Rating: 
Summary: Exuberant, Joyous . . . and a Trend-Setter
Review: Some critic--I can't remember who--defined the musical parts of a musical as "explosions of joy." Which makes 1949's "On the Town" one of the most joyfully explosive movie musicals ever. Before the three sailors (Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jules Munshin) get to leave their ship on 24-hour shore leave, they are "serenaded" by a heavy-equipment operator who stretches and musically moans "I feel like I'm not out of bed yet." A digital ticket-tape-type clock marks the exact time our boys can leave ship as they launch into the theme song, "New York, New York, a Wonderful Town," (which was bowdlerized from "a Helluva Town" on Broadway).The plot is a nifty number where all three gobs pick up gals but one of them loses his--through neither of their fault--then spends the rest of the day looking for her. The satiric vein is mined along the day with references to museum snobs, overcrowded nightclubs, hillbilly music, taskmaster Russian ballet coaches and that Manhattan favorite--eavesdropping on the subway. Just briefly, there are two paradoxical reasons why I think this film works so well. First, we have here a repertory cast whose areas of expertise hadn't quite jelled yet. So Frank Sinatra was allowed to play a shy kid instead of a heavy, Ann Miller was allowed to play light comedy instead of just tap-dance, and Betty Garrett was allowed to BE in the movie before her husband crossed the red-baiters of the Fifties (back then, the idea usually was to blacklist first and ask questions later). Gene Kelly seems to be at his relaxed and versatile best, and Vera-Ellen is a simply wonderful dancer. The second reason this flick is so good is that it pioneered techniques that were new to movies at the time, particularly a mixture of location and studio shooting (try to figure out when the cast is on top of the REAL Empire State Building and when it's the MGM lot); musical numbers that advanced the plot instead of just providing entertainment (clearly, Hollywood had been looking at Broadway, in particular Rodgers and Hammer-stein's "South Pacific"); and the dream-ballet complete with symbolic decor and an ever-frustrated Gene Kelly symbolically looking for and losing love. (This particular device shows up in "An American in Paris," "Oklahoma," and in backstage form in many other flicks, not necessarily musicals.) There are people who don't like this movie. It's a little too street-wise or proleterian, call it what you will. But their numbers are in decline, possibly because the Manhattan this movie celebrates has ceased to exist and in the long view has become almost as synthetic and charming as a backstage movie lot. If you think you can handle real-life locations, go with this one; you won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: A Fun Film!!!!
Review: This a very good movie about three sailors Gabey Gene Kelly), Chip (Frank Sinatra), and Ozzie (Jules Munshin). These sailors plan on going sightseeing and picking up dates at the same time. Chip picks up a very, shall we say forward taxi driver Hildy Esterhazie (Betty Garret), and Ozzie picks up the lovely anthropologist Claire Hudson (Ann Miller). While Gabey chases passionately after what he thinks is a real New York Celebrity,
Miss Turnstiles (Vera Ellen). Alice Pearce makes a funny appearence and you can't help laughing when she says: "Oh, it's just a little sniffle." Kelly and Vera - Elllen do a very toned - down tap number'Main Street.' While Miller makes a jaw dropping performance of 'A Prehistoric Man.' Overall, it's a fun movie and I recommend it highly.
Rating: 
Summary: Quality Alert!
Review: This is a fun little movie which I find compelling whenever Gene Kelly and Vera Ellen are on the screen. Otherwise it is somewhat corny to be honest. However, I bought this from Amazon and it turned out to be defective with digital breakup which stalled my player. I returned it then purchased it from our local Tower Video store only to find something similar. When returning it, the manager and I noticed indentations in the stock itself, perhaps indicative of a bad printing which, if this is the case, it would be nice to see Warner Brothers do something about it. If this was an anomaly I would like to know about it as there is something simple and nice, evocative of a past era which I would enjoy having in my collection.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best!!!!!!!!!!
Review: This is a really great movie. I think this movie is better than An American in Paris. The movie is about three sailors named Gabey (Gene Kelly), Chip (Frank Sinatra), and Ozzie (Jules Munshin) let loose on a 24 hour leave. On a subway Gabey sees a poster of "Miss Turnstiles of the Month" named Ivy Smith (Vera-Ellen) (he thinks she is some high society girl) so they spend the day looking for her. On the way they run into a cab driver who has eyes for Chip named Hilde (Betty Garrett). They also meet a gorgeous anthropologist named Claire (Ann Miller). Anyway this movie is awesome! It has a lot of great music and Ann dances great during the song "Prehistoric Man." There are also some great shots of New York. They really don't make movies like this anymore which is a dirty rotten shame! This movie is a must see!
Rating:
Summary: Not the Broadway version, but still a great movie musical
Review: Three sailor friends take a zany, madcap tour of New York City in the Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green musical ON THE TOWN -- refashioned here as an MGM vehicle for Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Jules Munshin as the sailors and Vera-Ellen, Betty Garrett, and Ann Miller as their girlfriends-for-a-day. Although I think that the original stage score, composed wholly by Bernstein, is superior, the movie does have several fine "new numbers," including "Prehistoric Man" (in which Miller, in a stunning tap dance routine, proves herself to be no cold scientist but a hot-blooded woman) and "You're Awful" (a golden vocal moment for Sinatra) -- as well as Bernstein's "I Feel Like I'm Not Out of Bed Yet," "New York, New York (A Wonderful Town)," "Come Up to My Place," and the ballet "A Day in New York." Usually thought of as one of Kelly's "big three" MGM films (along with AN AMERICAN IN PARIS and SINGIN' IN THE RAIN), ON THE TOWN in fact has no real "star"; the roles are all about equal in size. Kelly, so often cast in "tough" roles, is here touching in his pursuit of the lovely and talented "Miss Turnstiles" (Vera-Ellen). Sinatra is charmingly boyish and Munshin adorably hilarious, while their "girlfriends" -- Garrett the comedienne and Miller the dancer -- are well contrasted. "A Day in New York" is a highlight and prefigures both "Broadway Melody" in SINGIN' IN THE RAIN and "An American in Paris" -- two other "dream ballets" in which Kelly's character is the sad and dejected lover. This movie may not be Broadway's ON THE TOWN, but it is a colorful MGM musical with a first-rate cast.
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