Themes: Opposites Attract, Military Life, Fish Out of Water
Main Cast: Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson, Gene Kelly, José Iturbi, Dean Stockwell
Release Year: 1945
Country: US
Run Time: 139 minutes
Plot
This mammoth musical is at base the story of two sailors on leave in Hollywood. Brash Joseph Brady (Gene Kelly) has promised his shy pal Clarence Doolittle (Frank Sinatra) that he will introduce Clarence to all the glamorous movie starlets whom he allegedly knows so well. Actually, the only actress whom Joseph meets is bit player Susan Abbott (Kathryn Grayson). He arranges for the golden-throated Susan to be auditioned by musician José Iturbi, but when she seems to want to return the favor romantically, Brady tries to foist the girl off on Clarence. But Clarence only has eyes for a fellow Brooklynite (Pamela Britton). Also involved in the plot machinations is runaway orphan Donald Martin (Dean Stockwell). Featuring Kelly dancing with such partners as a cartoon mouse (courtesy of MGM's house animators Bill Hanna and Joseph Barbera), Anchors Aweigh was a huge hit in 1945, assuring audiences future Gene Kelly/Frank Sinatra teamings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Anchors Aweigh is best known for the "King Who Couldn't Dance" sequence, a mixture of animation and live action that features Gene Kelly dancing with Jerry the mouse (of Tom and Jerry fame). This sequence deserves its reputation, for the blend is seamless and the dancing is captivating. Nothing else in the film really matches this segment, but it's still a light, quite enjoyable diversion. Kelly is in excellent terpsichorean form, whether dancing a charming duet with a little beggar girl or demonstrating his flair for acrobatics in the "La Cumparsita" ballet; he also does more than hold up his end of the dramatic chores, with one of his patented wolf-on-the-surface/creampuff-underneath portrayals. Frank Sinatra handles the ballads (including the lovely "I Fall in Love Too Easily") with aplomb, and Dean Stockwell is cute without being annoying. Kathryn Grayson (unflatteringly costumed by Irene) is bland but serviceable (although her fans will be delighted with her vocal performance), but her sweet and unaffected rendition of the simple "My Heart Sings" is noteworthy. Anchors' 139 minutes is too long for its very slight story (and the majority of José Iturbi's role could easily be cut with no damage), but the extra length doesn't detract from the film's modest but very real appeal. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Randall Duell - Art Director, Cedric Gibbons - Art Director, Stanley Donen - Choreography, Gene Kelly - Choreography, Kay Dean - Costume Designer, Irene - Costume Designer, George Sidney - Director, Adrienne Fazan - Editor, Sammy Cahn - Composer (Music Score), George Stoll - Composer (Music Score), Jule Styne - Composer (Music Score), Sammy Cahn - Songwriter, Jule Styne - Songwriter, Charles P. Boyle - Cinematographer, Robert Planck - Cinematographer, Joe Pasternak - Producer, Richard A. Pefferle - Set Designer, Edwin B. Willis - Set Designer, Isobel Lennart - Screenwriter, Alex Romero - Assistant Choreographer, Natalie Marcin - Short Story Author
Leon Ames - Admiral's aide reads citation for medals
Sharon McManus - Little Mexican Girl
Sara Berner - Jerry the Mouse (in Tom and Jerry cartoon)
Songs
Main Title - MGM Studio and Orchestra
Anchors Aweigh - MGM Studio and Orchestra and Jose Iturbi
We Hate to Leave - Gene Kelly & Frank Sinatra
Brahms Lullaby - Frank Sinatra (Sang to Donald to come back again with Joe)
I Begged Her - Gene Kelly & Frank Sinatra
If you knew Susie - Frank Sinatra & Gene Kelly
Jealousy - Kathryn Grayson
What makes the Sunset - Frank Sinatra
(All of the Sudden) My Heart Sings - Kathryn Grayson
The Donkey Serenade - Jose Iturbi
The King who couldn't sing and dance - Gene Kelly
The Worry Song - Gene Kelly & Sara Berner (as Jerry the Mouse from the cartoons "Tom and Jerry")
The Charm of You - Frank Sinatra
The Mexican Hat Dance - Gene Kelly & Sharon McManus
Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 - Jose Iturbi
I Fell in Love Too Easily - Frank Sinatra
La Cumparsita - Gene Kelly
Waltz Serenade - Kathryn Grayson
Anchors Aweigh (Reprise) - Dean Stockwell
Anchors Aweigh (Reprise 2) - MGM Studio and Orchestra Chorus (THE END)
About the film
The movie was written by Natalie Marcin and Isobel Lennart and directed by George Sidney. It was the first in a series of buddy pictures teaming the cocky dancing Kelly with the (against type) shy singing Sinatra, which culminated in 1949 with On the Town. The production tried to mix some of the more successful story elements and set-pieces from earlier MGM musical hits, such as Meet Me in St. Louis.
The movie is famous for an musical number where Gene Kelly dances seamlessly with the animated Jerry Mouse (voiced by Sara Berner). Tom Cat appears briefly as a butler in the sequence supervised by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Originally, the producers wanted to use Mickey Mouse for this segment. Some sources claim Walt Disney initially agreed to loan out Mickey, but Roy Disney rejected the deal. According to Bob Thomas's book on Roy Disney, the studio was in debt after World War II and they were focusing on trying to get their own films out on time. According to Roy, they had no business making cartoons for other people.[2]
Gene Kelly and Jerry Mouse (MGM)
The film offers rare color glimpses of the wartime MGM studio, including the Thalberg Building, the frontgate, the backlot, the commissary, and one of the scoring stages, as well as an on-screen performance by real members of the MGM studio orchestra. There is also a memorable scene at the Hollywood Bowl, where Sinatra sings "I Fall in Love Too Easily", after Iturbi and a group of young pianists have performed a spectacular arrangement of Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. In the audition scene with Iturbi, Grayson sings a special arrangement by Earl Brent for coloratura soprano and orchestra of the waltz from Peter Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings. And Iturbi conducts the United States Navy Band for a patriotic rendition of the title tune. Many of the memorable scenes in this film were later featured in the That's Entertainment! tributes to MGM.
In popular culture
Paula Abdul was inspired by the scene of Kelly dancing with Jerry to create the video for her song "Opposites Attract", where she dances with an animated cat.
In the Family Guy episode "Road to Rupert", the character Stewie Griffin dances with Kelly in an attempt to rent a helicopter. To do so, the animators took the original footage, removed Jerry Mouse, and replaced him with Stewie. The dialogue was performed by Stewie's normal voice actor and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane. However, Jerry's reflection can be seen below Stewie.
Awards and nominations
Winner: Academy Award, Original Music Score, Georgie Stoll (although the contributions of one of the first black composers and pianists in the MGM music department, Calvin Jackson, went uncredited,[3] this was not uncommon even for white studio musicians)
Nominated: Academy Award, Best Picture
Nominated: Academy Award, Best Actor, Gene Kelly
Nominated: Academy Award, Best Cinematography (Color)
Nominated: Best Song, "I Fall In Love Too Easily" (Words and Music by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne, Sung by Frank Sinatra)
Trivia
On an aircraft carrier entering San Diego Harbor. Admiral Hammond in the name of the Secretary of the Navy awards Petty Officer Second Class Joseph Brady (Gene Kelly) and Seaman Clarence Doolittle (Frank Sinatra) Silver Stars for actions on the USS Knoxville. When Doolittle is blown overboard, Brady dives in the water and saves his life.
^Higham, Charles; Greenberg, Joel (1968). Hollywood in the Forties. London: A. Zwemmer Limited. p. 85. ISBNNot Given.
^ Bob Thomas. "Building a Company: Roy O. Disney and the Creation of an Entertainment Empire." Eventually Disneys lent out their effects wizard Joshua Meador to spruce up MGM's 1956 Forbidden Planet.
^ Clora Bryant & Steven Isoardi (1999), Central Avenue Sounds: Jazz in Los Angeles, University of California Press, p. 68.
