Singin in the Rain

 

Singin in the Rain is the first musical I ever saw and I immediately fell in love with it. This is by far one of the best musicals to come out of this genre.
 

Singing in the Rain was released in 1952. Starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and introducing Debbie Reynolds. This is a tremendous cast full of great talent. Singin in the Rain depicts the natural progression from silent movies to "talkies."

This is a movie, within a movie. and there are archetypal characters in Singin in the Rain. The first archetypal character is the leading man Don Lockwood played by Kelly, second, is the leading lady Lina Lamont played by Jean Hagen, third, the faithful sidekick, Cosmo Brown, played by O'Connor and lastly the up and coming talent, Kathy Selden, played by Reynolds.

The plot to this movie begins with the latest success of Lockwood and Lamont in The Royal Rascal. Shortly after the release of The Royal Rascal, it is reported that the first talking picture, The Jazz Singer is the new sensation in films. All studios must adapt and move forward with the new trend of talking films, there's only one problem, the star Lina Lamont has a horrible voice.
 

"Lamont and Lockwood: They talk!":  http://www.anyclip.com/movies/singin-in-the-rain/making-talking-pictures/#!quotes/

 

Even after diction coaching, Lina still sounds awful. And with some other issues in the movie The Dueling Cavalier, a whole new story must be written. After commiserating together, Cosmo has a wonderful idea to substitute Kathy's voice for Lina's.

All the studio needs now is an actress who can speak well, enter Kathy Selden. Kathy Selden is a young actress with a beautiful singing voice. After seeing how awful Lina is and how this movie could potentially ruin Don's career, Kathy agrees to dub her voice.
 

Dubbing has been done for years. I was surprised to learn a few years ago that, Audrey Hepburn, Deborah Kerr, and Natalie Wood were all dubbed by the same person, Marni Nixon. As a fan of these actresses, it is such a disappointment to learn that those wonderful voices weren't their own. It is very common is Hollywood to get someone to dub the songs, because the star power is the most important element to any successful film then, now, and forever.
 

A classic scene that is shown almost always is Gene Kelly singing in the rain. That has to be one of my favorite scenes. He's so happy and carefree. Seems like everything is coming up roses for Don Lockwood.

Don's friend Cosmo also has a memorable scene in Singin in the Rain. O'Connor is a comedic dancer and his comedy and skill are shown off in a scene to cheer up Don. It's hard not to laugh in this fantastic scene and the completely improvised dance O'Connor put together.

 

In a diction scene, where all the actors must speak "in round tones," Don and Cosmo put on a performance for the voice coach. It's fun to watch two skilled dancers, dance in synchronicity. This scene really shows off what Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor can do as dancers.

What makes this a successful musical besides its great singing and dancing, but great plot. This movie takes a critical point in film history and makes a storyline out of it. Can you imagine having an awful voice like Lina's, no thank you. 

Funny Girl

 

Fist of All, if you haven’t seen it shame on you, no just kidding. So Funny Girl, is based on the true story of Fanny Brice and her relationship with Nicky Arnstein. Brice is a triple threat who has mastered, Broadway, film and comedy, much like the woman who played her, Barbara Streisand. Nicky Arnstein is played by the debonair Omar Sharif. 
 

One of the main reasons why I love musicals is simply the music. Besides the plot lines, great memorable music adds to any great musical. For instance, Funny Girl, My Fair Lady, and Singin in the Rain all have terrific soundtracks. 
 

Funny Girl is a classic musical that was released in 1968. Funny Girl is one of the last films that came out of the musical genre. Musicals were all about extravagance and glamour. The 1950s and 1960s were a time to occupy the minds of American with laughter, beautiful images and music. 
 

As the 1960s came to a close, the movie business took a turn and people were no longer interested in making musicals due to huge production costs and the long process of making musicals.
 

Funny Girl has won numerous awards and was nominated for best song “Funny girl.” If you take a look at the soundtrack, Funny Girl has some wonderful hit songs including “I’m the Greatest Star, ”People,” “You are Woman, I Am Man,” “Sadie, Sadie,” “Funny Girl,” and, “My Man.”
 

Soundtrack to Funny Girl: http://www.allmusic.com/album/funny-girl-original-soundtrack-recording-mw0000189971

 

Besides the magical songs that came out of Funny Girl, I adore Barbara Streisand. I’ve seen many of her movies and she plays emotion so well. And what I mean by emotion, is that the audience can tell how she’s feeling. Either happy or sad, she is a wonderful portrayer of emotion which can be seen especially in the following scenes.  
 

In Don’t Rain on my Parade, Streisand who plays Brice is the most happiest woman in the world, because she’s about to become Mrs. Arnstein. 

 

In one of the final scenes, it shows Arnstein leaving Brice for jail. During this song, you can feel the sadness and isolation that is only enhanced by her sitting in an empty theatre.

 

 

After Arnstein tells Brice it's over, she gives her final performance. This final scene is Brice reflecting on her marriage and realizes how screwed up her husband is, but for whatever reason is still in love with him. During this scene you can feel the sadness and hope that she emits in this song. 
 

 

It's funny how things come back around, much like bell bottoms, Afros and now musicals. For the past two decades, musicals have slowly been making a comeback. They are wonderful theatrical performances that are nice every now and again. I can say this with total confidence though, the movie industry will never find another gem like Barbara Streisand. 

Sidney Poitier

What can I say about Sidney Poitier, he is a great American actor who has had an incredible career in film. I know what you all are thinking, this sounds like an obituary and Poitier is still alive. That's only because I admire his work as an actor. He has such a demanding presence on stage, very authoritative and tall in stature.

 

Some of my favorite films that Poitier has been in would include: Blackboard Jungle, The Defiant Ones, Pressure Point, To Sir, with Love, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? and Sneakers.

Today I'll be talking about The Defiant Ones and Pressure Point. Both of Poitier's movies are about racial prejudice, but his characters are completely different.

The Defiant Ones co-starring Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis came out in 1958.  I will give you a brief synopsis of what the movie is about. According to IMDB, Two escaped convicts chained together, white and black, must learn to get along in order to elude capture. This movie is poignant in how two completely different men must rely on each other to escape the police.

There are some key scenes where Cullen (Poitier) and Jackson (Curtis) must work together. After crossing a river the men decide to rest for the night. During this time Jackson talks about being Charlie Potatoes and the big dreams he has for himself. In the course of their conversations, Jackson repeatedly calls Cullen "Boy" which aggravates him. Cullen is still angry after being called a derogatory name, which Jackson replies, “I didn't make up no names." Cullen says, "No, you breathe it in when you're born, and you spit it out from then on." I admire Poitier's character, he doesn't let anything go by and speaks out against the injustices he sees and faces as a black man.

 

Another pivotal scene is when it's raining and both men must work together to get out of a deep mud hole. Together they manage to climb up the mud hole with all odds against them.

After escaping the rain, Cullen and Jackson sneak into a small town. They wait till night time so they can separate themselves from the chain. While they wait, both men tell stories of their lives and Jackson says, "You're a maker or a taker. Me, I'm a taker." That pretty much sums up Jackson's entire life. He thinks the world owes him something. My point is only proven when they get caught by the townspeople and Jackson says, "You can't go lynchin' me. I'm a white man!" Jackson has a strange idea of entitlement just because he's white.

Cullen and Jackson live to see another day, when an escaped convict lets them loose early in the morning. They both start heading north again, and a boy with a shotgun stops them. Soon enough Cullen and Jackson overtake them and head to his house for food and to get out of those chains.

While waiting for a chisel, Jackson gets sick and Cullen stays with him. The boys’ mother cares for Jackson and starts to fall in love with him. After Jackson gets better, the mother sets Cullen up on a wild goose chase. After learning how the woman set Cullen up, Jackson gets mad at the woman and shoves her out of the way. Before Jackson leaves, the boy fires the shotgun at him, and shoots Jackson in the shoulder.

Both Jackson and Cullen make a run for the train, but Jackson it too weak to make it. They both stop and reflect on their journey together. Jokingly, Jackson says, “You gonna make somebody a fine old lady one day.” It is true; Cullen is a very nurturing person which is seen all throughout Jackson and Cullen’s journey together.

All of these scenes with Jackson and Cullen build on their friendship and by the end of the movie, they are considered equal. Now I may be stretching this to prove my own theory, but when Jackson says, “I’m mashed potatoes now. So are you.” I believe Jackson is saying to Cullen that we’re even now. After everything they’ve been through together Jackson and Cullen have become friends.

Take a look: http://movieclips.com/rE9Wn-the-defiant-ones-movie-chasing-the-train/

Lastly, I'm going to talk about Pressure Point a drama that was released in 1962. Pressure Point is another favorite film of mine for two reasons. 1. Sidney Poitier plays a psychiatrist who must treat a Nazi racist. 2. Bobby Darin, predominantly known for singing takes on a very serious role as a young Hitler wannabe.

 

This movie starts off with a young Peter Falk who has a troubled patient that he is having a hard time treating. So, Poitier the head psychiatrist sits him down and explains a time when he had a tough case and wanted to quit.

For Poitier, his character is an authoritative man who has the power over a young convict. There are many binaries at work in this film. Good and evil, black and white, peace and hatred, and inferiority and superiority.

Of all the films Poitier has been in, I do believe this is one of my favorites. All throughout the movie, you can see how the patient is getting to the doctor and how the patient is loosening the resolve of the doctor. As a doctor, it is necessary to stay objective and the patient makes that very difficult for the doctor to keep his bias and hatred for this young Hitler wannabe out of his conclusions. To me, that is a very difficult task, but one that is necessary if Poitier’s character is to treat his patient and to continue to be a psychiatrist.

This movie demonstrates terrific tolerance and patience on the patient’s idea of Aryans being the superior race. These two actors work very well together in demonstrating their hatred for one another, but not letting it completely ruin them. By the end of the movie, the doctor is able to treat his racist patient and become the head of psychiatry.

I also have to hand it to Bobby Darin. He played a disgusting character, and anyone who can evoke such hatred in someone, to me is considered a great actor. I've loved Bobby Darin for a while before I knew he could act. He has an amazing talent, and this dramatic role really showcases what he can do outside of a recording studio.

Don't let the weird sci-fish looking trailer stop you from watching this amazing movie: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1083442713/

Natalie Wood

Natalie Wood started off as a terrific child actress who turned into a wonderful young Hollywood actress. Before she died, Wood made some incredible films including: Miracle on 34th Street, Rebel Without a Cause, Splendor in the Grass, West Side Story, and Gypsy.

Two films that I believe show Wood's reach is in Splendor in the Grass and Gypsy. These two movies are incredible different and only one year apart from each other. Splendor in the Grass came out in 1961 and Gypsy came out in 1962. Splendor in the Grass shows Wood's character Deanie as a young woman in love and how young love can hurt. Gypsy shows the blossoming of Wood's character Louise as a young girl who becomes a  famous burlesque dancer named Gypsy Rose Lee.

Splendor in the Grass is based upon a William Wordsworth poem. The main characters are in the beginning stages of dating were they think it means everything. This movie is a depiction of first loves and how people learn from them and move on. I can see why it was an Oscar worthy performance, but it's not my cup of tea. The actors were great, but I wished they would have ended up together. I like how William Wordsworth's Imitations of Immorality was weaved throughout the whole movie. As an English major, I love how famous lines of poetry can drive the theme of the movie.

There would be no such thing as marrying your first love. We are not intended to be with our first loves. The first love is remembered fondly for what it was, but both parties move on. I believe at the end both Bud and Deanie knew moving on was the right thing to do.

 

I said earlier, I wished Bud and Deanie would have ended up together, but I contradict myself. It must be the romantic in me as to why Bud and Deanie could never be together, just like Katie and Hubbell from The Way We Were could never be together. The Way We Were is by far one of the best movies I've seen. I see why this movie and so many others like it as great for young adults to cherish their first loves.
 

Gypsy seems like a 180 compared to Splendor in the Grass. Wood plays Louise, a young girl who just wants to be noticed by her mother, Rose played by Rosalind Russell. Rose wants her children to be in Vaudeville because like she says, "I was born too soon and started too late." Rose pushes her children so hard that she looses sight of herself and her role as a mother. Growing up Louise dressed as a boy to be part of a group only to showcase her younger sister June who had all the talent.

Rose claims, she only wanted what's best for her children, but never once listened to what her children wanted. By the end of the film, Rose's youngest daughter June runs off to fulfill her own dream, while Louise becomes a famous burlesque dancer.

Take a look at Louise from the beginning to how comfortable she feels on stage as Gypsy Rose Lee:

By the end of the film, I feel proud of Louise for becoming her own person, even if it's in burlesque. However, I also feel bad for Rose, which I think is the brilliance of the director. Throughout the whole movie, Rose is only thinking of herself, but by the end all she has is herself. I actually feel sympathy for her, especially during her monologue at the very end. That monologue sums up her whole life of trying to giver her children what she couldn't have. Woulda, coulda, shoulda, that's show business.

Take a look at the genius of Rosalind Russell in Gypsy as Rose has her turn:
 

Musicals of the 1950s and 1960s

            
 

Sorry I've been away so long. I've had some trouble adapting to the flow and a pattern of writing a blog. Writing has a lot of demands. So let's begin again, shall we?

Shall we still be together?

With our arms around each other

And shall you be my new romance?

On the clear understanding

That this kind of thing can happens

Shall we dance?

Shall we dance?

Shall we dance?

know where this is from?

You guessed it, The King and I, starring Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner. I love musicals and this post will be all about the musical genre.

The best musicals I've seen have come out of the 1950s and 1960s when musicals where at the top of there form. For instance, Singin in the Rain, Funny Girl, My Fair Lady and so much more. Some people may not like musicals simply because they start singing at the drop of a hat. People say it's not realistic, but that's the point. You are supposed to accept the musical as a fantastical experience and suspend your disbelief.

Musicals are an elaborate show and a lot of artwork goes into them. That must be one of the reasons why I love them. In a musical, any period can be showcased. For instance, The King and I takes place during the 1860s. Singin in the Rain takes place right before the first talking picture came out at the end of the 1920s. Funny Girl is set around and during WW1. This movie highlights the Ziegfeld Follies which is a mix of Broadway plays and Vaudeville skits. And one of my all time favorite musicals is... My Fair Lady. My Fair Lady takes place during the 1900s during the Edwardian period. I love seeing the period pieces come to life, somehow it's so much richer than a novel.

In the next following posts, I will be talking in depth about the above mentioned musicals and the popular music from them.