I cant very well write about Singing in the Rain without writing about West Side Story. A film released in 1961 to follow up the to the 1957 Broadway production.
The film itself starred Natalie Wood as a Puerto Rican immigrant learning the love ropes in the tough West side of New York. ‘Sticking with her own kind’ instead of the Pollack shop boy played by Richard Beymer. Know whats sad .. no one remembers the actor who played Tony. That makes me feel sorta bad cuz the dude dies for love and no one remembers his name.
A modern day Romeo and Juliette, I only throw that in cuz every single time you hear West Side Story you hear that. Although the topic is forbidden love the difference here is the cinematic scope and the segway to songs. One of the coolest things about this film is the flow. In most musicals there is that 3 second pause from dialog to song WSS doesn’t have that its literally seamless.
With a fascination for ‘bad boys’ the Jets vs Sharks gang mentality was my draw here, well that and my mom again. She had the vinyl she sang it all the way through. I can sing it all the way through too I can be the entire cast,and fake out a pretty mean accent to. A musical with dance breaks that leave you somewhat bewildered. The basketball court ballet is jaw dropping and proves that men can dance ballet and still be bad ass sexy. The horn section in this number sends chills down my spine.
There are so many outstanding moments “Gee Officer Krupke’ and ‘Cool’. The lighting within the warehouse during ‘Cool’, the segment where Jet big man “Ice” (fantastically played by another name you don’t throw around Tucker Smith) calms down the gang, all too willing to fight the Sharks, is haunting. Dance sequence lit by car headlamps is outstanding. I love how this film is a tough guy story but with great theatrical stances. The crew of the Jets stopping while finger snapping to look up a the camera at the end of cool is a perfect example of the fact that you’re watching a film. The cast stops to remind you of it.
There is currently a Broadway revival going on. I hope to catch that very soon. But I’ll always compare a live performance to the film. Backwards but its how I remember things.
In 2010 its so easy to forget the masterpieces of musical film. We need to teach our children that High School Musical is nothing more than the inadequate ghost of that a musical was. Have we as a public become so sophisticated that there is nothing left for us but comedy, drama, horror, and indie? Is it cost prohibitive now? Should I carry on with a reminder review of Sound of Music? Its OK to have a film make you feel good and engaged. Don’t forget them.