It offers a lighthearted depiction of Hollywood in the late s, with the three stars portraying performers caught up in the transition from silent films to " talkies ". Arthur Freed conceived the idea of the film based on the back catalogs of songs written by himself and Nacio Herb Brown. Because many of the songs had been written during the transition from silent films to "talkies", writers Betty Comden and Adolph Green decided that was when the story should be set.
When the story morphed into that of a romantic hero with a vaudevillian background surviving the transition period in Hollywood and falling back onto his old song-and-dance habits, Kelly, who was chosen for the lead along with Donen, responded enthusiastically to it. The film was only a modest hit when it was first released.
Today, however, it is often regarded as the greatest musical film ever and one of the greatest films ever made. In , Singin' in the Rain was one of the first 25 films selected by the United States Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". In , Empire magazine ranked it as the eighth-best film of all time. On the red carpet, Don tells the story of his rise to stardom, claiming to have grown up cultured and highly educated.
His words are contradicted by flashbacks showing his humble roots as a hoofer , vaudeville musician and stuntman alongside his childhood best friend and longtime collaborator Cosmo Brown accompanied by the song "Fit as a Fiddle". Don also expresses his admiration for Lina, feeding rumors of a secret romance between them. In reality, the rumors are a publicity stunt and Don barely tolerates Lina, although she believes that he loves her.
After the premiere, Don is mobbed by fans and escapes by jumping into a passing car driven by Kathy Selden. Kathy reluctantly gives Don a lift. She claims to be a theatre actress and expresses disdain for film acting, particularly Don's hammy performances.
