Sometimes in life you’re faced with crazy hard questions. Like, if you could only listen to one Coldplay album for the rest of your life, which would you pick?
I’ve never actually had to make this decision, but for the record, it’d come down to Rush of Blood to the Head or Mylo Xyloto…or wait, Viva La Vida too…but life without Parachutes would be sad and…and then I’d probably just start crying from the angst of it all.
I find myself in a similar state of indecision when I’m faced with the question of what may be the greatest musical of all time. Undoubtedly, Singin’ in the Rain with Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds makes the top two. But is it the very top?
Clay Morgan and I discuss this and lots of cool Singin’ in the Rain trivia in this week’s Classic Cinephiles. It’s a fun vlog episode complete with Lina Lamont impressions, accidental product placements and yes, an unresolved debate. Enjoy, and then tell us what you think.
Okay, so chime in: Is Singin’ in the Rain the greatest musical of all time? If not, what is? What’s your favorite musical?
*Miss a previous Classic Cinephiles episode? Catch ’em all on YouTube.
Comments 27
This movie is AMAZING! Though I’d say it’s my second favorite musical with Seven Brides for Seven Brothers taking first place!
I love practically every minute of SitR except the random LONG dance routine near the end! That never made sense to me! All of the scenes and songs you two mentioned are awesome and my favorites too though one you didn’t mention that I love is the end when Lina makes Kathy sing for her! I love the guys in that part they are hysterical, especially when Donald O’Conner runs out and starts singing!
Also, I didn’t realize that Gene Kelly was from Pittsburgh! That is so cool! We live about an hour from Pittsburgh so that’s so cool that my favorite Classic movie actor is from there!
Abbi, if you’re talking about the random slow dance sequence they stuck in where Kelly dances with Cyd Charisse I’m with you. That brings the movie to a halt. My mom and I have forwarded through it for years. Roger Ebert agreed btw. And YES! Gene Kelly is a Pittsburgher. We’ve been trying to get his stinkin’ statue in town for years but too many stupid people have been in charge apparently.
Clay, That is what I was talking about and we fast forwarded it every time too! Apparently we need to get more smart people in charge and get that statue up!
I don’t even have to fast-forward through that long song. I just automatically fall asleep during it. 🙂 And Abbi, I agree…that scene at the end when Kathy sings for Lina is great.
I love musicals, but probably the songs, lyrics, and scenery of South Pacific grab me most and get sung again the most often.
That movie does have good scenery. I always got a little lost in the storyline too. Although, I honestly don’t know if I’ve watched it in like 10 years or so, so I should watch it again!
This is one of my all-time favorite musicals. And I have to agree with Morgan: Donald O’Connor is brilliant is “Make ‘Em Laugh.” Regarding the Fred Astaire/Gene Kelly debate: I read somewhere that Cyd Charisse’s husband always knew when she was dancing with Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly. With Fred Astaire she always came home looking as if she’d barely broken a sweat. With Gene Kelly, she came home looking as if she’d been beaten up.
Favorite line from Singin’ in the Rain? “People? I ain’t people!”
That actually makes a lot of sense–the Cyd story, I mean. Because Fred Astaire sorta floated while he danced…Gene Kelly, like, tamed space when he danced. I can see how it’d be a totally difference experience.
I love that line too! Also when Gene Kelly tells Lina the only thing between them is air. Oh and when he tells her he’d rather kiss a tarantula…and then asks for a tarantula…
I am totally biased but I love Camelot. I had the lead in the musical my junior year in high school and nothing has compared since. Although I like Showboat as well. I have seen that twice, once in Toronto and once in New York City.
~Melissa Finnegan
I’ve never seen Camelot OR Showboat. I obviously need to devote a little more time to musicals. 🙂
Singin’ in the Rain is definitely up there, but I’m a Sound of Music gal all the way. It’s my #1. Oh, and no one should EVER have to make a choice between Coldplay albums. That’s like choosing only one of your children, silly.
Yeah, Sound of Music is the show I’d watch over and over growing up. Something about nuns and Nazis and marionette puppets in the same movie always drew me in. Haha…ALTHOUGH I crack up every single time Maria and Captain Von Trapp sing “Somewhere in my youth.” I think it’s the most ridiculous song for a love scene…but I still love the whole movie. Oh the nostalgia.
And I’m so glad you understand about Coldplay. Every album is fabulous in its own way.
And lets not forget, Melissa that in our childhood we didn’t fully understand what the whole Nazi thing was all about in Sound of Music, and we walked around outside of our church doing the Hitler salute, until our parents explained that it was not something we should have been doing. Probably the worst place we could have been doing that too.
YES!! Oh man, I have to tell that story when we do Sound of Music for CC. Getting in trouble at church for going around doing the “Heil Hitler” salute. Classic Tagg family lore… 🙂
I LOVE Singin’ in the Rain. In fact, I sing “Good Morning” to my dogs every day when I get them out of their crates. Weird? Perhaps.
I feel the sudden need to go watch it now!
As far as it being the BEST musical of all time…tough choice. I’m also a huge fan of Sound of Music, Music Man, Oklahoma, and so many other classics. And yes, Grease is fun, though the storyline really is horrible…
I like that you sing to your dogs. 🙂
I like Music Man because it takes place in Iowa. And because little Ron Howard is adorable in it. Oklahoma is pretty sweet…though Jud freaks me out. And Grease, yes, I love it too. Didn’t you play Rizzo in that?
Indeed I did! 🙂 It was fun.
I love Sound of Music. My brother starred in Oklahoma, so I love that one too. I think you are inspiring me to see more…
Sweet…I like inspiring people to watch movies… 🙂
First off- loving your owl shirt:) Second, don’t even make me pick my favorite musical! LOVE musicals – and yeah, Singing in the Rain makes one of my tops. THough I wholeheartedly agree about the slow dance scenes. I too fast forward through them.
Ha, thank you for liking the shirt. Pretty sure that night I walked in the door, changed out of a dress, threw on the first shirt I saw on my bedroom floor and five minutes later started filming…and then saw on screen what shirt I’d put on. And laughed. Also, I feel like the owl looks a little like a gremlin. 🙂
It’s way late to watch the video tonight but… I’ll drop back by later. 😉
Love Singin’ in the Rain. It’s “fresh,” fun and of course, the cast rocks! I don’t know if I have one musical that I dub “best of all time…”
Music Man is spectacular and features some wonderful tunes; The Sound of Music is a classic with no ‘buts’ or ‘ifs’ about it; Show Boat is fun; Kiss Me Kate is adorbs then of course, ‘7 Brides’ is also a side-splitting sweetheart of a movie.
The one musical I watched that I distinctly remember NOT liking at all was Camelot. It was such a bore and a waste of time. Or maybe it was the story line? I don’t know.
Many of Rogers and Hammerstein’s are grand productions also although some have strange sequences of musical numbers (i.e. Oklahoma!) and others may not be the best but have gorgeous scenery! Either way… there are some truly great musicals!
I’ve never seen Camelot or Show Boat, but I definitely enjoy all the others you mentioned. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers–yes! Did you know waaaay early in the beginning stages of Singin’ in the Rain, execs had Howard Keel (Adam in Seven Brides) in mind for Gene Kelly’s role?
And yeah, I agree–lots of R&H musicals have crazy long (and um boring) musical sequences–like the dream sequence in Oklahoma. That one is freaky!
No way! I didn’t know that Melissa – hard to imagine anyone else but Gene in the role. Howard Keel as Adam was also great in his role in 7 Brides. These iconic movies make it hard to imagine anyone else in their respective roles – and Donald O’Conner was hilarious in ‘Rain.’
Watching the video – you two have fun with these. Enjoying it. 🙂 No! Grease cannot surpass Sound of Music – that’d be disaster. 😉
Wellll…and as long as we’re throwing out fun facts, Howard Keel’s co-star in Seven Brides, Jane Powell, was also briefly considered for the role of Kathy in SITR. AND…Debbie Reynolds was in Two Weeks With Love with Jane Powell before filming SITR…she had a smaller role, played the part of a teenager. What I love about Two Weeks With Love is that basically the entire movie revolves around Jane Powell’s dream to finally get to wear…wait for it…a corset. Shudder.
I like a lot of musicals especially the Rodgers and Hammerstein ones like Oklahoma, State Fair, Sound of Music, etc. Music Man is definitely awesome too. I actually don’t own Singin’ in the Rain, but I think it’s great, and look forward to getting it sometime. Melissa, don’t forget about Hello Dolly. I’d call that a musical too!
State Fair! I watch that almost every year with a friend (shout out to Mel!) before we go to the actual state fair. 🙂 And Hello Dolly…you know I love it. In fact, I think I actually mentioned Hello Dolly at one point when we taped this, but ended up cutting it due to length.