Which one of his own films did Gene Kelly consider his favorite? Choose one:

A) Singin' in the Rain
B) Ziegfeld Follies
C) An American in Paris
D) On the Town

If you chose "A" you'll probably have lots of company. The 1952 "Singin' in the Rain" has become a classic American musical. It boasts the musical number that became Gene Kelly's signature number. Everybody loves "Singin' in the Rain"!

If you chose "Ziegfeld Follies," you'll definitely be in the minority, but it might show what a big Gene Kelly fan you are. This movie marked the only time that Kelly and Fred Astaire danced together on screen when they were both still relatively young. And in 1974's "That's Entertainment" (an anniversary retrospective on MGM's golden musical movie days) Kelly let it be known that dancing with Astaire was among the best of his dancing memories.

If you chose "An American in Paris," you're certainly justified. This 1951 film was an artistic masterpiece, particularly the ground-breaking 17 minute cinematic ballet which Kelly choreographed and then danced with co-star Leslie Caron. If was after this film that Kelly won his honorary Oscar for contributions to the film industry.

But although the first three choices are great contenders, the actual answer is "D": On the Town. This 1949 musical starting Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jules Munshin, Ann Miller, Betty Garrett and Vera-Ellen was the movie that Kelly himself proclaimed his personal favorite.

"New York, New York, It's a Wonderful Town!"

Kelly plays a sailor named Gabe who, along with his sailor buddies Chip (Sinatra) and Ozzie (Munshin) is on a twenty-four hour leave in the Big Apple. The three sailors want to hit the town and hit it hard (painting it not just red, but white and blue...this was patriotic 1949 America!). The movie wastes no time setting us up for their one-day frolic, opening with the spirited number "New York, New York." The guys begin to sing as they run through the shipyard and continue to sing as they roam all over the wonderful city they're lauding in song.

"New York, New York" was one of four Leonard Bernstein songs in the film; most of the other songs were written by Roger Edens with lyrics penned by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, who also wrote the screenplay. Comden and Green are now best known for their screenplay for "Singin' in the Rain'..." but that was still three years down the road. At any rate, their special brand of sweet and somewhat madcap humor permeates the entire film, including some of the sillier songs like "You're Awful" and "Count on Me."

Gabe is one of Kelly's typical characters: he's seemingly brash (and likes the ladies) but down deep he's sensitive and shy. The twist on the role here is that he's really just a small town boy awed by a big city. He and Ozzie want to find some pretty girls during their brief time in Manhattan, while Chip, the youngest and most innocent of the three, is just enthralled with every skyscraper he sees. With guidebook in hand, he's just as likely to gawk at a museum as at a pretty girl.

Of course all three of them fall for terrific gals (who just happen to know how to sing and dance up a storm) and the ins and outs of their whirlwind romances take us weaving through the zany plot like a New York cab driver. In fact, the girl who ends up stealing Chip's heart is their cab driver. Hildy (Betty Garrett) basically reprises her role from that year's earlier Take Me Out to the Ballgame, only she does it with even more energy. Instead of the girl who can't say no, she's the girl who won't take no for an answer, and her determined pursuit of the innocent Chip brings the film a lot of its best humor. It also gives us one of my favorite musical numbers, "Come Up to My Place," a exasperated and argumentative duet between Garrett and Sinatra.

In the meantime, Ozzie has fallen hard for a gorgeous brunette named Claire (Ann Miller) who just happens to be a archeologist at the Museum of Natural History. She falls for him too, mostly because he reminds her of her favorite "Prehistoric Man." That's also the title of Miller's big musical number, where she shows off her amazing tap-dancing skills.

Only poor Gabe is left without a date for much of the afternoon, but it's not for lack of trying. He's on the prowl for a certain girl named Ivy (Vera-Ellen) whose picture he saw on a poster in the subway. She's this month's "Miss Turnstiles" and our small town hero is dazzled by her beauty and celebrity, little knowing that she's actually a poor dance student who has to work at Coney Island to pay her bills -- and who actually hails from the same small town in Indiana where he grew up.

The plot is the technicolor cotton candy you've come to expect from an MGM film, and the music, though spirited and fun, is not always terrifically memorable (with the exception of the numbers I've already mentioned, and the title song "On the Town"). The dancing is out of this world, of course, especially when the three sailors and their girls finally get together and cut loose with all the complementary talent this particular ensemble brought together.

So why did Kelly remember this film so fondly?

I'm not sure, but I'll hazard a few guesses. One is that I think he simply had fun making it. This group of people looked as though they enjoyed working together, and they were all amazingly talented, though in very different ways. It's a known fact that Kelly thrived on fusing together musical styles and genres, so I think choreographing for this group, which included a talented ballet dancer like Vera-Ellen as well as the amazing tap-dancer Ann Miller, must have been a joy.

Second, this was one of the first films where Kelly had more creative control. It marked his directorial debut; he co-directed the film with Stanley Donen, with whom he did most of his best creative work. He was also able to choreograph a ballet fantasy sequence near the end of the film (something he would continue to do with increasing boldness and inventiveness in the next few years).

Finally, this was the first musical to be shot partially on location. Kelly and Donen were able to convince MGM to let them shoot for at least a few days in Manhattan, a major feat since MGM infinitely preferred their people to stay put in Hollywood. The location lends a reality, bustle and color to this film which truly makes it a worthy tribute to the wonderful New York.

Although this isn't my personal favorite of Kelly's films, I do love its feel-good humor, the amazing dances, and the joy that seems to permeate the whole project. I can certainly understand why he'd remember it with such fondness, and that alone makes On the Town a must-see for any Gene Kelly fan.

~befus, 2007

Some of my insights into the making of this film and its place within Kelly's career are due to my recent re-watching of the documentary Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer. Review of that film coming soon!

Kelly, Sinatra, Munshin and Garrett all had major roles in 1949's Take Me Out to the Ballgame too.

A biography of Kelly: Gene Kelly: A Life of Dance and Dreams





Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie