Overview: To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the 1952 acclaimed and beloved film, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that Singin’ In The Rain will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital on April 26th, 2022.

Singin’ In The Rain is widely considered to be one of the greatest musical films in cinematic history. The musical romantic comedy was directed by choreographed by Gene Kelly (On the Town) and Stanley Donen (On the Town) and stars Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchel and Cyd Charisse.

A silent film star falls for a chorus girl just as he and his delusionally jealous screen partner are trying to make the difficult transition to talking pictures in 1920s Hollywood.

4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Verdict: Warner Bros. is expanding their 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray catalog offerings this month with the release of the quite wondrous, and always uproarious to watch Singin’ in the Rain in the expansive 4K Ultra HD video format this April 26th, 2022.

For my money, this Singin’ in the Rain [4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital] combo pack sharpness takes a fairly large step forward from others in their 4K Ultra HD catalog and even comes with HDR (High Dynamic Range) for the complete 4K Ultra HD experience, of course.

So, what we have is Singin’ in the Rain presented to us as a two-disc combo pack with a sheet for a Digital HD Copy. Other stand out points you should know are: Codec: HEVC / H.265, Resolution: Native 4K (2160p), HDR: HDR10 and Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1.

Featuring Dolby Vision and HDR10 for brighter, deeper, and way more lifelike colors, as with most all 4K UHDs, everything that we watch features these qualities - but somehow, this film gloriously shines within them all.

Noticeably crisp with the overall clarity receiving an obvious boost here on this release, what is more is that it is enjoyably noticeable.

For as well as some new nuances to the somewhat drab palette courtesy of Dolby Vision we also get to witness sudden bright pops of color; such as one of the most heartwarming scenes, entitled Make ’Em Laugh. Here the uber-talented, and wholly underrated Donald O’Connor brought forth a Golden Globe-winning performance that also includes one of the most intense dance scenes ever recorded!

Indeed, the picture enjoys the fruits of the added resolution in terms of bringing out the aforementioned extremely fine facial and some of the yellow graded material - notably the fine detail to the faces of all those involved in the scene entitled The Sound Barrier. Here Jean Hagen - who was simply brilliant in this, and who I do not honestly think that her performance got the recognition it deserved - is cajoled into singing her part for the musical.

As for the audio, well we have a veritable smorgasbord of choice here: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit), English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono (48kHz, 24-bit), French: Dolby Digital Mono (224 kbps) and Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono (224 kbps).

Overall, this is a very strong 4K HDR Blu-ray presentation, and, for the most part, the audio track remains fairly similar to its DTS-HD counterpart; with much of the action occupying the surrounds with outstanding directionality and placement where effects flawlessly pan between the sides and rears.

As for the movie itself, well, as we all know by now, Singin’ in the Rain is like a theatrical necklace, strung together with gems in the form of musical numbers and then crowned with a sparkling diamond in the middle: the unforgettably classic title track. The running thread in between them might be a little weak, but it’s the jewels that that win out in the end.

Each musical number carries its own unique magnitude, breathing life, emotion, charm and romance into a lackluster plot. The story is about what happens when the motion picture business in the ’20s develops the first talking picture (the appropriately referenced The Jazz Singer starring Al Jolson) and how it affects two of the business’ biggest stars: Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) ... and, of course, their quirky piano player Cosmo (played by physical humor extraordinaire Donald O’Connor).

Underlying it all is Lockwood’s love for a wannabe actress Kathy Selden played by Debbie Reynolds, a relationship built on one of the more preposterous Hollywood fantasies.

Because of the plot’s unoriginality and the sometimes lengthy tangents the songs take you on, Singin’ in the Rain is enjoyed by the scene. As a viewer, you pick your favorites and pay more attention to them, dismissing those that bore.

O’Connor’s humorous turn in Make ’Em Laugh is a surefire favorite as is Moses (Supposes) and, of course, the titular Singin’ in the Rain. The choreography and the non-stop energy in these numbers makes them so fun and easy to watch.

Other scenes like Broadway Rhythm Ballet fit the tastes of the dancing connoisseurs as Cyd Charisse steals you away from the film for a good 15 minutes with her incredible shape and grace.

There’s also a good amount of gags and slapstick filler between numbers, but the numbers are what make Singin’ in the Rain stand out. The title number is about the only one that perfectly accompanies the storyline. Don is so head over heels for Kathy that he could sing and dance carelessly out in the pouring rain.

That’s what makes the scene stick out as classic: most of the other numbers are not extensions of the storyline, they are merely detours from it, but Singin’ in the Rain endures on even today and a stand out, and oh-so most glorious number.

Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray Elements:
Singin’ In The Rain Blu-ray contains the following previously released special features:
• Commentary by Debbie Reynold, Donald O’Connor, Cyd Charisse, Kathleen Freeman, Stanley Donen, Betty Camden, Adolph Green, Bad Lurhmann and Rudy Behlmer.
• Singin’ in the Rain: Raining on a New Generation Documentary
• Theatrical Trailer

Singin’ in the Rain will be available on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack for $24.99 SRP and features an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the feature film in 4K with HDR and a Blu-ray disc of Singin’ in the Rain.

Fans can also own Singin’ in the Rain in 4K Ultra HD via purchase from select digital retailers beginning on April 26th, 2022.