The time Gene Kelly was forced to remove gangster rap sequence from Singin’ in the Rain

Singin’ in the Rain is an all-time classic and perhaps the greatest musical ever put on screen.

The film is a light-hearted look at the transition from silent film to ‘talkies’ in twenties Hollywood.

Perhaps it’s most famous sequence is Gene Kelly’s Don Lock wood dancing through a rainstorm in an alleyway.

However, that scene was originally very different.

“Yeah, the film shows the shortened version of that sequence,” confirmed star Donald O’Connor in a 1985 Wogan interview.

“In the original, you saw Gene walk off into the rain and then this pounding beat began, just a bass drums, a tight snare and some hi-hat.

“Then, appearing out of the rain, there were these three black guys – Righteous D, Martell, and Furious.

“They wore all black, including shades and black military berets and they just stood there facing the camera for thirty seconds before launching into a furious rap about racial injustice.”

The gangster rap sequence was hugely unusual for the time as the genre wouldn’t be invented for another forty years.

“Gene loved it though,” confirmed O’Connor.

“I mean, we all did, it was an incredibly powerful call-to-arms for the black community and America as a whole.”

However, the studio was uncomfortable with a sequence of righteous black fury in the middle of a gentle light-comedy/fantasy.

“I suppose the phrase ‘homies got sprayed with AKs,’ and repeated use of the n-word was jarring, but that was the point,” explained O’Connor.

“Gene wanted to shake America up and that’s why he gave the screen time to these guys.”

Ultimately the studio insisted on the sequence being cut.

“They claimed it was negative test-screening results,” laughed O’Connor cynically.

“But they were just scared. Scared of the future, scared of this bold new music, and they killed it.”

Having the sequence cut from the film set back gangster rap for years to come and it wouldn’t really recover until 1989’s Straight Outta Compton.

“Singin’ in the Rain is still great. I love it and I’m proud to have been involved,” said O’Connor.

“But, in my head, I still see the original.

“Gene walking out of that alley and then the beat kicking in, and Martell, straight to camera – Getting heavy in my chevvy but South Central on fire, South Central on fire.

“Just great, great work.”