Was Singin’ in the Rain (1952) an Inspiration for Modern Action Movie Stars?

You don’t need me to tell you this, but Singin’ in the Rain is absolutely delightful.

The songs are dynamite, the romance is potent, the color palette is tremendous, and the comedy still kills almost 70 years later. It’s even a poignant look at Hollywood’s transition from silent films to talkies. It’s a movie that does so many things, which (rightfully) makes it a classic.

But more than anything, it’s got me thinking about stuntmen.

With respect to Donald O’Connor’s brilliant “Make ‘Em Laugh” number, this isn’t a movie that involves very many stunts. Sure, Gene Kelly could’ve slipped and hurt himself while twirling around a wet lamppost and tap-dancing through puddles, but I imagine he was just fine.

It stood out to me on this watch, though, that Kelly’s Don Lockwood is not the timeless Hollywood fixture that you’d meet in, say, A Star is Born (1952). He’s not an acting prodigy or a nepotistic call-up or a young model turned screen icon. He’s blue collar. A “hoofer,” as he says. One that caught his big break by doing what others wouldn’t.

And what is it that he did that others weren’t willing to do? Stunts, baby.

Lockwood and his buddy Cosmo are working in the music department on a studio Western when all of a sudden the stuntman goes limp. (The latest of many incapacitated stuntmen on this picture, the director claims, which probably should’ve gotten their production shut down and possibly even incurred lawsuits, but that’s neither here nor there.)

So Lockwood steps in. Not only does he take a punch like a champ, he flips over the saloon bar and crashes into a row of whiskey bottles on the way down. Then he hops right up, dusts himself off, and immediately asserts his worth: “You got anymore little chores you want done in this picture?”

Suddenly, he’s a working stuntman. He’s flying planes into wooden shacks. He’s riding motorcycles off of cliffs. He’s running into buildings just before they explode. And most importantly, he’s catching the eye of a studio chief who wants to put him in their next picture as the male lead. Now he’s a real triple threat—a musician who can charm the socks off of his female counterpart and then hop into a swashbuckling sword fight.

In the context of the film’s release, this Don Lockwood character might’ve drawn comparisons to Buster Keaton, a fine actor who did all of his own stunts (because there wasn’t much of an alternative available). But I wonder if Kelly’s character might’ve inspired some of our finest action stars in the years ahead.

Jackie Chan comes to mind. (And he’s a noted Buster Keaton fan.) He followed a similar path, doing his own stunts and letting his acting chops improve along the way until he was trying his hand at things like comedy.

And I wonder about guys like The Rock and Vin Diesel and other modern action stars who happen to be in the same franchise. The Rock gave us Tooth Fairy, and Vin Diesel gave us The Pacifier, which are both atrocious films* but also vehicles to prove that these big buff boys can do more than just run and flex.

It’s interesting, because in Singin’ in the Rain, when it comes time for Lockwood to sink or swim in the new age of talking pictures, it’s not his stuntman prowess that helps him evolve—it’s his true roots. It’s the idea to turn their failed period piece drama into a musical. And it’s the stellar Broadway number that really brings the film to new heights.

Will The Rock star in a musical? He’s light on his feet, and he did do a bit of singing in Moana. Will Vin Diesel star in a musical? Seems even weirder, but apparently he’s dying to do it. (Hell, if Tom Cruise—the current king of doing his own stunts—can sing Bon Jovi in a musical, anything is possible.)

We’ll have to see what the future holds for action stars of their ilk. But if they’re inspired to switch gears, I imagine Don Lockwood will have something to do with it.

*I have not actually seen Tooth Fairy or The Pacifier but I have never heard anyone say a kind word about either film so I assume that they are both very bad.

Singin’ in the Rain is now streaming on HBO Max, and it’s available to rent elsewhere.