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Saturday, July 09, 2022

Our Favorite Parts of "Singin' in the Rain"

My kids all enjoy Singin' in the Rain (1952) and we got to go see it on the big screen this past weekend, so I thought it would be fun to invite them to join me in sharing our favorite parts of it with you, in honor of its 70th anniversary.


My 14-yr-old son:

Sooooooooo, my favorite part of the movie was the song "Make 'Em Laugh". I think it's fairly obvious why I like that part: it made me laugh. Other than that, if I'm honest the movie takes about half again as long as it should (even with all the unnecessary silly parts factored into the "it should" part, because silliness is always appreciated if you're me, which you aren't, but you should still appreciate silliness).


My 12-yr-old daughter:

To be honest, my favorite part is kind of the guy with the shirt that says 'Eat at Joe's' during the song "Gotta Dance" because I've been to Joe's seafood restaurant or whatever it's called, and it said that all over the place. So when I saw that, I was like, "Aaaaah that's hilarious!"


My 10-yr-old daughter:

I can't really decide which part is my favorite, because it's always really been a tie between the time that Don Lockwood danced with Kathy Selden in the shed (especially since the door said, Do Not Open or something in that range), or when Don's best friend Cosmo sings "Make 'Em Laugh." They're both great fun.



But I also really love this part of the ballet.  I've always wanted to have that big swoopy cape thing.


Hamlette:

My favorite moment is when Gene Kelly jumps flat-footed all around in a big puddle at the end of his  magnificent "Singin' in the Rain" routine.  It's such an exuberant, joyous moment, and I can't believe he filmed that whole number with a fever of 103F!!!


Singin' in the Rain is actually the first movie our family of five ever saw all together on the big screen, back in 2017.  You can read about that experience here.


This post has been my (our) contribution to the Singin' in the Rain Blogathon hosted by Classic Movie Muse this weekend.  Check it out to bask in all the joy!

18 comments:

  1. There is nothing more joyous than viewing something through the eyes of a child. And the kid in me really does love to see Gene Kelly splashing happily in the rain.

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    1. Flick Chick, that's so true! Maybe I should make a habit of letting them do group posts with me like this.

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  2. "Make 'Em Laugh" is the best part of the movie for me, too.

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    1. Katie, the first time I watched this, when I was probably 11 or 12, we rewound "Make 'Em Laugh" twice so we could just glory in how awesome it is :-D

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    2. Katie?? You’ve seen this movie?? I don’t know why, but that makes me ridiculously happy. XD

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  3. So many great moments in this truly delightful post. Thank you very much for sharing your family's thoughts with us for my blogathon, Rachel! :)

    P.S. "Silliness is always appreciated if you're me, which you aren't, but you should still appreciate silliness." This should be recorded in a book of wise sayings - I couldn't agree more ;)


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    1. Thank you, Muse! I'll let my son know you think he's wise :-D

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  4. Awww, it was so fun reading your kids' comments (and yours!).

    Gene Kelly was such a professional to do that dance in the rain with such a high fever. And I guess you've heard about how Donald O'Conner had to re-do the 'Make 'Em Laugh' sequence because the film prints got accidentally ruined? So worth it though!!

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    1. Eva, I am thinking we might make a habit of this -- doing a little collaborative post about movies we all enjoy.

      I've heard that before about the need to re-shoot "Make 'Em Laugh." Yikes!

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    2. That would be a lot of fun!

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    3. We'll see if they think so ;-)

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  5. What a fun thing to share with your kids. Classic movie fans in the making. :-)

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  6. I love how the personalities of your kids shine through here! Your son is so practical (tbh, even though it’s my favorite movie of all time, I sometimes think it’s a little long, too. This last time I watched it I fast forwarded through all the “boring” parts and the pace felt so strong! Lol! Next time I’ll be all the happier to watch them again), your 12-yr-old daughter is a wiz at observation, and your 10-yr-old daughter expresses the desire for that “big snoopy cape thing” and that is spot on.

    The titular scene is quite phenomenal. <3 Great choice for your own favorite!

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    1. Chloe, it's true! They definitely all have their own unique personalities on full display here :-D When the 10-yr-old was 3, she actually did wear a cape pretty much everywhere she went for months and months and months :-D

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  7. What a nice post. Singin' in the Rain truly brings people together, and I'm glad the Make 'Em Laugh number was so popular among your kids.
    Cheers!
    Le

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  8. This is a great read! I adore the fact your kids can say they enjoy aspects of a movie that was made in the 50s! Keeps the movie alive for the future of humankind! There's something magical about the choreography that will live forever!! and I gotta agree w your 14 yr old- the movie is a little long! but still fun!
    Emily- The Flapper Dame

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    1. I"m so glad you enjoyed this, Emily! I'm thinking we should make a little series, if I can get them to cooperate :-) We definitely watch a lot of classics together.

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