On the Town starring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra
Director: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly


Essential Actor / Actresses Here

Amazon.com
New York, New York--it's a helluva town; the Bronx is up and the Battery's down; the people ride in a hole in the ground.... Well, you get the idea. Those lyrics (by Betty Comden and Adolph Green), set to Leonard Bernstein's music, have made On the Town a permanent part of the psychological landscape of New York City. The story (inspired by Jerome Robbins's ballet Fancy Free) is pretty slight: Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Jules Munshin play sailors with 24 hours' leave to take their bite out of the Big Apple. When they meet, and then lose, this month's Miss Turnstiles (Vera-Ellen), they scour the town in search of her, bumping into a lady anthropologist (Ann Miller) along the way. Shot mostly in the studio, but with location exteriors all over town, from Coney Island to the Statue of Liberty to Central Park, this 1949 gem was the first of three great musicals codirected by Kelly and Stanley Donen, followed by Singin' in the Rain (1952) and the underrated It's Always Fair Weather (1955).

Synopsis
Three sailors, with only 24 precious hours of shore leave, plan to spend an exciting day in New York picking up women and seeing the sights. But their program goes off course when one of gobs glimpses a poster of Miss Subways and decides she's the gal for him -- even if he's not sure where to find her.

Video Description
This great musical-comedy, based on the eponymous stage play, gets the full Technicolor treatment with fine singing and dancing. Three sailors with 24 hours of shore leave seek excitement and romance in New York City. Features the classic "New York, New York" number. Music by Leonard Bernstein. Academy Awards: Best Musical Score.

Video Annotation
Color by Technicolor. The film contains remarkable location footage of New York City. Shooting outside of the studio was a rarity at that time, and Gene Kelly had to fight for permission to do so. As it was, the crew had to be careful about when and where they shot, given the stars' fame -- especially Sinatra's. The film is based on the Broadway musical, which premiered in December 1944; that show, in turn, was inspired by Jerome Robbins' short ballet, "Fancy Free." Among the stars of the show were ballerina Sono Osato (as Ivy Smith), the play's writers Betty Comden and Adolph Green (as Claire and Ozzy), and Nancy Walker (as Hildy). It was a first for most of the show's young cast and creators, the majority of whom had not yet celebrated their 30th birthdays: it marked the Broadway debut for choreographer Robbins, composer Leonard Bernstein and playwrights Comden and Green. Only director George Abbott was a theatre veteran. "On the Town" was also a first in other respects -- most importantly, as the first Broadway musical to have an interracial chorus and to employ a black conductor/musical director. Reportedly, when Louis B. Mayer, head of MGM saw the show (which he had already bought movie rights to), he considered it "communist", because of a duet danced by an interracial couple. Much of Leonard Bernstein's Broadway score was scrapped for the film, which ultimately contained only four of his original songs. New songs were written by Roger Edens. MGM was not alone in wanting the film rights to "On The Town." In fact, Mayer and the other executives had to wrench them from another studio, which had already purchased them. This was the first time that a bidding war had erupted prior to a Broadway show's opening; most of the interest was generated by the popularity of Jerome Robbins' ballet. The show was produced on Broadway by Oliver Smith and Paul Feigay.

 

 

 

 

Amazon.com Hot 100
The 100 titles Amazon.com customers couldn't live without in the last 24 hours. Updated hourly.

Amazon.com Hot 100
Save up to 30% on the 100 bestselling music CD's at Amazon.com. Updated hourly.

Music Essentials

Our recommendations for the best CD's from the best artists.
Whether you're thinking of exploring an unfamiliar style or already building a focused collection, our Essentials pages can streamline your musical search. >From alternative music to zydeco, bebop to hip-hop, the Essentials will lead you to the hundreds of artists and thousands of recordings that matter.

 

Amazon.com is pleased to have Dr. Holleman Booksellers in the family of Amazon.com associates. We've agreed to ship products and provide customer service for orders we receive through special links on Dr. Holleman Booksellers.
Amazon.com associates list selected books and music in an editorial context that helps you make the right choice. We encourage you to shop at Dr. Holleman Booksellers often to see what new items they've selected for you.
Thank you for shopping with an amazon.com associate.
Sincerely,
Jeff Bezos, President Amazon.com