ON THE TOWN

 "ON THE TOWN" (1942)

Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra made 3 movies together --- "Take Me Out to The Ballgame," "Anchors Aweigh" and "On the Town." I was VERY excited to see this one the schedule. It is one of my favorite musicals and there is so much to love about it! "On the Town" is a 1949 American Technicolor musical film, with music by Leonard Bernstein and Roger Edens. The book and lyrics were by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. It is an adaptation of the Broadway stage musical of the same name produced in 1944 (which itself is an adaptation of the Jerome Robbins ballet, titled "Fancy Free, also produced in 1944). Although many changes in the script and score were made to the original stage version; for instance, most of Bernstein's score was dropped in favor of new songs by Edens, who felt that the majority of Bernstein's music was too complex and too operatic for film audiences. This caused Bernstein to boycott the film. It was directed by Gene Kelly (who also choreographed) and Stanley Donen, in their directorial debut. It stars Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Betty Garrett and Ann Miller. It features Jules Munshin and Vera-Ellen." They all do an amazing job, but I have to say my "favorite" of the cast is Betty Garrett. She is such a great talent and adds a great deal to the film. It is notable for its combination of studio and location filming, the result of Gene Kelly's insistence that some scenes be shot in New York City, including Columbus Circle, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Rockefeller Center. It" won the Oscar for Best Music – Scoring of a Musical Picture," which is why it was included on the schedule. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for "Best Cinematography (Color)". Screenwriters Comden and Green won the Writers Guild of America Award for "Best Written American Musical." In 2006, the film ranked number 19 on the American Film Institute's list of Best Musicals. In 2018, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

SYNOPSIS: "Fun-loving sailors Gabey (Gene Kelly), Chip (Frank Sinatra) and Ozzie (Jules Munshin) have 24 hours of shore leave in New York City, and they want to make every second count. While Chip hooks up with loudmouth cab driver Brunhilde (Betty Garrett) and Ozzie swoons for prim anthropologist Claire (Ann Miller), Gabey falls in love with an actress he sees in an advertisement, Ivy Smith (Vera-Ellen). Leonard Bernstein, with lyricists Betty Comden and Adolph Green, provides the music."