Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3500 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-04-09
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Full Screen, PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Arabic, Bulgarian, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 98 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Decades before the Hollywood film industry became famous for megabudget disaster and science fiction spectaculars, the studios of Southern California (and particularly Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) were renowned for a uniquely American (and nearly extinct) kind of picture known as The Musical. Indeed, when Sight & Sound conducts its international critics poll in the second year of every decade, this 1952 MGM picture is the American musical that consistently ranks among the 10 best movies ever made. It's not only a great song-and-dance piece starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and a sprightly Debbie Reynolds; it's also an affectionately funny insider spoof about the film industry's uneasy transition from silent pictures to "talkies". Kelly plays debonair star Don Lockwood, whose leading lady Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) has a screechy voice hilariously ill-suited to the new technology (and her glamorous screen image). Among the musical highlights: O'Connor's knockout "Make 'Em Laugh"; the big "Broadway Melody" production number; and, best of all, that charming little title ditty in which Kelly makes movie magic on a drenched set with nothing but a few puddles, a lamppost, and an umbrella. --Jim Emerson

Amazon.co.uk Review
Singin' in the Rain is probably the most treasured musical in the history of cinema. It is essentially a satire on the dawning age of talking pictures, but that description doesn't begin to describe its importance in the hearts of film lovers, even those who can't otherwise stand musicals. Given its origins--producer Arthur Freed wanted a framework on which to hang a selection of the hits he'd written in the early part of his career with Nacio Herb Brown, many of which had themselves featured in early talkies--it should have been a mongrel of a picture. But somehow, with its combination of endearing performances, the razor-sharp script of Adolph Green and Betty Comden, instinctive direction from Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen and those delightful songs, it is triumphantly greater than the sum of its parts.

Kelly's dance sequence, conceived for the title song, is an undiluted joy and remains an iconic cinema moment. But there is so much more to savour: Donald O'Connor's knockout vaudeville, Jean Hagen's hilarious Bronx-voiced leading lady and the honest charm of underrated Debbie Reynolds, crowned by Kelly's choreography for the Broadway Melody suite. No collection is complete without this.

On the DVD: Singin' in the Rain--Special Edition, vibrant in 1.33:1 fullscreen format with a crystalline mono soundtrack, is the crown jewel in the embarrassment of riches on this 50th anniversary two-disc DVD. The extras just keep coming: "Musicals, Great Musicals" (a documentary about Arthur Freed's legendary production unit at MGM), a shorter documentary about the film itself (much of which is duplicated by the audio commentary, led by Debbie Reynolds), outtakes and audio scoring sessions and extracts from films in which many of the songs originated. There's also a hidden feature in which Baz Lurhmann offers his own testimony to the film's enduring appeal, but it's a tad redundant given the primary sources on offer. --Piers Ford

Video Description
DVD Special Features:

Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Languages in Mono: English, Frnech, Italian
Subtitles: English, French, Italian, Dutch, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Romanian, Bulgarian, English for the hearing impaired, Italian for the hearing impaired.

Customer Reviews

An alltime favorite!
I have had this movie on VHS long before DVDs even existed! And watched it countl4ess times, so now my original 2 (!) copies are worn out. This is a wonderful movie, an all-time favourite you can't get tired of!

The humour, the playfulness, the freshness and charm are still intact after so amny years. The songs and dance parts are amazing. This movie is a true legend! Who has never heard of "Singin' in the rain"? *shakes head* everyone has!

The actors are great: Gene Kelly is stunning, Debbie Reynolds is charming in her fresh youth, Donald O'Connor playing Cosmo is extremely funny and Jean Hagen (who plays Lina Lamont) is simply perfect! her voice is so irritating, hehe :-)

This film is a must have, you must have it in your collection, there is nothing that can cheer you up better on a rainy Sunday or after an exhausting week on a Friday night than watching this witty and funny production. This movie is a true gem!

Give me this anyday over Moulin Rouge and Chicago!!
I knew the reputation of Singin' In The Rain.. but i always thought it might be one of those cheesy musicals with one good song, and is famous for no other reason than being great in its day.. but after watching the poor Mouling Rouge and the ok Chicago, and taking into consideration how many people claim these to be a return to form for musicals.. i just had to find out whether they really were, because i could swear musicals were MUCH better than these recent attempts...

And all i can say is all the reputation Singin' In The Rain has is more than well deserved, it is just one of those classic great films, and has to be one of the absolute best musicals i've ever seen. The 90 minutes fly by like nothing else, and you will have a smile on your face for more or less the complete duration... the cast couldn't be any more charismatic or likeable, a very simple story FULL of charm.. and the songs!! great, but don't let me forget the dancing!! now this is one area where we lack today, we simply don't seem to have such amazing performers who can act as good as they dance, and boy can they dance!! some sequences will blow you away. Even the film from a technical stand point is brilliant, every department is inspired.

There is only song i didn't like, the one where they sing about fashion.. other than that this film is near flawless, a masterpiece that will put a smile on even the most cynical face.. cheesy it is NOT!

Add to this one of the best transfers on DVD, and a great price!! an easy Recommendation!! :)

Sparkles like a diamond
This is one of the most brilliant films I have ever seen: it sparkles like a diamond. It is an affectionate, clever and funny look at the history of "talking pictures" - and so much more! As a fan of old movies and musicals and having a keen interest in the history of motion pictures, I find this to be a truly magical, wonderful film. However, aside from the humour, the music, the charming performers and the glorious technicolour, this film is worth watching for two things alone: Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor. Their dance routines are an absolute joy to watch. I watch their routines over and over again. The 'Moses' routine is fascinating as these dancers have very different styles and yet they both compliment each other so well. Their dancing is so fantastic it makes you want to cry. If you are a fan of old movies and old movie musicals and this one has managed to pass you by, invest in this movie now and you won't be disappointed.