Singing In The Rain Satire

Singing in the Rain is “backstage” musical filled with comedy, songs and romance that was released in 1951 but set in the late 1920’s. It was one of the last films to be produced during the profitable golden age of the studio system. The film employs the typical characteristics a Hollywood musical by relying on superstar names and contagious dance numbers. The movie incorporates an additional level of parody into its wistful plot that is centered on the disruptive shift from silent movies to “talkies”, movies with sound. Singin’ in the Rain promotes classical Hollywood musical numbers supplemented by affectionate satire. In a single scene, Gene Kelly’s “Singin’ in the Rain” song and dance number, MGM was able to reveal a majority of its impressive …show more content…
From splashing in puddles to dancing with umbrellas, his childlike persona in this scene resides very closely to that of Chaplin’s Tramp. There is an overall innocence about Kelly’s character displayed in his relentless happiness—despite the rain, the policeman, or the trials he contextually faces at the studio, he remains joyful, untroubled, and in love, mimicking many of the Tramp’s signature movements in the process, with nothing breaking his confidence. His seemingly flawless and effortless routine again captures the essence of Chaplin’s work, for in their equally talented methods they both create an air of realism and normality within the nearly unattainable perfection of the choreography. As the plot of Singin’ in the Rain incorporates the struggle and initial unwillingness of a film studio to transition to the new age of sound during this silent period, the dance scene serves as a connection to that era while providing the audience with an understanding of the benefits of this new technology to cinema. These benefits included the arrival of sound, and although the Singin’ in the Rain’s production date was much after this event, it remained an important factor to the plot of the