You may be wondering what the heck is up with this post. Well, I am just beat these days and few things in this world make me feel better than watching my favorite movie: Singing in the Rain.
Did you know that according to IMDB: The "Singing in the Rain" number took all day to set up --and Gene Kelly was very ill (some say with a fever over 101). When it was all set up, Kelly insisted on doing a take - even though the blocking was only rudimentary (starting and ending positions only), and the director was ready to send him home. He ad-libbed most of it and it only took one take - which is what you see on film.
And . . .
For the "Make Em Laugh" number, Gene Kelly asked Donald O'Connor to revive a trick he had done as a young dancer, running up a wall and completing a somersault. The number was so physically taxing that O'Connor, who smoked four packs of cigarettes a day at the time, went to bed (or may have been hospitalized, depending on the source) for a week after its completion, suffering from exhaustion and painful carpet burns. Unfortunately, an accident ruined all of the initial footage, so after a brief rest, O'Connor, ever the professional, agreed to do the difficult number all over again.
I've felt like I could use a few days of bed rest over the last week, but I forced myself to run 2.34 on Tuesday at a 9:38 pace. It was a nice little run along the streets near my apartment. I felt better after the run, but getting started was rough. Anyway, Sing in the Rain can always make me feel better no matter my mood, so it seem like a good day to put it in a post. Because, If Gene Kelly can do that in one take with 101 fever, I can get out there and knock out a couple of miles.
Well done, Greg! Awe thanks for the tune and info too...one of my mum's faves, lovely!
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