[the OlLine Rebel]

WRONG.

Singin' in the Rain was preferred in box-office sales at its release compared to American in Paris. It is PARIS that is MORE preferred by critics. Never mind it continued having more popularity since then, all along.

Thankfully, it is so good that even critics can't "criticize" it, as they do most "mass-appeal" pieces.

[Borges]

SITA is almost universally regarded by critics as the best movie musical of all time. The late Betty Comden who co wrote the script says she was acosted at a party by Francois Truffaut who claimed it was one of his favorite films of all time and how it pops up on Critics' All Time Best lists like the Sight and Sound poll which is the most prominent international critics poll...(Citizen Kane, ruyles of the Game...Singing in the Rain!)

It's much more highly regarded then AAIP which isn't even Vincente Minnelli's best movie musical (Meet Me in St Louis, The Band Wagon, The Pirate).

The reason SITA was overlooked at the time is because it came out right right when AAIP won the Best Picture Oscar. But amongst Auterist critics SITA is preffered hands down.