Singin' in the Rain

1927 Hollywood: Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) have been Hollywood's favourite couple in silent films for years. Things change when talking pictures come along, posing special difficulties for Lamont, who turns out to be a complete disaster as a vocal actress. Out of desperation, the producers bring in someone to overdub her voice: Lockwood's love interest Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds). Lamont is not amused...

Kelly was a fantastic dancer, much better than the dancers he had to work with. Kelly definitely showed them, being anything but patient and nice when their dancing didn't live up to his expectations. Especially then 19-year-old leading lady Debbie Reynolds had a lot to put up with. Maybe it was due to this (near-abusive) drive, with working days sometimes stretching to 19 hours, that Singin 'in the Rain became a highlight of Hollywood's Golden Age and according to many the best musical ever made.