What came first, the chicken or the egg? I’m not really sure, but I do know which came first between Singin’ In The Rain the musical and Singin’ In The Rain the song. Oddly enough, it was the song.
According to our friends at Wikipedia, Singin’ In The Rain originally debuted in the movie Hollywood Revue of 1929. Now, I’ve never seen Hollywood Revue, mainly because I don’t like musicals. But, the thing I love about Singin’ In The Rain is that it’s a musical that pokes fun at the transition from silent movies to “talkies”.
See, the overarching premise is a war between two studios trying to get their talking picture released first. Unfortunately, Lina Lamont, a silent film star, has a voice that is high-pitched, annoying, and definitely not made for this new art of sound in pictures. One of my favorite scenes is watching Ms. Lamont struggle through her lines as she practices with a diction coach. Cracks me up every time.
Now, aside from the hilarity of this comedic musical, you can’t argue that Singin’ In The Rain is probably one of the most recognized theme songs in all of history (okay, that’s a big statement, but you get my drift). One of the most famous scenes of this film has been parodied and popularized in mainstream culture for decades. Go ahead, check it out. Even if you’ve never seen the movie, I bet you’re familiar with this scene.
Of course, as I said before, it’s been parodied in several movies. And my favorite rendition has to be in Stanley Kubrick’s genius adaptation of the book A Clockwork Orange. If you want to check it out, by all means, click here. But, if you have a sensitive stomach, you might want to pass this one by. Not me, though, I’m gonna pop that sucker in my DVD player right this second. I love that flick!
So, any thoughts regarding my third favorite movie theme song? Let me know in the comments below.