On the Town (1949) | |
| Director(s) | Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly |
| Producer(s) | Roger Edens (associate), Arthur Freed |
| Top Genres | Comedy, Musical, Romance |
| Top Topics | |
Featured Cast:
On the Town Overview:
On the Town (1949) was a Comedy - Musical Film directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly and produced by Arthur Freed and Roger Edens.
SYNOPSIS
Bernstein's (with Comden and Green) great musical comedy gets the full Technicolor treatment with fine singing and dancing. Three sailors (Kelly, Munshin, and Sinatra) with 24 hours of shore leave seek excitement and romance in New York City, an excitement conjured especially in the famous "New York, New York" number. They team with Garrett, Miller, and Vera-Ellen, and they are off gallivanting around N.Y.C. Doubly directed by Kelly and Donen (their first directorial pairing), this fast-moving musical is not only contagious fun, but also a splendid look at New York City ("a helluva town") in the 1940s.
(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).
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Academy Awards 1949 --- Ceremony Number 22 (source: AMPAS)
| Award | Recipient | Result |
| Best Music - Scoring | Roger Edens, Lennie Hayton | Won |
On the Town BlogHub Articles:
Review: On The Town (1949): MGM’s New York Musical
By 4 Star Film Fan on Jun 8, 2020 From 4 Star FilmsThere is an immediate understanding that goes with the opening image of a construction worker arriving at the docks, still sleepy, as the world wakes up with him. And he does something that while still theatrical has roots in a very human urge, to bring in the new day with song. If we look at the MG... Read full article
Musical Monday: On the Town (1949)
on Feb 3, 2020 From Comet Over HollywoodIt?s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals. In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 500. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals. This week?s musical: On the Town (1949) ? Musical... Read full article
"On the Town," In Celebration of Leonard Bernstein's Centenary
By The Lady Eve on Aug 25, 2018 From Lady Eve's Reel LifeToday marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of composer/conductor/pianist Leonard Bernstein. In celebration, movie houses around the country are showcasing films scored by the legendary maestro. My local theater, the Smith Rafael Film Center (aka/the Rafael) put together a three-film tribute to ... Read full article
1001 Classic Movies: On the Town
By Amanda Garrett on Aug 5, 2017 From Old Hollywood FilmsOn the Town (1949) is one of the 1001 classic movies you should see. The musical stars Frank Sinatra (left), Jules Munshin, and Gene Kelly as three sailors who are on shore leave in New York City. Each week, I'm going to recommend a classic movie you should see (for the reasons behind the 1001 se... Read full article
On the Town
By Amanda Garrett on Dec 12, 2015 From Old Hollywood FilmsToday, I'm celebrating Frank Sinatra's 100th birthday with a look at one of his best MGM musicals, On the Town (1949). Here's Ol' Blue Eyes on the Brooklyn Bridge with costars Jules Munshin (center), and Gene Kelly (right). This article is part of the Sinatra Centennial Blogathon hosted by Movie... Read full article
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Quotes from On the Town
Gabey: Hilde, do you know where we can hide?
Brunhilde Esterhazy: Sure, I know a place right across the Brooklyn bridge where they'll never find us.
Gabey: Where is it?
Brunhilde Esterhazy: Brooklyn!
Ivy Smith: Getting involved is so... so... involving.
Claire Huddesen: You oughta feel proud that three sailors from the United States Navy got off the ship for one day, and what did they do? Were they thirsty for hard liquor? No. They were thirsty for culture. Were they running after girls? No. They came running to the museum to see your dinosaur. For months out at sea they were dreaming about your dinosaur.
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Facts about On the Town
Before purchasing the film rights to the musical, M-G-M had assigned George Abbott, the director of the stage show, to direct the film version. However, Louis B. Mayer and other studio executives disliked the stage show when they saw it and regretted their involvement in the property. By November 1945, the studio had assigned Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen to direct the film, and contracted Betty Comden and Adolph Green to rewrite the book with much of Leonard Bernstein's original score discarded. The film features only four songs from the original musical, those composed by Leonard Bernstein, and six that were created especially for the screen.
Robert Williams, who plays the police sergeant in Car 44, also played the policeman who chases Gene Kelly off the street at the end of the title number in Singin' in the Rain.
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