La La Land is receiving a great deal of praise for the way to takes the classic Hollywood musical and gives it a modern spin. It turns out that there was one classic musical in particular that gave the cast and crew inspiration while filming. While accepting an award on behalf of the movie Ryan Gosling thanked Debbie Reynolds for her body of work, specifically, Singin' in the Rain.
I wish I could have said this in person, but I'd like to thank Debbie Reynolds for her wonderful career of work. She was an inspiration to us every day --- we watched Singin' in the Rain every day for inspiration, [she was] a truly unparalleled talent. So, thank you to her for all of that inspiration.
Singin' in the Rain has been on a lot of people's mind in the last week since the death of star Debbie Reynolds. It is by far one of the most popular musicals ever produced. It's not surprising that it was used as inspiration for those making La la Land a film which captures some of that classic musical magic. Ryan Gosling made the comments while accepting the Vanguard Award for his movie at the Palm Springs Film Festival.
Singin' in the Rain has a lot more in common with La La Land than simply being a musical. It's also a movie about making movies. Both films deal with the movie business in very different eras. Gene Kelly plays a silent film actor trying to find his place in the new era of sound. La La Land follows an actress looking for her big break as well as a musician who's trying to keep traditional jazz music alive while most of the industry has moved on.
The influence of Singin' in the Rain is clear to see when watching La La Land. The musical sequences of the film, especially those early on, are done as bright and colorful production numbers like you would see in a Hollywood musical from a bygone era. The dancing might not be quite up to Gene Kelly standards, but only because he wasn't available to choreograph the film.
Singin' in the Rain and Debbie Reynolds will continue to be an inspiration to musical talents for decades to come. While we may not see as many movie musicals as we once did, La La _Land_, and the success the film is having is certainly proof that interest in the medium will never die.
