Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Right when Singin’ in the Rain should be wrapping up, it parks the plot for a giant dream ballet with Cyd Charisse in green, and you could go make a sandwich and come back to the same dance. It’s gorgeous. It’s also the one place the movie forgets it’s a comedy. Gene Kelly splashing through the title song, grinning in a downpour like a man who just got the best news, is pure joy. Donald O’Connor nearly steals the movie with Make ’Em Laugh, throwing himself at walls and couches like gravity is a suggestion. And Jean Hagen’s Lina, a silent star whose speaking voice could crack a microphone, is one of the great comedy villains. The scenes of the studio scrambling to learn sound, hiding microphones in plants and costumes, are smarter about Hollywood than most movies about Hollywood. A 9.7 because it’s the happiest movie ever made, with one ballet that won’t take a hint. $516 says the next time it rains, you swing around a lamppost, or at least think hard about it.

What works: Gene Kelly’s title number, Donald O’Connor’s Make ’Em Laugh and Jean Hagen’s hilarious Lina make it a nonstop delight.

What doesn’t: The long Broadway Melody ballet near the end stops the story cold right when it should be racing to the finish.

Who it’s for: Anyone who thinks they don’t like musicals, plus everyone who already knows they do.