Not to state the obvious, but I love classic movies. I love everything about them, but a bid part of their charms is the whimsical way meet-cutes unfold. A meet-cute is when a future romantic couple meets for the first … Continue reading
Movies are so great, aren’t they? We watch movies and we can completely turn our brains off, the outside world doesn’t seem to matter, plot holes are excused, and we just get to enjoy – it’s so unlike life sometimes. … Continue reading
I love things that are self-aware, probably because I am hyper self-aware. I like things that turn inward and critique or reflect upon themselves. Along with requiring a unique sense of perspective (being on the inside and still looking in), it takes courage, too. I can think of lots of examples: 30 Rock skewers network television from the perspective of a network television show; At Swim-Two-Birds is a meta-textual story, a writer writing about a writer. Two of my favorite movies deal with this self-awareness. They are movies about movies – I just love that.
Singin’ in the Rain – courtesy of IMDB
The first is Singin’ in the Rain, which I’ve written about before. Gene Kelly stars as Don Lockwood, a performer who got involved in motion pictures after his work as a set musician and then stuntman. He caught the eye of starlet Lena Lamont played by a delightfully annoying Jean Hagen. His best friend, Cosmo Brown (Donald O’Connor), works on film music and keeps Don grounded as his star rises. But, no one keeps Don’s ego in check better than Kathy Seldon (Debbie Reynolds), a chorus girl Don meets serendipitously. She insists that she’s not familiar with his movies and considers film to be second to the stage. The movie focuses on the shift from silent to talking pictures. Classic musical shenanigans ensue, brilliantly choreographed musical numbers highlight Kelly’s propensity for all things dance while a slew of excellent songs with beautiful lyrics will keep you humming hours after seeing the movie. Kelly’s iconic Singin’ in the Rain dance will have you swinging off of lampposts, too.
Just as Don and Lena were getting settled in their stardom, something came along to uproot everything they knew about their business. Don is lucky enough to have Gene Kelly’s beautiful voice, Lena is not. Rather than have the audience hear Lena’s real voice, studio executives dub her lines with the voice of Kathy. Watching silent film stars struggle to adjust to the presence of sound in a movie is fascinating. In real life, actors had to drastically change their performance styles or risk becoming antiquated faces of films past. In a way, Singin’ in the Rain deals with the fickleness of Hollywood. Audiences love Lena, but they won’t respond positively when they hear her speak. Kathy has all of the talent, but her face isn’t recognizable to the moviegoer. Both situations kind of stink, though I promise you’ll be rooting for Kathy.
This movie was made in 1952. In terms of time, it was not far removed from this actual occurrence. Silent film stars of the 1920s were pushed out by young vocal ingenues. Vocal dubbing ran rampant throughout Hollywood, which I am obstinately against, by the way. How cool is it that a movie took on these two Hollywood black marks? Of course, this is a movie musical so the commentary is done through song and dance with lots of smiling, but the commentary is still there, and I like it.
The relationship between Don and Kathy is also very Hollywood self-aware. Don has a huge ego as most movie stars will. When he meets Kathy and she refuses to indulge his star, he’s affected. He can’t stop thinking about the girl who doesn’t seem to care that he’s a movie star. How self-aware is that? It’s an actor emphasizing the worst part of an actor’s nature and thereby providing a criticism.
The Artist – courtesy of IMDB
A lot of the self-awareness present in Singin’ in the Rain can be paralleled with that of The Artist. The extremely talented, oh-so-handsome, Gene Kelly-esque Jean Dujardin plays a silent film star George Valentin who can’t seem to cope with the coming of sound. He helped launch the career of Berenice Bejo, but she quickly surpasses him in Hollywood. George desperately clings to the Hollywood he once knew and makes a few flops before he calls it quits.
The Artist deals with Hollywood’s ever-changing nature but focuses on the individual more than the conceptual whole. The audience comes to understand George’s fear of becoming obsolete, a fear that transcends the film business and can be applied anywhere. His downward spiral is more drastic, however, because his success depended on the fair-weather adoration of strangers. The Artist is aware of the fleeting nature of fame and the dangers of pinning one’s self-worth on it.
Sunset Boulevard – Courtesy of IMDB
Sunset Boulevard does this, too. Gloria Swanson plays silent film star Norma Desmond years after her last movie. Self-awareness abounds in this film. Not only is it a movie about a movie, but Gloria Swanson’s personal story parallels that of Norma. Swanson was also a silent film star whose career experienced quite the lull after the dawn of sound. Swanson had to pull from personal experience to play Norma Desmond. The result is one of the most impressive performances I’ve ever seen. Norma is all at once, desperate, pathetic, creepy, elegant, and regal. In this movie, Hollywood is fickle and actresses are friendless – maybe a little too true to life?
Can you think of other movies about movies that have a sense of critical self-awareness?
How about books, poems, television or artwork?
Gene Kelly – courtesy of IMDB
Let me introduce you to the man who has been with my through all of the trials and tribulations, successes and joys of my life: Gene Kelly.
When I was four, I dressed as Don Lockwood, Gene’s character in the musical Singin’ in the Rain. This was the single best Halloween costume ever conceived. I looked amazing splashing my way down the street, singing and swinging on lampposts. The candy became a secondary goal; instead, I focused my efforts on representing Gene Kelly at his finest. Of course, none of the adults who answered my “trick or treat” knew who I was supposed to be. Apparently, a curly-haired little girl in a yellow raincoat doesn’t always evoke Hollywood’s best, and most handsome, tap dancer, but I didn’t care.
After the greatest Halloween ever, my mom was persuaded to send a photo of little me to Gene himself while he was recuperating in the hospital. I didn’t know about the hospital part, which was for the best. In return, I received my most prized possession: a signed, personalized picture of Don Lockwood hanging off a lamppost. I still can’t believe that Gene Kelly saw my picture, knew my name and wrote me a message. To have such an experience with an idol is something of which few people can boast.
Gene Kelly died in 1996. I was 5. My parents didn’t tell me and made a conscious effort to keep me away from all media that might have revealed the truth. All in all, that was a great decision because recently TCM had a Gene Kelly day, which ended with an interview with his widow. She and Robert Osborne talked about Gene and his legacy, and it made me sad – I’m 22. Imagine what 5-year-old Roz would have done. I shudder to think…
This morning, on my drive to work, Gene’s happy, Irish tenor voice came piping through my iPhone and instantly made my day. I started to think about all of Gene’s movies and how they fit within my life. For every mood I’m in, Gene’s there to empathize and console me.
Singin’ in the Rain – courtesy of IMDB
Happy: Now, this is sort of unfair because any Gene Kelly movie makes me happy, but this movie fill me with unbridled joy: Singin’ in the Rain, quite easily the best musical ever made. In it, Gene plays Don Lockwood, a silent film star who is trying to make his way through the talking picture craze. (See The Artist) It’s a movie about movies, one of my favorite sub genres of film. Gene sings and dances up a storm alongside the hilarious Donald O’ Connor and Debbie Reynolds. Jean Hagan is excellent as Gene’s silent film co-star. It literally brightens up a rainy day. I highly recommend this movie for a rainy day, a sunny day, a snowy day, a good mornin’ – basically any time you need some sunshine in your life.
An American in Paris – courtesy of IMDB
Artsy and/or Romantic: An American in Paris (Best Picture winner) is exactly what it’s title implies; Gene is an ex-GI and painter, Jerry, who lives in Paris to soak up its culture and be inspired.Oscar Levant is hilarious as his buddy and pianist. Along the way, Jerry meets Leslie Caron, the two dance and fall in love. The movie centers around an excellent score written by the Gershwins. I can never decide which part of the movie I love more, Gene’s singing of these great songs or Gene’s dancing to these great songs. At the end of the film, there is an epic dance sequence set to George Gershwin’s An American in Paris. (I dare you to listen to this and not smile.) As a kid, this part was a little grueling because it featured too much Leslie Caron. Now, though, I have grown to appreciate the beauty of the ballet/tap/contemporary dancing Gene choreographed. This film also plays to heartbreak, so it works for days like that, too.
Take Me Out to the Ballgame – courtesy of IMDB
Sporty and American: What do you get when you put Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin in pinstripes? The entertaining baseball musical, Take Me Out to the Ballgame. The story follows Gene and Frank as two ball players who moonlight as vaudevillians in the off-season. The shortstop, second baseman and first baseman combo has a stellar season, despite the shock of having a female owner played by Esther Williams. Gene Kelly is so believable as both the entertainer and the shortstop thanks to his athletic abilities both on the dance floor and the baseball diamond. I love this movie because it combines two of my favorite things: baseball and musicals.
Summery or Happy-Go-Lucky: Summer Stock pairs Judy Garland (my other favorite) with Gene and the result is a rollicking good time. Judy owns a farm that her fly-by-night sister lends to a troupe of actors led by Gene Kelly. Marjorie Main works her magic as Judy’s housekeeper, Eddie Bracken is Judy’s dorky and endearing fiance, and Phil Silvers is Gene’s bumbling buddy. Summer Stock features one of my favorite numbers, “Dig for Your Dinner.” The song is clever and funny, Phil Silvers interjects with great quips, and Gene dances on a table. Obviously, this movie is excellent for the dog days of summer when it’s too hot to be outside. You’ll feel the fresh air that blows through Judy’s farm thanks to the adorable musical numbers she and Gene share.
The Pirate – Courtesy of IMDB
Sexy: Judy Garland and Gene Kelly reunite once again in The Pirate, a musical set off the shores of the Caribbean that involves a case of mistaken identity and a hypnotizing mirror. There’s some great Cole Porter music, and I love Cole Porter. The Caribbean vibe and pirate costume Gene Kelly dons make this movie, if a movie made in 1948 can be called sexy. Gene does a particularly excellent and athletic dance in tight black pirate shorts. And, Gene was relatively young in this one. It was directed by Judy Garland’s once-husband Vincent Minnelli, father of Liza and director of another awesome musical, Meet Me in St. Louis.
Sad, Scared, Scared of Your Sadness: Nothing brings a girl down quite like World War I. Nothing brings me down more than seeing Gene Kelly sad. For Me and My Gal covers both of these upsetting topics and does it with song. Set during the First World War but screened during the second, the movie touches on a particularly sensitive nerve when it comes to war, courage and fear. Gene and Judy are two vaudevillians, and the war threatens to interrupt their act/relationship, so Gene goes to drastic measures to avoid this. A brooding Gene Kelly – I love it.
Inherit the Wind – Courtesy of IMDB
Snarky and Smart: Inherit the Wind is one of Gene Kelly’s few non-musical performances, and this is one of his best. He plays a sarcastic reporter sent to cover the John Scopes Monkey Trial (the one about the teacher who teaches evolution in a small, Christian town). Spencer Tracy and Frederic March play the case’s lawyers and both are acting giants. But, never fear! Gene Kelly is anything but dwarfed in scenes with these two legends. In fact, he rose to the challenge with professionalism and skill. This may be one of my favorite movies of all time simply because of the excellent performances from the entire cast. Watch it.
On the Town – Courtesy of IMDB
Patriotic: Nothing says America like Fleet Week, or nothing said America like Fleet Week since Fleet Week is no longer a thing – thanks, sequestration. But, in 1949, seeing sailors roaming the streets of NYC was as American as apple pie. On the Town celebrates this Naval tradition by rejoining Gene, Sinatra and Munshin along with their female counterparts Ann Miller, Betty Garrett and Vera-Ellen. The guys are sailors, the girls live in New York. They sing, dance, fall in love. It’s adorable.
Dark: Sometimes, we all get a little blue when we realize that the world can be a little corrupt. Gene has to come to that realization in Black Hand when he confronts the Mafia. Gene plays Johnny Columbo who has just returned from Italy on a mission to avenge the death of his father. Naturally, the Mafia makes this very difficult for Johnny. The cinematography of this film is literally dark, using deep shadows and an almost grainy texture to achieve the sinister effect necessary for a movie about the mob. This is a great movie for a day when you feel as though the whole world is against you. You’ll empathize with Gene Kelly and appreciate the ending that much more.
So, that’s it for now. I could talk about Gene Kelly all day. What about you? What are your favorite Kelly performances? Do you have an actor who has a movie to fit your every mood?
Roz Writes 