Main Cast: Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Betty Garrett, Ann Miller, Jules Munshin
Release Year: 1949
Country: US
Run Time: 98 minutes
Plot
Three sailors on a 24-hour pass -- Gabey (Gene Kelly), Chip (Frank Sinatra), and Ozzie (Jules Munshin) -- decide to soak up the sights and sounds of New York. Each one finds romance within those 24 hours: Gabey with aspiring dancer Ivy Smith (Vera-Ellen), Chip with lady cabbie Hildy Esterhazy (Betty Garrett), and Ozzie with paleontology student Claire Huddesten (Ann Miller). That's all, right? Wellll....Ivy passes herself off as a celebrity, but she's actually a kootch dancer in Coney Island. Claire and the boys inadvertently topple a dinosaur replica at the Museum of Anthropological History. And Hildy breaks any number of speeding laws attempting to get the lovers together and straighten out all misunderstandings. Adapted from the Broadway musical by Betty Comden, Adolph Green, and Leonard Bernstein, On the Town is one of the freshest, most exhilarating musicals turned out by the old MGM regime. The stars' verve and camaraderie are contagious, and the songs are staged by legendary musical director Stanley Donen and Kelly himself with wit and innovation. Highlights include the opening "New York, New York" number, shot on location and flat-cutting from one image to another at a dizzying pace, and Gene Kelly and Vera-Ellen's ""Miss Turnstyles Ballet."" ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
On the Town was one of MGM's brightest films of the post-WWII era, symbolizing the optimistic view of the future that was widely held in the U.S. in 1949. Three sailors (Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, and Jules Munshin) have a 24-hour pass in which to see New York City. Fortunately, they also have a fine song score to take along with them, and some unusually fine choreography. As should be expected from an MGM production from this era, the tech credits are superb and the overall production design memorable. This is one of the best films produced by MGM's Arthur Freed unit, and it would probably be remembered as the single best musical of its era if it were not for Singin' in the Rain (1952). ~ Richard Gilliam, All Movie Guide
