Singin' in the Rain: contexts, genre and narrative

Singin' in the Rain (Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly, 1952): silent film star Don Lockwood faces the coming of sound in 1927, falls for the young performer Kathy Selden, and uses her voice to rescue a film starring his co-star Lina Lamont, until the trick is revealed at the premiere.
Made by MGM's musical unit, led by producer Arthur Freed, at the height of the studio system in 1952.
Set in Hollywood in 1927, as The Jazz Singer brought sound to feature films, so its contexts are those of the time it shows as well as the time it was made.
A comic, affectionate look at the move from silent film to the 'talkies' and the problems early sound caused.
The integrated musical: songs and dances that express feelings and move the story on, star performers, spectacle, and the 'show within the show'.
Narrative: a story about making films, with the romance and the problem of Lina's voice resolved together at the premiere, and themes of image and identity, and love triumphing over adversity.
A short worked paragraph linking a context to a specific moment in the film, as the comparison question rewards.
Worked answers with their marks, and practice questions to try, each headed 'Practice question' with its marks.
Quote only short lines of dialogue you're sure of, a few words at a time, and base every point on what happens in the finished film.

What you need to know