Gene Kelly stars as silent movie idol Don Lockwood, in love with chorus girl Kathy (Reynolds), at war with leading lady Lina (Hagen) and desperate to save his career when the arrival of the talkies threatens disaster. The film easily qualifies as one of the best film comedies – helium-voiced Hagen’s attempts to cope with the new-fangled sound technology are belly-laugh funny; but it’s in the musical numbers where the film soars: from the dreamily romantic ‘You Were Meant for Me’ to the sexual tension between Kelly and Charisse in ‘Broadway Melody’ to the iconic title song. Joyous.

1952 | Dir Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly | 103min | USA