald can dance no question but to what purpose.
