On the Town

Three sailors (Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Jules Munshin) have 24 hours to meet girls and see sights of New York City.

On the Town is, in many ways, the movie Anchors Aweigh should have been. Instead of getting bogged down in a tired plot with a whiny kid, stars Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra more or less roam free, chasing girls and having a ball. It’s a fun, airy film strung together by more than a few memorable song and dance numbers.

Betty Garrett, Ann Miller and Vera-Ellen all work well as the sailors’ love interests, with Vera-Ellen the weakest of the three and Betty Garrett the best, turning in a fine comedy performance in addition to her singing and dancing. All the girls bring a good amount of charm and match the film’s easygoing tone.

Aside from MGM’s ever-present typecasting of Sinatra as a naïve boy next door type that handicaps his natural charm, On the Town doesn’t have many faults. The performance-within-a-movie where Kelly, Vera-Ellen and a cadre of dancers retell the film’s entire story through dance feels induglent, but it’s a minor stumble.

Granted, as a song-and-dance musical comedy, the genre itself doesn’t allow for much depth, and while you may remember a routine or two, the film’s story really doesn’t stick with you. But is it meant to? Before summer blockbusters, this was the popcorn staple; a breezy 98 minutes to sit back and enjoy, no thought required. While, sadly, this was Kelly and Sinatra’s final team up, they certainly went out on a high note.