Singing in the Rain: Set Construction and Costumes

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Molly Gunther

Singing in the Rain is one of my favorite musical films. I am a sucker for anything with elaborate tap dancing numbers, and while Gene Kelly is no Fred Astaire, he holds his own in this film along with Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds.One of my favorite things about Singing in the Rain is the elaborate mise-en-scene, which contributes to the film within a film or world within a world theme that we are focusing on in this class.

The film takes place in the twenties but was filmed in the fifties, so the costumes are a mixture of styles and bold colors from both time periods.The costumes contribute to the narrative by distinguishing the characters from one another. In this post I will focus on three of the major female characters. Kathy wears simple and modest dresses that match her sweet, girl-next-door character. In the “Good Morning” sequence, her loose dress helps her keep up with Don and Cosmo during the dance number, yet gives her shape so she never sacrifices her femininity. In contrast to Kathy, Lina’s wardrobe throughout the film is glitzy and glamorous. Her white coat lined with fur is the epitome of Hollywood wealth and glamour in the 20’s. Lina’s costumes contribute to her interest in fame and outward appearances. Towards the end of the film we meet Cyd Charisse’s nameless character in the “Broadway Melody” sequence. Her flapper costumes are dripping with sex appeal. She exudes power as she dances around and seduces Don’s character, distracting him from his original dream of dancing.

Another example of Singing in the Rain’s complex mise-en-scene is the set design and representation of space. Just before Cosmo begins to sing “Make em Laugh” Don and Cosmo are walking by a variety of sets, including a train car in front of a moving screen. These sets are examples of mise-en-scene within the world of Singing in the Rain, and are all constructed to show the audience everything that went into the making of a film during this time. An example of the construction of mise-en-scene within the film is the scene in which Don confesses his love for Kathy. He takes her to an empty sound stage in order to have the right setting in which to tell her how he feels.This scene shows the audience precisely how mise-en-scene is achieved. Don pieces together the mise-en-scene of a film that would have a romantic theme. He tells her to stand on a ladder in front of the painted backdrop of a sunset. Don puts together all the elements, the moonlight (a purple spotlight), the stardust (more lights), and the summer breeze (a giant fan).

The most impressive instance of the film’s mise-en-scene is the “Broadway Melody’ song and dance sequence. The scene takes place within Don’s imagination and is purposefully filled with over-the-top lighting and costumes. When Don sees Cyd Charisse’s character for the second time, his imagination wanders to an ideal non-space, which resembles the space he created with Kathy. Here they share a romantic dance number. Now we are three layers deep in the mise-en-scene. Once again the main components that stand out here to me are the costumes. Charisse is wearing a beautiful white dress with a long piece that flows as she dances, and Kelly is dressed in all black.The contrast between the colors shows the divide between them, and visually, looks incredible.

Every time I watch this film, I am amazed by it’s construction and costumes. I am also filled with regret that I never learned to tap dance.

24 thoughts on “Singing in the Rain: Set Construction and Costumes”

  1. I like your comparison between the character of the females in the film and the choice of the costumes in the mise-en-scene. I think that adds a dynamic nature to the interpretation of what the film industry and society in general were communicating about femininity in that time period.
    I also appreciate your analysis of the sets and space used in the mise-en-scene of the film. It not only conveys the central theme of showing what the film industry and studios were like at the time, but also the fact that different settings can make an impression on the mood of the actors and of the audience. Your last analysis, which successfully summarizes the use of mise-en-scene in the film through Don’s “dream” is interesting in that the set and costumes give Don (Kelly) the ability to create his stories in the same way he attempts to in reality (not only as a character in the film itself, but also as a meta-commentary of actors in general creating their reality).

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