Shot-by-shot description of Gene Kelly’s solo dance in Singin’ In the Rain
To accompany ‘Close-up and Personal Gene Kelly Singin’ in the Rain’ by Rick
Instrell in Media Education Journal, 51, Summer 2012.
Shot Image/audio
Action/Camera
movement/Edits
1
29s
Track in to MS of Kathy
Selden (Debbie Reynolds) and
Don Lockwood(Gene Kelly).
They converse then kiss and
Kathy goes inside. Don turns
towards the street.
Cut and match on action …
Light orchestral music underscore.
Don: Good night, Kathy. See you
tomorrow.
Kathy: Good night, Don. Take care of
that throat. You're a big singing
star now, remember? This dew is just
a little heavier than usual.
Don: Really? From where I stand, the
sun is shining all over the place.
LS of Don facing the street,
umbrella raised in one hand
and other hand stretched out.
Don good naturedly waves the
driver on.
Tracking LS: Don saunters on
to the street and vamps the
intro to the song.
2
37s
Cut and match on action to …
Underscore: jaunty light music intro
to ‘Singin’ in the Rain’.
Don (vamps): Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo...
1
Tracking LS: Don closes
umbrella and puts it over his
shoulder. Don’s walk becomes
more exaggerated and he turns
a corner and leaps up on to
lamppost holding on with arms
outraised.
3a
26s
Don (sings): I'm singin’ in the rain
Just singin’ in the rain
What a glorious feelin’
I’m happy again
I’m laughin’ at clouds
So dark up above
The sun’s in my heart
And I’m ready for love
He jumps from the lamppost
then hugs it and the camera
tracks into to MS Don
smilingly blissfully.
3b
Cut to …
Tracking LS: Don strolls down
street, passes walking couple
sheltering under a newspaper.
They turn to watch his antics
then walk off He stops and
stands arms outraised.
4a
14s
Don (sings): Let the stormy clouds
chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain
2
The camera cranes in to high
angle shot of Don.
4b
Cut to …
I’ve a smile on my face
Tracking LS: Don tap dances
using umbrella as a dancing
partner and juggling prop. He
doffs his hat to a bathing
belle pictured in a shop
window and then uses his
umbrella as a ukulele. Camera
moves in to MS.
5
40s
Match on action and cut to …
Don ((sings): I walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
Just singin’, singin’ in the rain
Dancin’ in the rain
(scats) Da dadya dya dadya da
I’m happy again
I'm singin’ and dancin’ in the rain
Tracking LS: Don starts dance
sequence. He hunches
shoulders and bends knees. He
juggles umbrella, swings it
and then kicks it up in the
air. He rattles railings with
the umbrella raises the
umbrella and turns to face
the camera which moves in to
MS.
6
29s
Match on action and cut to …
Underscore: Orchestra ‘Singin’ in the
Rain’
3
Tracking LS: Don dances along
and comes to a water spout.
He backs away from the spout
then throws his umbrella in
the air catching it and going
under the spout. The camera
moves in to MCU as he lowers
the umbrella to let the water
splash on his smiling face.
He raises the umbrella.
7
27s
Cut to …
LS: Don leaps into the street
and circles round, umbrella
outstretched. The camera
cranes up to show him
circling and returning to the
pavement.
8
10s
Cut and match on action to …
Tracking LS: Don splashes
along, one foot on the kerb
and one in the gutter. He
does a ‘tightrope walk’ along
the kerb then does one- then
two-footed childlike
splashing on pavement and
road. A cop appears screen
right and looks on then folds
his arms in puzzlement.
9
36s
Cut to …
Over the shoulder MS of Don
from cop’s POV.
Camera cranes up as Don waves
to cop then walks down the
street, hands umbrella to
passer-by and marches
jauntily into the distance.
10
28s
Don (sheepish then politely defiant):
I'm dancin’ and singin’ in the rain.
4