Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Rating:
Summary: Haven't I seen this before...?
Review: "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is just a little too much like it's predecessors. Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra are carbon copies of their characters from "Anchors Aweigh." The plot is identical. There is really nothing of interest in the story of this musical.

Does that matter? Well, not too much. Gene Kelly is so much fun to watch in "The Hat My Dear Old Father Wore..." that all bad plot points are forgiven. Esther Williams gets a little swimming pool scene, which is a funny nod to her claim-to-fame. Frank Sinatra gives off his boyish charm and sings some great songs. Betty Garrett is great in her role.

"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a complete formula picture. However, the formula is pretty good and always worth a watch.

Rating:
Summary: Haven't I seen this before...?
Review: "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is just a little too much like it's predecessors. Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra are carbon copies of their characters from "Anchors Aweigh." The plot is identical. There is really nothing of interest in the story of this musical.

Does that matter? Well, not too much. Gene Kelly is so much fun to watch in "The Hat My Dear Old Father Wore..." that all bad plot points are forgiven. Esther Williams gets a little swimming pool scene, which is a funny nod to her claim-to-fame. Frank Sinatra gives off his boyish charm and sings some great songs. Betty Garrett is great in her role.

"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a complete formula picture. However, the formula is pretty good and always worth a watch.

Rating:
Summary: Haven't I seen this before...?
Review: "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is just a little too much like it's predecessors. Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra are carbon copies of their characters from "Anchors Aweigh." The plot is identical. There is really nothing of interest in the story of this musical.

Does that matter? Well, not too much. Gene Kelly is so much fun to watch in "The Hat My Dear Old Father Wore..." that all bad plot points are forgiven. Esther Williams gets a little swimming pool scene, which is a funny nod to her claim-to-fame. Frank Sinatra gives off his boyish charm and sings some great songs. Betty Garrett is great in her role.

"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a complete formula picture. However, the formula is pretty good and always worth a watch.

Rating:
Summary: Betty
Review: Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly play Dennis Ryan and Eddie O'Brien, the most popular song-and-dance team in vaudeville. However, during the summer the boys are star players for the Wolves baseball team. This season both boys are distracted by the arrival of K. C. Higgins (Esther Williams), the team's new manager! Meanwhile, Eddie becomes involved with gambler Joe Lorgan (Edward Arnold), who wants to wreck the Wolves' chance for the pennant. Jules Munshin plays teammate Nat Goldberg and Betty Garrett is Shirley Delwyn, who has been pursuing Dennis so that when Eddie gets K.C., both boys will have somebody to go home to. This 1949 film was directed by Busby Berkeley, based on a story by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, who directed the dance sequences, which are clearly the best part of this musical. Not a great musical, but Sinatra and Kelly are both pleasant enough. The DVD edition of "Take Me out to the Ball Game" includes a pair of deleted Songs: "Baby Doll" and "Boys and Girls Like You and Me."

Rating:
Summary: Singing to Dancing to Baseball with Sinatra and Kelly
Review: Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly play Dennis Ryan and Eddie O'Brien, the most popular song-and-dance team in vaudeville. However, during the summer the boys are star players for the Wolves baseball team. This season both boys are distracted by the arrival of K. C. Higgins (Esther Williams), the team's new manager! Meanwhile, Eddie becomes involved with gambler Joe Lorgan (Edward Arnold), who wants to wreck the Wolves' chance for the pennant. Jules Munshin plays teammate Nat Goldberg and Betty Garrett is Shirley Delwyn, who has been pursuing Dennis so that when Eddie gets K.C., both boys will have somebody to go home to. This 1949 film was directed by Busby Berkeley, based on a story by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, who directed the dance sequences, which are clearly the best part of this musical. Not a great musical, but Sinatra and Kelly are both pleasant enough. The DVD edition of "Take Me out to the Ball Game" includes a pair of deleted Songs: "Baby Doll" and "Boys and Girls Like You and Me."

Rating:
Summary: Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra are back together again!
Review: Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra are back after starring "Anchors Aweigh", and they're better than ever! Gene Kelly is Eddie O'Brien and Frank Sinatra is Dennis Ryan, two baseball players for the champion team the Wolves, in the off-season they're vaudeville stars. As the baseball season begins to start, the Wolves are horrified to hear that there's a new owner for the team, K.C. Higgins, who's going to 'actively take part in the training'! But as it turns out, the mysterious K.C. Higgins's first name is Katherine (Esther Williams), meaning she's a woman! Womanizer Eddie soon becomes frustrated when the beautiful Katherine doesn't fall for any of his charms, and sparks fly as the two soon become enemies. On the other hand, Dennis begins to fall in love with her but does she return his love? Also starring are Jules Munshin as Nat Goldberg, Eddie and Dennis's best baseball buddy, Betty Garrett as Shirly Delwyn who has her eye on Dennis, and Edward Arnold as Joe Lorgan who is a baseball gambler.

"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is certainly one of MGM's musical comedy gems. With all the elements of a good musical, including a great cast, terrific music, fantastic dances, sweet romance, and lots of laughs, this musical is a must-see for musical/comedy fans. The plot is not complicated and in the tradition of MGM musical comedies, the story is fast-paced making the 93 minutes just fly by with snappy dialogue, foot-tapping musical numbers, some good plot twists, and great interactions between the characters.

Though Frank Sinatra and Esther Williams are listed first in the credits, this movie is mostly Gene Kelly's. Besides stealing the film with his charm, energy, and his tap dancing powers, who can't help but fall in love with him? A womanizer in the beginning of the film, it is fun to see him in the end fall in love with the 'right girl for him'. Frank Sinatra is of course his sweet self and the scenes between him and Betty Garrett are laugh-out-loud funny! It's surprising to know that he can't really dance since he does pretty well alongside Kelly though it is obvious that Kelly is the more experienced. Jules Munshin is perfectly cast as the third member of the 'O'Brien to Ryan to Goldberg' play, it wouldn't have been too bad to have more of him. And of course, Esther Williams, called at the time "America's Mermaid", is just simply stunning. Though not necessarily a 'swimming movie', Esther of course gets a chance to show off a bathing suit at the hotel swimming pool. It's not everyday a bathing beauty can sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" while swimming!

Now here's a list of the great musical numbers in the movie:
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" - Here's the famous musical number where Kelly and Sinatra give their vaudeville performance. Later on as I mentioned before, Esther Williams sings this number while swimming.
"Yes, Indeedy" - Kelly and Sinatra sing to the Wolves about their love lives during the off-season.
"O'Brien to Ryan to Goldberg" - One of the best numbers in the movie, Kelly, Sinatra, and Munshin are simply HILARIOUS! Especially the part Munshin tells about how he started off his career in baseball.
"The Right Girl for Me" - What would this film be without Frank Sinatra crooning a beautiful love song?
"It's Fate, Baby" - Betty Garrett will do ANYTHING to convince Sinatra that the two of them are meant to be. Another of the greatest numbers in the movie.

"Strictly U.S.A." - A clam bake, hot dogs, lemonade... it's strictly U.S.A!
"Upon St. Patrick's Day" - The BEST number, the reason is because this is all Gene Kelly's! Singing in an Irish brogue, he later on puts his feet to work, giving us one of the best tap dancing numbers ever done. There's this one part where he will simply stun you as he kicks one of his legs up while his one foot on the ground continues to tap dance! It's no wonder Gene Kelly is one of the best tap dancers there was or probably ever will be.

Here are some other Gene Kelly movies I highly recommend:
*ANCHORS AWEIGH* (1945) - The first teaming up of Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, also starring is Kathryn Grayson. Not one of the best musical comedies, but it's well worth it to watch Kelly dance "The Worry Song" with the cartoon mouse, Jerry!
*ON THE TOWN* (1949) - Once again, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jules Munshin, and Betty Garrett are joined once again to star in this delightful film about three sailors going 'on the town'. Also starring the terrific Anne Miller (in my opinion the best woman tap dancer ever) and the beautiful Vera Ellen.
*COVER GIRL* (1944) - One of Kelly's earlier film, he stars along with Rita Hayworth and Phil Silvers in a movie with a great story.
*SINGIN' IN THE RAIN* (1952) - Who can forget this film, named one of the best musicals ever, starring Kelly alongside Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor? If you haven't seen this, I assure you that you're definitely missing out on a classic!

Rating:
Summary: What a pair
Review: Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra work beautifully together in this comedy/musical. Kelly has the charm and Sinatra has the innocence. This musical is sure to score big with you and your family.

Rating:
Summary: A GUY musical!!
Review: I just LOVE this movie! In spite of an idiotic story and outrageous overacting (mostly from Kelly) this movie a sheer delight! Kelly and Sinatra pretty much repeat their roles from "Anchors Aweigh": Kelly as the womanizing man about town, and Sinatra as the shy bumpkin. Esther Williams is delicious as the woman who takes over their baseball team, and Betty Garrett as the woman who has the hots for Sinatra (don't we all?) just steals every scene she's in. The highlights are Kelly singing and dancing to "The Hat my Father Wore," and Garrett wooing Sinatra with "It's Fate, Baby, It's Fate."

Rating:
Summary: A GUY musical!!
Review: I just LOVE this movie! In spite of an idiotic story and outrageous overacting (mostly from Kelly) this movie a sheer delight! Kelly and Sinatra pretty much repeat their roles from "Anchors Aweigh": Kelly as the womanizing man about town, and Sinatra as the shy bumpkin. Esther Williams is delicious as the woman who takes over their baseball team, and Betty Garrett as the woman who has the hots for Sinatra (don't we all?) just steals every scene she's in. The highlights are Kelly singing and dancing to "The Hat my Father Wore," and Garrett wooing Sinatra with "It's Fate, Baby, It's Fate."

Rating:
Summary: Take me out to the ballgame
Review: I thought this movie was excellent! i'm a big fan of older movies and this one just takes the cake! I've seen it 5 times and i can keep seeing it over and over again. Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelley are a great team!