Books on Books

Jonathan Aivazi INTC – Books on Books, Films on Films 5/5/15 Prof. Geyh Singin’ in the Rain: Stars and Fans What makes a successful movie? The reception of a film, determined by the audience and film critics, is a marker for the achievement of a film. One way that directors can increase the film’s popularity with the public is to feature stars; the audience is easily enamored with the stars and their roles, and continues perpetuating their fame even after the screening of the film. In the acclaimed Singin’ in the Rain (1952), directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, the star actors are adored by the audience and by fans and to maintain star status they have to “live up” to the storylines said about them, an aspect of the film industry that is still true today. Amy Villarejo in “Film Studies: The Basics”, states “Stars can never be divorced from their screen personae and from the myths sustained about them by the industry and its parasites (p.19).” Much of the fame, scrutiny, and resulting gossip emanate from fan magazines that promise fans inside access into the lives of stars. Stardom, Villarejo explains, is a “social phenomenon”, driven by the public (p. 16). She continues: “audiences…produce stars in tandem with the apparatuses of filmmaking (p. 103).” It is a combined effort of filmmakers seeking to promote their film by featuring popular actors with the audiences responding in kind by supporting and idolizing them. The plot revolves around famous actors transitioning from silent movies to producing films with sound. In the “The Royal Rascal Premiere”, Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) arrive at the red carpet premiere to the cheering of a rowdy crowd

struggling to get a closer look (1:40 – 10:47). Lina enjoys the personal attention showered onto her, later commenting, “People? I ain’t people. I am a shimmering, glowing star in the cinema firament,” thus emphasizing her perceived right to be treated exclusively. Of course, Lina the star isn’t doing this for ulterior motives. When she is given a microphone to speak to her fans she says “If we bring a little joy into your humdrum lives, it makes us feel as if our hard work ain’t been in vain for nothing.” Mise-en-scene is used in this scene as shots repeatedly switch from a long shot of the roaring crowd to an American shot of Don and Lina, emphasizing the contrast between their individualized glitzy and ostentatious dress as they emerge out of the gleaming limousine and the simply dressed fans portrayed as uncontrollable and commoner like. The film industry is driven by innovation and excitement that appeals to the public. Actors that can sustain exciting profiles become stars. However, their fans, inspired by fan magazines, expect them to continue their stardom “acting’, although it may be far from their true personality. In past films, Don and Lina were portrayed as being in a romantic relationship; naturally, the fan magazines exaggerate to make it seem as though it continues into real life. Although Don has no feelings for Lina, he is egged on by the gossip magazine columnist Dora Bailey (Madge Blake), and not wanting to disappoint the fans, plays along with it. Later, Don accuses Lina of reading fan magazines and later complains to Cosmo that Lina still hasn’t realized that he is simply “acting” and that it’s all “cooked up romance just for publicity” (14:28 – 14:448). In the interest of fame, Don assumes the mantle of a star as Cosmo tells him “The price of fame…you’ve got the glory, you’ve got to take the heartaches with it.” After being roughhoused by youthful fans, Don confides in Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds) “People think

we lead lives of glamour and romance, but we’re really lonely.” Kathy pretends as if she doesn’t know anything about him, but it becomes clear that she’s not only seen as his films, but she’s also been reading the fan magazines and is too convinced that Don is in love with Lina. Although there are instances throughout the film when Don acts “normal” when he is with Kathy or Cosmo, Don still carries an aura of a movie star. It is true that stars too have a personal side not revealed by the fan magazines, yet for the most part, they are committed to maintaining their image and ensuring that the film succeeds. In the scene after Don and Lina exit the stage, Lina complains that she isn’t being allowed to talk during the premiere. R.F. Simpson (Millard Mitchell) has to explain that the “studio’s got to keep their stars from looking ridiculous at any cost” (13:23 – 13:35). This demonstrates that stars need to maintain the public’s perceived image of them if they wish to keep their stardom. One scene in which stars fail at their acting role and thus lose credibility is in “The Dueling Cavalier” scene (56:11 – 59:35), where Don’s studio, Monumental Pictures, decides to implement sound in their films in order to keep up with competition. Throughout the film the sound repeatedly loses synchronization with the camera. Consequently, once the audience realizes, their perception turns from previous admiration to mocking laughter. This defies their expectations on how stars should perform, and the stars are not “living up to the script” that has been dictated to them, so their reception of the film fails miserably, with some members noting “That was the worse film I ever saw”. Similarly, in the “Musical Scene” (1:35:15 – 1:41:36), Lina pretends to sing “Singin’ in the Rain” with Kathy providing the voice behind a curtain. The VIP audience’s gaze is fixated on Lina and naturally she gets their admiration. However, when Don pulls the curtains up and the

audience realizes Lina’s inability to sing, they burst out laughing. Its as if all her previous stardom and reputation has been erased, so there is no persona or glory to latch onto. It takes Don to call out that Kathy is the real star in order to assist in Kathy’s personal accession to stardom. The idea that stars appeal to the public by virtue of their beauty, performance, or style, and in turn receive publicity that is used to promote a film, is a central theme in Singin’ in the Rain and a key feature of film production. Regardless of the role that the star is playing, if it exudes awe inspiring acting, the audience will appreciate the movie that much more and place it rightfully in the annals of great film.

Works Cited Singin' in the Rain. Perf. Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds. Prod. MGM, 1952. Villarejo, Amy. Film Studies: The Basics. London: Routledge, 2007. Print.