How it All Began
It all began about twenty years before the movie was ever made. MGM producer Arthur Freed spent his time in the ’20s as a lyricist, making scores for talkies with Nacio Herb Brown. Their song ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ was featured in The Hollywood Revue of 1929. In the ’40s, Freed wanted to create a musical from his own catalog.
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Realizing the songs were a part of their era, they thought the songs would do better in a happy tone rather than sophisticated and gloomy. And with Gene Kelly’s interest in the role of Don Lockwood, the movie shifted from song-centered to a full-on dance musical. Kelly also came onboard as not just the star, but the co-director and choreographer. By June 1951, the movie was in production, which lasted five long and grueling months.