Singin' in the Rain

"Singin' in the Rain" had excellent casting and Donald O'Connor and Gene Kelly were a perfect match in the dancing in the film. Both could sing and were two of the best dancers in movie musicals. Their dance numbers are perfectly synchronized and O'Connor's comic flair added to the enjoyment of the numbers, especially his acrobatic and comedic talents in "Make 'Em Laugh."

Although "Singin' in the Rain" introduced Debbie Reynolds, she had actually appeared in several earlier films. She's cute and perky in the role of Kathy Selden. Interestingly, a film that mocked the dubbing of film stars' singing voices dubbed Reynolds singing for one number, "Would You?" Betty Noyes, who also sang the song "Baby Mine" in "Dumbo" (1941), sang that song for Reynolds.

Donald O'Connor(1925-2003)

Donald O'Connor was born into a vaudevillian family and he started his career at a young age. He starred in his first film, "It Can't Last Forever," at the age of only twelve. He continued to appear in comedy movies until 1940, but then returned to vaudeville for three years. He was signed by Universal Pictures in 1942, but his career was interrupted by WW II when he was drafted into the army in 1944. After the war, O'Connor returned to Universal Pictures and he was cast in musicals and comedies in the late 1940s.

Although Donald O'Connor was an extremely gifted singer and dancer, his biggest success was in a series of comedy movies, playing opposite a mule. The five sequels to the "Francis" movies interfered with O'Connor's chances to perform in movie musicals, including a main part in the succcessful "White Christmas" film.

In the early 1950s, O'Connor did appear in several movie musicals in addition to "Singin' in the Rain," including "Call Me Madam" in 1953, "There's No Business Like Show Business" in 1954 and "Anything Goes" in 1956. His most famous dance and song routines were the "Make 'Em Laugh" number from "Singin' in the Rain" and "You're Just in Love" with Ethel Merman in "Call Me Madam."

In addition to his successful movie career with over 55 films, O'Connor had mild success on television, especially in the 1950s when he often hosted the "Colgate Comedy Hour" and appeared on variety shows. He continued to appear occasionally on TV with his last appearance in 1996 on Frasier. O'Connor's last film was in 1997.

Although O'Connor had the singing and dancing talent that often thrives on Broadway, he only appeared twice on Broadway. In 1981, he appeared in the flop "Bring Back Birdie" and in 1983 he appeared in a revival of "Show Boat."

Debbie Reynolds(1932-)

Mary Frances Reynolds was born in Texas in 1932. She began her career by winning the Miss Burbank beauty contest at the age of only 16. This win led to a contract with Warner Brothers and small parts in movies from 1948 until her "introduction" film, "Singin' in the Rain" in 1952. Reynolds became a popular movie lead in the 1950s and she appeared in 21 films during that decade. One of her most popular roles was as Tammy in "Tammy and the Bachelor" in 1957.

Reynolds' film career dropped off in the late 1960s, but earlier in the decade she earned an Academy Award nomination for her work in the movie version of the Broadway musical "The Unsinkable Molly Brown."

Reynolds appeared three times on Broadway. In 1973, she starred in the musical "Irene" and she was nominated for a Tony award for her performance. Her next stint on Broadway was in a one woman show for ten days in 1976. In 1981, she took over the lead role in the musical "Woman of the Year."

In addition to movies and Broadway, Reynolds had a brief singing career in the 1950s and her hit recording of "Tammy" earned her a gold record in 1957, when it stayed number one on the charts for five weeks.

Since the 1970s, Reynolds has worked in Vegas, movies and TV and she still performs today. In 1997, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award in Comedy.

Official Website: www.debbiereynolds.com