Nacio Herb Brown & Arthur Freed - Singin' in the Rain

Nacio Herb Brown (February 22, 1896 – September 28, 1964) was an American writer of popular songs, movie scores, and Broadway theatre music in the 1920s through the early 1950s. After his first hit "Coral Sea" (1920) and first big hit, "When Buddha Smiles" (1921), he eventually became a full-time composer. He joined The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) in 1927. In 1928 he was hired to work in Hollywood by MGM and write movie music for the new medium of sound film. For his film work, he often collaborated with lyricist Arthur Freed. This collaboration produced Singin' in the Rain. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.

Arthur Freed (September 9, 1894 – April 12, 1973) was born Arthur Grossman in Charleston, South Carolina. He was a Jewish American lyricist and a Hollywood film producer. Early in his carrier, he wrote lyrics for numerous Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films, many set to music by Nacio Herb Brown. In 1939 he was promoted to being the head of his own unit within MGM, and helped elevate the studio to the leading creator of film musicals. Freed brought an outstanding amount of talent from the Broadway theaters to the MGM soundstages and also helped shape the careers of stars including Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, Jane Powell, Esther Williams, Cyd Charisse and many others. He brought Fred Astaire to MGM after Astaire's tenure at RKO. His team of writers, directors, composers and stars produced a steady stream of popular, critically acclaimed musicals until the late 1950s. He allowed his directors and choreographers free rein, something unheard of in those days of committee-produced film musicals. Two of his films won the Academy Award for Best Picture: An American in Paris and Gigi.

His most highly regarded film, Singin' in the Rain is a 1952 American comedy musical film starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds, and directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, with Kelly also providing the choreography. Although it was not a big hit when first released, it was accorded its legendary status by contemporary critics. It is now frequently described as one of the best musicals ever made, topping the AFI's 100 Years of Musicals list, and ranking fifth in its updated list of the greatest American films in 2007.

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