Singin’ In the Rain

In 1952, nobody expected any staying power out of Singin’ in the Rain. In fact, it was thrown together hastily out of old songs to cash in on Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s previous An American in Paris. That’s why the movie is set in the early days of Hollywood—to go along with music that was nostalgia-inducing even then. Part of its strength is that the dancing doesn’t have to carry the whole film by itself—the zingers traded between Kelly and Donald O’Connor (no mean dancer himself) are a treat, as well as the scenes poking fun at hapless silent actors flustering through the advent of talkies. But there’s a good reason why we all remember Gene swinging that umbrella and splashing through the puddles. One viewing of that robust boisterousness (and O’Connor’s backflip, while we’re at it), and you know why they called them hoofers. Move over, Moulin Rouge. The Heights is screening the 50th-anniversary restoration that’s been touring the country; as a cute additional touch, they’re giving away umbrellas. Heights Theater, (763) 788-9079, www.heightstheater.com