Singin' in the Rain: The DVD
By Sherril Steele-Carlin
Gene Kelly's Signature Masterpiece
It's been called "the greatest Hollywood musical ever made," by Roger Ebert. It's full of romance, wonderful music, and of course the unsurpassed dancing of Gene Kelly. Hollywood legends Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds round out the cast, and manage to keep up quite well with Kelly's masterful steps.
The story is boy meets girl, complete with an evil villainess, some complications from "talking pictures," and a corny but very satisfying happy ending. The acting in this film is nearly as good as the dancing. The ditzy Lina Lamont, played to perfection by Jean Hagen could be the unsung highlight of this wonderful film. Directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, the dance numbers are staged masterfully, and photographed exquisitely. The music, written by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown is some of the best to come out of a Hollywood movie.
DVD Features
While this release by Warner Brothers isn't in theater release widescreen format, it is digitally remastered in Dolby 5.1, which adds real punch to the already excellent sound track. This DVD version of the film is clear and crisp, helping it look brand spankin' new, even though it's almost 50 years old.
DVD Additional Features
Like many other older films being released in DVD, there are no bios, documentaries, or even out-takes in this release. All you'll find is a theatrical trailer as bonus material, and subtitles in English, French, and Spanish. The music alone is enough to buy this remastered copy, and the clean new look is an added bonus. Interviews with the remaining stars who are still alive would have made a very nice touch, however.
The Good News
A new release of this DVD, put out in 2002, includes a second DVD with everything the first one missed, and then some. There is feature-length audio commentary by Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor, Cyd Charisse, and Kathleen Freeman, numerous documentaries, and even an out-take. The only thing missing is the widescreen version; the film is still presented full-screen.