Genre: Comedy / Musical / Romance Director(s): Stanley Donen Release Date: 27 March 1952 Movie rating: 8.3

Hailed as the best musical ever filmed, as well as one of the best movies in American history and an all around masterpiece, “Singin’ in the Rain” tells the tale of silent film stars trying to transition into “talkies”. Released in 1952 and co-directed by Stanley Donen and the film’s leading man Gene Kelly, it wasn’t initially met with the universal acclaim it now holds. It barely got any nominations of note, let alone awards. After the arrival and the immediate success of the so-called “talkies”, Don Lockwood, a successful silent movie actor has to make his own first talkie – as ordered by his studio boss – and his efforts will land him into plenty of comical situations and even more opportunities to sing and dance. Along the way he will find true love, solve the nagging issue of his irritating female co-star and reach new heights of success, all through the power of singing and dancing. All the dance scenes were choreographed by the two directors, while the majority of the musical scores were written by the MGM producer Arthur Freed who produced the film as well. It is regularly featured high on the lists of greatest films ever made, and is one of the few films to hold a 100 % fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. You should have seen it by now, but if you haven’t it is a mandatory viewing.

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