Singin' in the Rain Questions

Bring on the tough stuff. There’s not just one right answer.

  1. How would the movie work without the songs? Would it be better, worse, or about the same? (Sorry. Didn't mean to turn into your eye doctor there.)
  2. Do you think the tone of musicals like Singin' in the Rain is too naïve and innocent for today's audiences?
  3. This is one seriously colorful movie. Literally—it's bright and bold and shot in glorious Technicolor. What effect does that have?
  4. Gene Kelly co-directed, starred in, and choreographed all of the dance sequences in the movie. How would you describe his style as a dancer?
  5. Did the "Broadway Melody Ballet" take you right out of the movie? Why or why not?
  6. Let's be real: Is R.F. a wimp?
  7. What do you think happens to Lina after the premiere of The Dancing Cavalier? Is her career in Hollywood through? Is there a use for that voice and persona in movies?
  8. What message about Hollywood is the movie trying to send? Does it send different messages through different characters?
  9. How do the film's themes jibe with the fact that Debbie Reynolds' (Kathy's) voice was dubbed? (Betty Noyes provided Reynolds' singing voice. In the scene where Kathy dubs Lina's speaking voice, Reynolds' speaking voice was dubbed by Jean Hagen, a.k.a., Lina herself.)
  10. Is the movie-musical dead? Has it returned in a different form?