Singin' in the RainView the gallery hereDon Lockwood is a popular silent film star with humble roots as a singer, dancer, and stunt man. Don barely tolerates his vapid, shallow leading lady, Lina Lamont, though their studio, Monumental Pictures, links them romantically to increase their popularity. Lina herself is convinced they are in love, despite Don's protestations otherwise. One day, to escape from overenthusiastic fans, Don jumps into a passing car driven by Kathy Selden. She drops him off, but not before claiming to be a stage actress and sneering at his undignified accomplishments. Later, at a party, the head of Don's studio, R.F. Simpson, shows a short demonstration of a talking picture, but his guests are unimpressed. To Don's amusement and Kathy's embarrassment, she pops out of a mock cake right in front of him as part of the entertainment; Kathy, it turns out, is only a chorus girl. Furious, she throws a real cake at him, only to hit Lina right in the face. Later, after weeks of searching, Don makes up with Kathy after he finds her working in another Monumental Pictures production, and they begin to fall in love. After a rival studio has an enormous hit with its first talking picture, 1927's The Jazz Singer, R.F. decides he has no choice but to convert the new Lockwood and Lamont film, The Dueling Cavalier, into a talkie. The production is beset with difficulties that reportedly reflect what actually took place during the early days of talking pictures. By far the worst problem is Lina's grating voice. A test screening is a disaster. In one scene, Don repeats the line "I love you" to Lina over and over, to the audience's derisive laughter (a reference to a scene by John Gilbert in his first talkie). Then throughout the movie, the sound went out of synchronization. Don's best friend, Cosmo Brown, comes up with the idea to dub Lina's voice with Kathy's, and they persuade R.F. to turn The Dueling Cavalier into a musical called The Dancing Cavalier. When Lina finds out, she is furious and does everything possible to sabotage the romance between Don and Kathy. She becomes even angrier when she discovers that R.F. intends to give Kathy a screen credit and a big publicity promotion. Lina, after consulting lawyers, threatens to sue R.F. unless he cancels Kathy's buildup and orders her to continue working (uncredited) as Lina's voice. R.F. reluctantly agrees to her demands. The premiere of The Dancing Cavalier is a tremendous success. When the audience clamors for Lina to sing live, Don, Cosmo, and R.F. improvise and get her to lip synch while Kathy sings into a second microphone while hidden behind the stage curtain. Later, while Lina is "singing," Don, Cosmo and R.F. gleefully open the curtain. When Cosmo replaces Kathy at the microphone, the deception becomes obvious. Lina flees in embarrassment. Kathy tries to run away as well, but Don introduces the audience to "the real star of the film."
|
2010 • Half a Sixpence • Gilbert and Sullivan • Singin' in the Rain 2009 • Kiss Me Kate • Fiddler on the Roof 2008 • Crazy for you • Anything Goes 2007 • Hello Dolly! • The Best little Whorehouse in Texas 2006 • The Gondoliers • My Fair Lady 2005 • South Pacific • Mad About Musicals 2004 • Oliver • Me & My Girl 2003 • Oklahoma! • Die Fledermaus 2002 • Guys and Dolls • Evita 2001 • The Mikado • Mad About Musicals 2000 • Carousel • Mack & Mabel 1999 • Camelot • The Merry Widow 1998 • Fiddler on the Roof • Show Boat 1997 • Me & My Girl • Kiss Me Kate 1996 • Broadway Pirates • Orpheus in the Underworld 1995 • Brigadoon • Showtime A-Z 1994 • Hello Dolly • My Fair Lady 1993 • Oliver! • Carmen 1992 • West Side Story • Showtime A-Z 1991 • Ruddigore • Die Fledermaus 1990 • Half a Sixpence • Mame 1989 • The Merry Widow • The Gondoliers 1988 • The Pirates of Penzance • Trial by Jury • The King and I 1987 • The Mikado • Guys and Dolls 1986 • Iolanthe • Oklahoma! 1985 • Fiddler on the Roof • Al Capone • Christopher Columbus 1984 • Kiss Me Kate • No! No! Nanette • The Bartered Bride 1983 • Patience • Carousel 1982 • Oliver! • Orpheus in the Underworld 1981 • The Yeomen of the Guard • Rose Marie 1980 • The Gondoliers • The Sound of Music 1979 • Robert and Elizabeth • White Horse Inn 1978 • Ruddigore • Bitter Sweet 1977 • Merrie England • The King and I 1976 • The Mikado • My Fair Lady 1975 • Merry Widow • Paint Your Wagon 1974 • Die Fledermaus • Love from Judy 1973 • The Pirates of Penzance • Trial by Jury • Oliver! 1972 • The Sound of Music • Kingıs Rhapsody 1971 • Iolanthe • My Fair Lady 1970 • No! No! Nanette • Camelot 1969 • Oklahoma! • The Yeomen of the Guard 1968 • Kismet • Kiss Me Kate 1967 • The Gondoliers • Show Boat 1966 • Trial by Jury • H.M.S. Pinafore • Song of Norway 1965 • The King and I • Perchance to Dream 1964 • The Mikado • South Pacific 1963 • Waltz Time • Carousel 1962 • Patience • Chu Chin Chow 1961 • The Boy Friend • The Merry Widow 1960 • Bell, Book and Candle • Iolanthe • Call Me Madam 1959 • Bonaventure • The Vagabond King • The Student Prince 1958 • Ruddigore • Annie Get Your Gun 1957 • Princess Ida • The Dancing Years 1956 • Major Barbara • The Mikado • Oklahoma! 1955 • The Scarlet Pimpernel • The Gondoliers Brigadoon 1954 • The Pirates of Penzance • Bitter Sweet 1953 • And So To Bed • The Yeomen of the Guard • The Desert Song 1952 • This Happy Breed • Trial by Jury • The New Moon • H.M.S. Pinafore 1951 • Quality Street • Iolanthe • Merrie England • Bless the Bride 1950 • The Rivals • Merrie England • The Student Prince 1949 • Pride and Prejudice • Ruddigore • Rose Marie 1948 • The Mikado • Tom Jones 1947 • Katinka • The Girl Friend 1946 • Miss Hook of Holland • Princess Charming 1945 • The Gondoliers 1942 • The Middle Watch 1940 • No! No! Nanette 1939 • Good Night Vienna • The Pirates of Penzance 1938 • Chu Chin Chow • Sunny 1937 • Hit the Deck • The Vagabond King 1936 • Mr Cinders • The Desert Song 1935 • Rio Rita • Maid of the Mountains 1934 • Rose Marie 1933 • The Desert Song • The Middle Watch 1932 • The High Road • H.M.S. Pinafore 1931 • San Toy 1930 • Princess Charming • The Belle of New York 1929 • The Duchess of Dantzig • The Arcadians 1928 • Our Miss Gibbs • The Toreador 1927 • The Quaker Girl 1926 • The Rebel Maid • A Country Girl 1925 • Floradora • Miss Hook of Holland 1924 • The Gondoliers • Veronique • Patience 1923 • Iolanthe • The Geisha 1922 • The Mikado 1913 • Iolanthe 1912 • The Moon of Carthage 1911 • Patience • The Gondoliers 1910 • The Women of Westminster 1904 • The Mikado 1903 • The Pickpocket • Paulıs Return 1902 • The Private Secretary 1901 • The School for Scandal • The Two Roses 1900 • Diplomacy • The Magistrate • The Miserıs Daughter 1899 • Robert Browningıs • Strafford 1898 • Ipsithilla • The Money Spinner • Les Cloches de Cornville 1897 • Liberty Hall 1896 • Cavalleria Rusticana 1895 • The Bohemian Girl 1894 • The Yeomen of the Guard • The Sorcerer 1893 • Les Cloches de Cornville 1892 • H.M.S. Pinafore • Fra Diavolo • Penelope • Cavalleria Rusticana 1891 • Dorothy 1890 • The Pirates of Penzance 1889 • A Blighted Being • My Preserver |



