The Singin' In The Rain Scene Put Donald O'Connor In Bed For Three Days

If you've ever seen "Singin' in the Rain," you probably remember Donald O'Connor's astonishing execution of "Make 'Em Laugh" where his singing and dancing abilities culminate in a superb performance that invokes both slapstick physical antics and regimented choreography. The sequence features O'Connor as the prime subject with very few auxiliary performers contributing to the spectacle. He is the only one actually dancing in the scene, so the task of amusing the audience essentially fell solely upon him. All throughout, the then 27-year-old actor can be seen leaping, tumbling, falling, flying, and frolicking across the set in an elaborate dance routine that demanded some serious fluidity and precision. All the while, O'Connor frantically belts his heart out, delivering a supercharged ditty without missing a single note. Moreover, the scene was captured in a single take. 

Apparently, the scene was so physically distressing for the actor, he retired to a hospital bed for three whole days in order to recover from it (via IMDb). It's rather ironic that the "Make 'Em Laugh" sequence begins with O'Connor declaring that "you can't let a little thing like this get you down" to fellow actor Gene Kelly. While it certainly got him down in real life, he was back at it after the three days of rest had restored him to proper health. All the same, the show indeed must go on (he also says this in the iconic "Make 'Em Laugh" scene). 

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