It’s not everyday that people hear about blood on the set of Sing in the rain. However, Debbie Reynolds once opened up about how she bled into her own shoes while filming the “Good Morning” tap dance sequence. It’s an iconic scene from the classic musical, but it took a lot of work to make it happen. Reynolds explained how far she went to get this Sing in the rain fair scene.
Debbie Reynolds shocked Gene Kelly when she was cast in ‘Singin’ in the Rain’
Reynolds played Kathy Selden in Sing in the rain alongside the wonderful Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor. She opened up about the experience on the Turner Classic Movies YouTube channel. Reynolds recalled the first call she received about the project from MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer. The actor has his story, but Kelly remembered the incident quite differently.
“Mr. Mayer called me and he was like, ‘Debbie, you’re going to do this movie Sing in the rain“recalls Reynolds. “I said ‘Yes, sir’ because he’s the boss. He was the head of the whole studio, MGM Studios. Then Gene Kelly came in and he said, ‘Gene, this is Debbie. She’s going to be your first lady,” and he sounded surprised.
Reynolds continued, “He remembers him telling them I was going to do it. I think he was telling a story. I think Mr. Mayer put me in that movie because I was under contract. for very little money and I was that little girl. I was an innocent little girl and I think they took a chance, luckily.
However, Reynolds didn’t just sit down and pat his back for the Sing in the rain role. She put in a lot of hard work to make the movie perfect.
“I worked like a dog, I loved doing it, I was scared to death, but it all went well,” Reynolds said.
Debbie Reynolds bled in her shoes while filming ‘Good Morning’ tap dance
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TCM asked Reynolds where she established her trust seen in Sing in the rain among many other projects during his career. They specifically brought up the “Good Morning” dance number, which the actor vividly remembers filming.
“It was a really tough dance program because Gene created it and went on the couch at the same time,” Reynolds said. “If you don’t hit the couch in perfect sync, it’s not all good. But, he spun it about 40 times, but he printed the first take.
Reynolds recalled a bit of friendly competition between Kelly and actor Fred Astaire on set.
“He was a very demanding man and he looked like Fred Astaire,” Reynolds recalled. “They had a contest going on. Fred and Gene wanted the foreground in the box, so to speak, in the camera, all shot at 8 in the morning. So Gene was always trying to beat Fred, and so we started this number (singing) ‘Hello, hello!’ It was dark when we finished and we were really done.
However, Reynolds’ feet paid the price for landing the “Good Morning” number just by Sing in the rain.
Reynolds concluded, “I had blood in my shoes and it was very difficult to make these numbers as fast as they wanted and for as long as they wanted over and over and over again.”
Gene Kelly got into a rage with Donald O’Connor while filming ‘Singing in the Rain’ to protect Debbie Reynolds
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O’Connor also had a specific memory that he recalled to TCM surrounding Sing in the rain“Hello” with Reynolds.
“One day we were doing ‘Hello’, so we dance, (sing) ‘Hello, hello! It’s great to stay up late,” O’Connor said. “Gene says, ‘Donald, are you going to stop fooling around? I have all this work to do, I have to do the last issue and everything. Just cut it. Get to work.
O’Connor continued, “I looked around to see who he was talking to and it was me! So I just said. ‘OK.’ Again, I thought he had lost his mind. That evening we had a favorite watering hole at that time right in front of the studio. I was there with some friends and Gene walked in.
“He said, ‘Donald, I’m so sorry I yelled at you, but Debbie just couldn’t get those steps,'” O’Connor recalled. ran the risk of losing her from the rest of the movie. I couldn’t take that risk, so I took it on you instead. I said, ‘Okay, but you better protect yourself next time’ (Laughs).
The Reynolds with Sing in the rain turns 70 on April 11.
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