Rain or "Summer Breeze"?

'Isn't this a lovely day' is choreographed accordingly by the event Jerry wanting to win Dale's heart. The event starts off by Jerry and Dale stranded under a gazebo due to the rain. Initially, Dale does not favour Jerry but she shows interest as Jerry progress by singing to her. When Jerry stands up, Dale gives in and starts mimicking Jerry's moves. Eventually, both of them dance in similar motion which means that Dale is favouring Jerry. As the thunder strikes, the dance gets even more aggressive which result them to dance together, with physical contact. This indicates that Jerry has successfully capture Dale's heart. On the other hand, 'You were meant for me' is choreographed in conjunction to Don wanting to express his love and sincerity to Kathy. Don brings Kathy to a studio setting and then confesses his love for her by making use of the apparatus in the studio. The ambiance is romantic even though it is artificially and electronically achieved. He starts by singing and inviting her to dance with him. Kathy is doubtful but she gives Don and herself a shot. In the dance, Don leads Kathy and it implies that she is willing to give this relationship a chance.

 'Isn't this a lovely day' begins by both, Jerry and Dale sitting on a bench. The first approach by Jerry on chasing Dale is by singing to her. Then, he stands up and starts whistling. The first imitation is when Dale whistles after Jerry whistles. From there, Dale starts to imitate Jerry's dance steps which later leads them to dance in synchronize. The thunder alarms them but they continue dancing and hence, it leads to physical contact. The physical contact somehow signifies that Dale gives in and accepts Jerry as her admirer. The musical number ends by both sitting on the floor with legs folded after a lively dance together. 'You were meant for me' begins by Kathy standing on the ladder. Similar to 'Isn't this a lovely day', Don initiates by singing 'You were meant for me'. Then, Don invites Kathy to dance by holding her hand. Kathy's willingness to dance with Don signifies that she trusts him and Don has successfully convinced Kathy that he loves her whole-heartedly. At the end, Don stands on the ladder indicating that he will take the lead in their relationship and that she can count on him.

The general meaning of the lyric 'Isn't this a lovely day' is, despite the bad weather, it is still a lovely day because they are trapped in the gazebo together. Jerry is also trying to convey that it does not matter if it is raining as long as Dale is with him. In my opinion, the honeyed lyric is sang by Jerry to win Dale's heart by convincing that even if life mistreats him, he will still be contented as long as she is with him. In contrast, the overall meaning of the lyric 'You were meant for me' is, Don telling Kathy her importance in his life and he is grateful that they have met. In my view, the lyric conveys a hidden meaning that Kathy's existence is the most sincere thing in Don's life as the life of a celebrity is pretentious and full of shenanigans.The tempo of 'Isn't this a lovely day' is andante (moderate pace) in the beginning when Jerry is singing. However, when he stops singing, the tempo  increases as they tap-dance simultaneously. The tempo is allegro (quick) during the alternates of the music and the dancing. At the end, it is presto (very fast) when the couple finally makes body contact and starts spinning, dancing together. On the other hand, the tempo of 'You were meant for me' remains slow (adagio) when Don is singing. The tempo increases as they started to dance together.'Isn't this a lovely day' is a fun, energetic number as the music has an upbeat tempo. What makes the music energetic is that it has elements like whistling and fast tap-dancing beats, Not to mention, noises from the background which is the thunder contributes to the energetic spirit. Meanwhile, 'You were meant for me' is rather lethargic as it has a slow tempo which creates an amorous and romantic sensation. Moreover, the beats of the tap-dancing is softer and slower in comparison to 'Isn't this a lovely day'. Therefore, it is least energetic.
                        

My preference would be 'Isn't this a lovely day'. This is chiefly because of the playful mood evoked by both the dance and song that puts a smile on my face. I especially enjoy the first two minutes where Jerry tries to woo Dale. Jerry's charming yet flirtatious way of approach to charm Dale creates an affection from me towards Jerry. In my opinion, the chase emits puppy-love type of romance, very playful yet innocent. Also, Dale's facial expression is priceless because you could see the fondness that gradually blossoms in her face as Jerry sings to her. On the other hand, 'You were meant for me' is leaning towards the sentimental romance which is touching but not as entertaining. In my view, Kathy's facial expressions do not vary in comparison to Dale's. Perhaps, this is due to Debbie Reynolds (Kathy) scarce experience in acting as she was only 19 years old. Nonetheless, "You were meant for me' is a great number as it is well sang and performed by the casts. However, I will still root for 'Isn't this a lovely day' as it appeals to me for I tend to adore light-hearted musical numbers compared to the sentimental ones. Therefore, Rain wins! 

A random notion of mine came up that Gene Kelly and Ginger Rogers would definitely make a fantastic couple in musicals. Both stars are good-looking, almost similar in age, not to mention, both are flamboyant dancers. What do you think?

Gene Kelly and  Ginger Rogers. What do you think?