Singin' in the Rain

Plot

In 1927, silent film stars Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont attend the premiere of their latest film, The Royal Rascal. Film studio Monumental Pictures encourages rumors of a romance between Don and Lina. Don dislikes the rumors and barely tolerates Lina, but Lina believes Don loves her. At a red-carpet interview, Don tells the story of his rise to stardom. Don says he grew up cultured and highly educated, but his words are contradicted by flashbacks showing his humble roots as a hoofer, vaudeville musician and stuntman, alongside his childhood best friend, Cosmo Brown ("Fit as a Fiddle").

After the premiere, Don escapes a mob of his fans by jumping into a passing car driven by Kathy Selden. Kathy, who claims to be a theater actress, drives Don to the premiere's afterparty, but expresses disdain for the art of film acting. At the afterparty, Monumental Pictures head R. F. Simpson shows a short demonstration of the newfound talking picture.[a] His guests are unimpressed and assume talking pictures will be a fad. Kathy is then revealed to be a chorus girl hired to perform at the party ("All I Do is Dream of You"). Furious at Don's teasing, she throws a cake at him, but he dodges it and the cake hits Lina. Kathy runs away before Don can catch up with her.

Three weeks later, Don has fallen in love with Kathy but cannot find her. Cosmo tries to cheer Don up ("Make 'Em Laugh"). Lina reveals that she got Kathy fired. On the studio lot, Cosmo finds Kathy working as an extra in another Monumental Pictures production ("Beautiful Girl"). Kathy admits to actually being a fan of Don's, while Don professes his feelings for her ("You Were Meant for Me").

Drive-in advertisement from 1952

Rival studio Warner Bros. releases its first talking picture, The Jazz Singer, to wide acclaim. R. F. decides he has no choice but to convert the next Lockwood and Lamont film, The Dueling Cavalier, into a talkie; Lina and Don undertake elocution lessons in preparation ("Moses Supposes"). The production is beset with difficulties, most notably Lina's grating, high-pitched voice and the actors being unfamiliar with the recording technology. Due to multiple complications (including awkward microphone placements, Don's uninspired improvising[b] and the audio going out of sync), The Dueling Cavalier's preview screening is a failure.

Afterward, Kathy and Cosmo suggest The Dueling Cavalier be turned into a musical ("Good Morning"). Cosmo, inspired by the film's synchronization error, suggests Kathy should dub Lina's voice. Don happily agrees. Don takes Kathy home, then dances through her neighborhood in the rain ("Singin' in the Rain"). Don and Cosmo pitch their idea to R. F., changing the title of the film to The Dancing Cavalier and adding a modern framing device. R. F. approves but tells them not to inform Lina of Kathy's involvement.

Having learned the truth, a furious Lina barges in on a dubbing session. She becomes even angrier after being told that Don and Kathy are in love, and that R. F. intends to give Kathy a screen credit and a big publicity buildup. Lina threatens to sue R. F. unless he makes sure no one ever hears of Kathy and that she keeps dubbing Lina for the rest of her career. R. F. reluctantly agrees because of a clause in Lina's contract which holds the studio responsible for positive media coverage.

The premiere of The Dancing Cavalier is a success ("Would You"). When the audience clamors for Lina to sing live, Don, Cosmo, and R. F. tell her to lip sync into a microphone while Kathy, concealed behind the curtain, sings into a second one. While Lina is "singing" ("Singin' in the Rain Reprise"), Don, Cosmo and R. F. open the curtain, revealing the ruse. The defeated Lina flees in humiliation. Kathy tries to run away as well, but Don proudly announces to the audience that Kathy is "the real star" of the film ("You Are My Lucky Star"). Some time later, Kathy and Don kiss in front of a billboard for their new film, Singin' in the Rain.


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