Tools of Characterization
Characterization in Singin' in the Rain
Actions
Everybody in Singin' in the Rain is characterized by how they act. Take R.F., for example. He's not a major character, but we learn a lot about him by how he behaves: more specifically, by how he waffles. No, not the delicious breakfast dish. Mmm, waffles. We mean how R.F. initially dismisses talking pictures as just a fad and then decides they're the bomb; or how he can't decide what to do with Lina every time she acts up. All of the characters in Singin' in the Rain reveal their true colors through their behaviors, and some of those colors are prettier than others.
Kathy Selden, A-List Pal
More than anybody, our plucky gal Kathy is characterized by what she does—and what she does paints her in a positive light almost all across the board. For example, when we first meet her, she's driving herself to a dancing gig at R.F.'s party. Immediately, we know she's independent, and that's pretty cool given that the movie's set in the 1920s, when women weren't exactly the most liberated members of society.
Kathy's actions also show what a generous character she is, and that makes her an aberration in self-centered, career-obsessed Hollywood. Not once, but twice she offers to dub Lina's voice and put her own future in jeopardy in order to save Don's hide: First, when it looks like The Dueling Cavalier is sunk, and later when The Dancing Cavalier is a certified hit and Lina's gone crazy-pants and demanded to speak live at the screening. In the end, Kathy's willingness to sacrifice herself is rewarded: She gets the guy and she gets her dream job. Her actions suggest that, if you're big-hearted, maybe you can have it all.
The Evolution of Don Lockwood's Dignity
Kathy's not just a good girlfriend; she's also a good role model. At the start of the movie, before he meets Kathy, Don's a big fat liar. The very first thing he does in the movie is tell Dora Bailey a tall, tall tale about his "sophisticated" upbringing. Then he meets Kathy, and things get real.
Kathy makes Don question what he's all about, and when he falls in love with her, he starts behaving differently. He vouches for Kathy to R.F. and helps her career. He suffers Lina's foolishness even less than before. He sings and dances in the rain. At the Dancing Cavalier premiere, he threatens to walk if R.F. lets Lina stomp all over Kathy. And in the end, he wins Kathy back by making it clear that her acting career is just as important as his is. Considering the movie takes place in the '20s, not the most progressive time in history when it comes to all things lady-related, that's huge.
And We Cahn't Stand Her
Lina Lamont isn't your typical villain. She doesn't have a magical Darth Vader death grip (or "force choke," if you want to get all Star Wars nerdy). She doesn't have a Snidely Whiplash-style mustache to twirl. Instead, her actions throughout the film make it crystal clear that she's the baddie.
It all starts when Lina gets Kathy fired from Coconut Grove and takes off from there; by the movie's third act, she's gone full scoundrel. She releases a bogus interview to the press, demands that R.F. force Kathy to dub her voice for her 'til the end of cinematic time, and tells R.F. that she's running the show now at Monumental Pictures. Then what happens? She makes a classic movie villain mistake and gets too big for her bedazzled britches. It's her final action—insisting that she make a big speech at the Dancing Cavalier premiere—that ultimately brings her down.
Occupation
Nobody ever dreams of being a tollbooth operator one day. First, there are all those grubby dollar bills. Secondly, society has trained people to define themselves, and others, by their line of work. And let's be real, there's not a lot of glitz and glamour in being a tollbooth operator. The health insurance benefits are great, though, so there's that. But anyway, there sure is glamour in Hollywood, and Singin' in the Rain makes that clear right from the start.
Stage vs. Screen
At the beginning of the film, Don and Lina are both characterized by their jobs as mega movie stars. When they roll up to the Royal Rascal premiere in their fancy car and fancier clothes—accompanied by fans screaming and, occasionally, fainting—you immediately get a firm grip on who these two people are. While Don learns over the course of the narrative that most of being a movie star is all Tinsel Town magic, and evolves past being defined by his occupation, Lina never gives up the charade. It seems for Lina that, without her job, she's nothing. Maybe that's why she turns into such a grade-A villainess in the movie's final act. Girlfriend's desperate to save her identity and the ritzy lifestyle to which she's become accustomed.
On the other end of the occupation spectrum, there's Kathy. By Hollywood standards, she's just a lowly dancing girl, driving herself to gigs and popping out of cakes. She's characterized by her job, too. Because she's a background player and chorus girl when we meet her, we view her as ambitious and hardworking. She's working her way up the Hollywood ranks. When she takes Don down a peg by telling him that acting in movies is an undignified profession, we root for her. (It probably doesn't hurt that we've just seen Don somewhat sleazily deny his own humble upbringing.)
Put on Your Dancing Shoes
As Kathy and Don fall in love at that breakneck pace that only happens in movies, we see her down-to-earth character, born of grit and determination, rub off on Don. He reclaims his roots as a vaudeville hoofer, and, when The Dueling Cavalier becomes The Dancing Cavalier, those singing and dancing skills he previously stifled in favor of one silent, interchangeable costume drama after another become part of his job. And here's the coolest part: As his job changes, his character changes, and changes for the better. Don Lockwood, star of movie-musicals, is happier, more vibrant, and way less insecure and self-centered than Don Lockwood, silent film star. And he doesn't have to wear any more powdered wigs.
Speech and Dialogue
How important are speech and dialogue to Singin' in the Rain? Well…they propel the entire plot! The fact that Lina royally stinks at speaking sets everything in motion. It also characterizes her as vapid and more than a little bit dimwitted. It's not just her nails-on-a-chalkboard voice, Shmooper; it's her mangling of the English language. Sure, lines from Lina like "I make more money than Calvin Coolidge… put together!" are funny, but they also show that she's not the brightest star in the heavens, or even in the Monumental Pictures stable.
Lina's not the only character who's developed by dialogue. Don is, too. More accurately, he's developed by his lack of dialogue. Expressing his innermost thoughts and feelings off the cuff isn't exactly this silent film star's forte. "I'm trying to say something to you," he explains to Kathy as they start falling for each other on a studio back lot, "but I'm such a ham, I guess I'm not able to without the proper setting." Then he fires up the lights and wind machine on an empty soundstage and expresses himself with an assist from ye olde movie magic. Don has a rough time communicating his true feelings by speaking, so, instead, he dances. Fortunately, he's, like, really good at it.