The Viewer's Commentary

Just a quick update today. I’ve been pretty tired with work and other related stuff, and today is my day off and I’m having a friend over whom I haven’t seen in a while, but I wanted to post something since it’s been a while!

So, today, I’m  bringing you a video from a movie that made it to my favorites list, Singin’ in the Rain. Now, almost everybody knows the famous song and dance number to the song that gives the film its name, but how many modern movie audiences know some of the other, just as amazing musical numbers in the film?

Today’s video, which I sadly cannot find in an embeddable format, so please follow the deceptive link, shows just how this movie mixes humor, story, and musical numbers all in one. The background of the scene involves silent film star Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) taking elocution lessons. Thanks to the release of The Jazz Singer, talkies are now all the rage, and the film Don was starring in has suddenly been put on hold to be reworked into a talkie itself.  Don’s colleague and best friend Cosmo Brown (Donald O’Connor) comes in to speak to Don mid-lesson, and overhears the ridiculous tongue twisters Don’s being put through. It isn’t long before the two begin goofing off and teasing the instructor. It all culminates into a fantastic tap dance number that basically puts all other methods of procrastination to shame.

I loved this scene as a kid, primarily because of living Looney Tune Donald O’Connor’s hilarious faces, and as an adult, it’s still pretty frickin’ hilarious, with excellent timing on O’Connor’s part (ruined a bit by a bad editing gaffe causing the instructor to react twice to the same face, unfortunately). Then the musical number begins, and while it’s not the best song in the film, it suits the scene just fine. The real highlight is the dancing, however, with Kelly and O’Connor perfectly in tune with each other and really putting out a lot of energy. There’s a mixture of singing, dancing, and goofing around as they begin using every surface and prop in the room, including the poor instructor, who doesn’t quite know what to do with the two clowns.

You also have to appreciate a movie that basically acknowledges, “Yeah, we’re doing a musical.” This is one of the many songs that the characters sing that builds up into their decision to yet again convert their film, The Dancing Cavalier, into a musical called The Dancing Cavalier, and this scene is essentially just foreshadowing on the obvious — when you have actors this talented in song and dance, why not use those talents!?

If you haven’t seen this movie, go do so… NOW!