Never, in the whole history of American cinema, has such a collection of talents come together at the peak of their abilities to generate such an enjoyable and clever movie. Not only is this utterly irrepressible, but the story also beautifully evokes the excitement and pleasure of making motion pictures. Gene Kelly, co-director (with Stanley Donen) and star, was responsible in his lifetime for providing enormous pleasure for movie audiences, and his joyous rendition of the title song in this film stands as a lasting tribute. For those who don't know, this film is an affectionate parody of the days when sound came to Hollywood in the wake of The Jazz Singer, and every incident wittily referred to in Betty Comden and Adolph Green's screenplay actually happened. And, for those who do know, Singin' in the Rain is the supreme original - it wasn't a book, it wasn't a show, it was a unique work of art crafted for the screen in a studio (MGM) at its height.

In 1927 Hollywood, a silent film production company and cast make a difficult transition to sound.