Has Your Tween Seen "On the Town"?

Source: Gary Dennis

(16 ratings)

Note from Tween Parent: As part of our ongoing commitment to bring our readers thoughtful ideas, insights and information related to preteen parenting, we're pleased to continue a regular entertainment feature highlighting classic movies to share with your tween. We'll be tapping into the archives with the help of Gary Dennis, classic film authority and founder of Gary Dennis' Movie Place of New York City. Stay tuned and enjoy!

On The Town (1949)

It is World War II and three sailors are on a 24-hour shore leave to try to have fun and find romance in this "wonderful town" of New York, New York. As is usually the case in the big, great MGM musicals, things eventually go right, but with a few obstacles thrown in for good measure and dramatic effect.

Gabey (Gene Kelly) falls head over heels for "Miss Turnstiles of the Month" (a girl he sees on a subway poster), a reference to the real "Miss Subways" who once adorned the subways of New York City. After a chance meeting and photo op with Ivy Smith (Vera-Ellen) on a subway platform, Gabey decides she is the one for him and vows to find her. Meanwhile, innocent small town boy, Chip (Frank Sinatra who really had to stretch) wants to go sightseeing; unfortunately, most of the sights he wants to see are history. On top of that, he gets highjacked (literally) by a lady cab driver (Betty Garrett). Ozzie (Jules Munshin) becomes the object of interest of a gorgeous anthropologist (Ann Miller) who astutely thinks he's the perfect example of a "prehistoric man." The three sailors set out to find Ivy in the big city, which, as we know, would be like finding a needle in a haystack! But, this is MGM and true love will conquer all (or in this case, New York). Although the premise is predictable, the music is wonderful, the shots of New York City are terrific and, overall, On the Town makes for a fun and thoroughly entertaining movie experience.

Genre: Musical, Comedy, Romance...

Rating: Not Rated*

Length: 98 minutes

Directors: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly (also the choreographer)

Starring: Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jules Munshin, Ann Miller, Vera-Ellen and Betty Garrett

Music: Leonard Bernstein and Roger Edens

Book and Lyrics: Betty Comden and Adolph Green

Highlights

"New York, New York" sing sailors-on-shore-leave Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin in the film's famous opening montage. The trio cavorts from the Brooklyn Navy Yard up to the Bronx, down to the Battery, and everywhere in between - a location-shot, whirlwind tour of the city that revolutionized the movie musical.

Kids will like the music, the dancing and singing, and some kids won't even mind the "kissy stuff". Most kids I talked to about this picture have said they understood the story and the characters, appreciated that the plot was uncomplicated and loved that it was set in New York City.

"So exuberant that it threatens at moments to bounce right off the screen" - Time Magazine.

Insider Scoop/Trivia (for Parents!)

The film is based on a Broadway show. As with a good number of shows turned to movies, songs were cut and songs were added. Unlike the show, the war is not a big presence in the picture.

One of the highlights of the film is the location shooting in New York City (which was innovative at the time) and was accomplished in a five day period. The opening number (with the original lyric changed from "hell of a town" to "wonderful town") depicts a geographically impossible morning of sightseeing. According to Ann Miller, it was she who talked MGM boss Louis B. Mayer into allowing the location shooting. The two major problems faced by the crew were the weather (it rained for most of the shoot) and the popularity of Frank Sinatra. As recollected by Gene Kelly, to avoid crowds, the cast insisted on taxis instead of limousines for transportation and that the camera be hidden inside a station wagon.

During the finale of the "New York, New York" number, which takes place in front of the statue of Prometheus in the sunken plaza at 30 Rockefeller Plaza (i.e., Rockefeller Center Ice Rink), you can see at the top of the frame of the last shot, the heads of hundreds of curious spectators staring at the three stars over the wall behind the statue.

Watch Jules Munshin closely during the opening number, when they are at the top of the Empire State building. Mr. Munshin was terrified of heights and had to have a rope tied around his waist and always has his hand on the wall or another actor to feel secure.

And, if anyone says that the Barbie Doll has an unrealistic body and could not exist, according to legend and reliable sources, Vera-Ellen was the body model for Barbie.

Carol Haney, Gene Kelly's assistant, performed with Kelly in the "Day in New York" ballet sequence, but was not credited.

Recognition

In 1950, On the Town won an Academy Award for "Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture." The film also won a Writers Guild of America award for "Best Written American Musical." On the Town was nominated for a Golden Globe for "Best Cinematography - Color" and a BAFTA Film Award. In 2004, the American Film Institute (AFI) ranked the song "New York, New York (1949)" at #41 on their list of the Greatest American Movie Songs. In 2006, On the Town ranked #19 on AFI's list of Greatest Movie Musicals of All-Time; and #13 on Entertainment Weekly's Best Movie Musicals of All Time in 2008.

* In the United States, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), through the Classification and Rating Administration (CARA) issues ratings for movies. The system was instituted in November 1968 and is voluntary; however, most movie theater chains will not show unrated domestic films and most major studios have agreed to submit all titles for rating prior to theatrical release.

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The venerable Gary Dennis launched the website, nycmovieplace.com, after closing his retail location, Movie Place, in New York City. Upon the store's closing, he auctioned off what was considered one of the greatest private collections of DVDs and videos ever assembled! Visit Gary's website at nycmovieplace.com for his truly unique brand of movie suggestions and commentary.