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Singin' in the Rain: The Making of an American Masterpiece
Earl J. Hess
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Description for Singin' in the Rain: The Making of an American Masterpiece
Paperback. The first comprehensive history of one of the greatest, most famous, and most "American" of all American films. Compulsively readable, richly biographical, and full of anecdotes on the set and behind the scenes it places the film firmly within its era and recreates the experience of making a cinematic masterpiece." Num Pages: 346 pages, 16 photographs. BIC Classification: APFA; JFCA. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 228 x 154 x 19. Weight in Grams: 478.
America's most popular film critic is hardly alone in singing the praises of ""Singin' in the Rain"". This quintessential American film - made in Hollywood's Golden Age, showcasing the genius of Gene Kelly, and featuring what Ebert calls 'the most joyous musical sequence ever filmed' - has inspired love and admiration from fellow critics, film scholars, and movie buffs worldwide for more than half a century. Indeed, its reputation continues to grow: the American Film Institute now ranks it number 1 on its list of the Greatest Movie Musicals of All Time and number 5 on its list of the Greatest American Films of All Time. Echoing the enthusiasm of the film's most devoted fans, Earl Hess and Pratibha Dabholkar embrace and illuminate both the film and its reputation. Combining lucid prose with meticulous scholarship, they provide for the first time the complete inside story of how this classic movie was made, marketed, and received. They re-create the actual movie-making experience, on the set and behind the scenes, and chronicle every step in production from original concept through casting, scripting, rehearsals, filming, scoring, and editing. They then trace its distribution, critical reception, and enduring reputation. The book is brimming with human interest, bursting with anecdotes and quotes by and about the film's stars and makers. Here are Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor at the top of their form, along with Debbie Reynolds and Cyd Charisse in their breakthrough roles. Here, too, are fascinating tidbits - about censorship troubles, continuity flaws, stunt doubles for Kelly, voice doubles for cast members, the dubbing of taps, and genealogy of all the songs. Hess and Dabholkar also provide in-depth analyses of each of the major song-and-dance performances, including details of everything from the dynamics of 'Gotta Dance!' to the physical challenges of the remarkable title number. Based on exhaustive research in oral histories, studio production records, letters, memoirs, and interviews, their book is factually impeccable, compulsively readable, and indispensable for anyone who loves movies at their absolute best.
Product Details
Format
Paperback
Publication date
2009
Publisher
University Press of Kansas
Condition
New
Place of Publication
Kansas, United States
ISBN
9780700617579
SKU
V9780700617579
Shipping Time
Usually ships in 15 to 20 working days
Ref
99-99
About Earl J. Hess
Earl J. Hess is associate professor of history at Lincoln Memorial University. He is author of several books, including Lee's Tar Heels: The Pettigrew-Kirkland-MacRae Brigade and Pickett's ChargeThe Last Attack at Gettysburg.
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