Anchors Aweigh (Keepcase) Reviews

• If you knew Suzie, like I know Suzie...

  
  By A2B8GXSCB1R05T on 2001-01-02
  "Anchor's Aweigh" is a fun little film. It is a musical in the old MGM tradition, with just enough plot to stitch together some good song and dance. Very happy and light hearted, with some memorable tunes. Gene Kelly is his usual brand of great, and it's fun to see Frank Sinatra as a shy, skinny little kid who has no luck with "dames." Certainly not the Frank of his later years.

  One of the sweetest moments is Frank singing "Brahm's Lullaby." It is very intimate and nice, coming off better than some of his "star moments." The big symphony numbers, lead by José Iturbi, are well done. "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2" is outstanding. Gene Kelly dances his way around that Mexican Hat Dance, and, of course, does his famous shuffle with Jerry the Mouse.

  The DVD is actually well packed and worth the purchase. There is a little "Making of..." segment regarding the Jerry the Mouse sequence. This is an excerpt from Patrick Stewart's "When the Lion Roared" MGM documentary. There are movie trailers for "On The Town" and "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" in addition to the feature attraction.

  Altogether a very nice package for a fun film.
  
  

• Gene Kelly at his charming best!!!!!

  
  By A3DU3V621QHXFW on 2000-12-14
  An incredible film, as is usually the case with Gene Kelly's work. Notable numbers by Frank include "I Fall In Love Too Easily" and his three numbers with Gene: "We Hate To Leave", "I begged Her" and "If You Knew Suzie". However, the inclusion of the annoying Kathryn Grayson does lend for some loss in enjoyment. Her frightfully overly-operatic voice can be immensely spine-chilling and her forced acting leaves much to be desired.

  The highlight of Anchors Aweigh would have to be Gene Kelly! Swoon...*thud*. Gorgeous as ever, one cannot help but fall in love with the way Gene converses with Lola on the phone! The famous boxer shorts scene has Gene prancing about for a good minute or two in his boxers, and that is enough to send any female fan of Gene up the ceiling into Gene-heaven! His "the worry song" with animation Jerry the mouse is as thrilling and charming as a number can possibly get. Also, his dance solos which include the "Mexican hat dance" and also the fantasy romance dance, are simply marvellous. A must for any musical fan, and essential for anyone who dares to call herself or himself a Gene Kelly affecionado!
  
  

• Can't get enough...

  
  By A2V06LWJH9HA11 on 2005-01-16
  So what if it's a little long? If you love Gene Kelly as much as I do, the time passes too quickly. Gene and Frank work well together and they make an adorable pair of saliors trying to get the girls. So cute in their younger years... excuse me while I swoon.
  
  

• A terrific musical though not my most favorite of all

  
  By A3MCQSIBV7QW8Q on 2002-08-05
  When two sailors, Joe Brady (Gene Kelly) and Clarence Doolittle (Frank Sinatra), get 4 days of leave, Joe decides to woo his girl Lola while Clarence decides to tag along to learn some tips. Instead they are waylaid by a young boy named Donald Martin (Dean Stockwell) who tries to leave home to join the Navy. So Joe and Clarence take him home to meet Donald's gorgeous aunt, Susan Abbott (Kathryn Grayson). But as the two sailors become closer to Susan and Donald, they try to help Susan get a meeting with Jose Iturbi (Himself!). Instead they get trouble as they lie to Susan so Clarence can go out with her. But can Joe keep out his own feelings for Susan from surfacing as he finds himself falling in love with her?

  "Anchors Aweigh" is the classic MGM musical starring the two greats together, Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra. Gene Kelly will dance his way into your heart as Frank Sinatra sings into your heart with great dance and song numbers. Kathryn Grayson will also charm you with her amazing soprano voice. And of course Jose Iturbi will astonish you with his piano skills.

  Some of my favorite musical numbers are: 1) Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra performing to their fellow mates on board. Very funny! 2) Kelly dancing with Jerry the Mouse. Pretty good mixing real-life and animation. 3) Kelly as the dashing matador. His tap dancing masterpiece for "Anchors Aweigh". 4) Kelly and Sinatra singing "If You Knew Suzie". You'll laugh, laugh, laugh! 5) Kathryn Grayson's audition song. Her voice is amazing! 6) Jose Iturbi playing the piano with all the other pianists of all ages.

  The reason for my 4 stars is because though "Anchors Aweigh" is fun and a great musical, in my opinion it's not my absolute favorite since I have many other favorites. If you liked the Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra team-up, I recommend "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and "On the Town". Other terrific musicals are "Cover Girl", "Silk Stockings", "Singin' in the Rain", "Guys and Dolls", "Holiday Inn", and "White Christmas".
  
  

• A great musical!

  
  By A2P1C75HUR3P3X on 2005-01-12
  This is one of my favorite MGM musicals! I wouldn't give it 5 stars because that's reserved for the top-notch (such as On the Town)... however, Anchors Aweigh features Kelly and Sinatra in what you might call rehearsal for it.
  
  Kathryn Grayson is also charming here. The music is good (perhaps not so integrated with the plot), the story is very funny and captivating... and Kelly and Sinatra are a joy (aren't they always?)
  
  Really, how COULD you go wrong? Nobody diss this movie. It's damned enjoyable.
  
  
• They've All Done Better, But...
  By on 1999-06-05
  All the stars have done much better (Singin' in the Rain for Kelly, On the Town for Sinatra, and Kiss Me Kate for Grayson), but Anchors Aweigh is still fun. The story gets kind of old after the first or second time, so I'd just sit through it once, and find where your favourite parts are, then just fast-forward to those when you want to. Big highlights include Sinatra's solos (I Fall in Love Too Easily, Why Does the Sun Set), Gene Kelly's dances, including The Worry Song in which he dances with animated Jerry the Mouse (this was the first time this was accomplished-- Disney was experimenting with it for The Three Caballeros, but Gene Kelly really did it), Grayson's solos (Jealousy, All of a Sudden My Heart Sings), and the numbers with both Gene and Frank, We Hate to Leave and I Begged Her. See it for the stars, songs, and dances, just don't expect too much.
  
  
• anchors dvd is remastered but in mono
  By on 2000-05-10
  Anchors Aweigh was one of MGM's biggest musicals of the forties, and saw the first of many successful teamings of Sinatra and Kelly. This first issue on DVD comes with Warner Bros packaging and barely a hint that it is an MGM film. WB are seemingly intent on burying the MGM legend as they now re-issue the MGM golden classics in packaging that implies they are Warner films. It is sad to see the MGM legend disappear as Turner (who bought the MGM library) is now owned by WB. Whilst the DVD copy is cleaner and clearer, be warned it is in Mono, as indicated on the box in miniscule print. All release information indicates it is in digital 2.0 surround. Some of the music tracks have been released on CD by Rhino in clear stereo but these mixes have not been used for this issue, disappointingly.
  
  
• Great Taste of 1945 Entertainment
  By on 2002-11-29
  Imagine it's 1945, you're Louie B. Mayer, and you get an idea for a film. For the highbrow crowd, you have Jose Iturbi playing classical music concertos on the piano and operetta songs from Kathryn Grayson. Throw in some inventive dance numbers for Gene Kelly, and take that up-and-comer Sinatra and have him get the teenie boppers to swoon with songs such as "I Fall in Love Too Easily." Amazingly, what happens is you get a nearly two-and-a-half-hour piece of entertainment that keeps on flowing and grabs your attention every bit of the way. The plot involves two sailors on leave, who get mixed up with a Hollywood hopeful after her little nephew (a very young Dean Stockwell) suddenly becomes their responsibility.

  It all breezes along, as director George Sidney miraculously keeps your attention moving along, as Kelly and Sinatra keep trying to get Grayson a screen test with Iturbi. Along the way, some of the most memorable scenes in MGM film history will pop across your screen, including the very famous production number where Kelly dances with Jerry of "Tom and Jerry."

  This film winds up being a very fulfilling evening of entertainment that's sure to please film buffs both young and old. They don't make them like this anymore, but this movie makes you wish they still did. Watch it, go back to 1945, and enjoy yourself.
  
  

• Gene heaven
  By on 2002-03-09
  The story itself is nothing but a mere little piece of froth, but I loved it anyway. It was really a lot of fun to watch, but you may wish to take that with a grain of salt: I say that about anything with Gene Kelly in it. In this film he plays a bit of a bad boy - a cocky "seawolf" who is stuck with the shy Frank Sinatra on a three day navy pass in L.A. The two of them really did have a good comic chemistry together. This film has all of the fun cheerfulness inherent in Kelly musicals, and as I recall is the first one in which he was allowed free rein to choreograph as he chose. As a result, we're blessed with the famous Jerry Mouse dance and the wonderfully charming Mexican Hat dance where Kelly does his usual wonderful thing by seamlessly integrating the scenery and the objects at hand into his dancing. I am less fond of the fantasy Zorro sequence, but Kelly's dancing is superb anyway. He is always a joy to watch, even when he's not dancing. In fact, his acting in this film was noteworthy enough to earn an Oscar nod; I've not yet seen Ray Milland's performance in The Lost Weekend but I rather wish Kelly had gotten the Oscar for this performance.

  Watch him (ooh, ladies, you won't be able to keep from rewinding or pressing the back button on your DVD player) when he's on the phone with Lola. Watch him and Frank with the impossibly cute Dean Stockwell. (Frank does sing some awfully pretty songs and does some neat acting, by the way - I shouldn't give Gene all the credit.) Watch Gene during the "If You Knew Susie" scene; he had me laughing out loud with the calm, cool way he fakes Susie's nerdy date out. Watch how he acts like he's been in the house a thousand times; he knows right where to go for the cigarettes and chocolates and he stretches out on her sofa as though it were his own. The shocked expressions on Bertram's face are priceless, as is the song that brings them on: it might seem hokey but I like rhymes such as "conclusion" and "Susian" or "conclusie" and "Susie."

  When you're not watching Gene or Frank you're sort of stuck with Kathryn Grayson. She was sweet at first, but after a while the sweetness got a little cloying. (And nobody should ever wear a dress like that sunflower monstrosity she was wearing - I don't care how great of a figure she had, it was awful.) And call me an uncultured clod if you must, but I just don't like her style of singing.

  The DVD itself looks great; it's crisp and clean and the colors are brilliant. There are a few moments where the image doubles or shadows suddenly, but these are short-lived and far and few between. There are special features including a brief discussion of the famous Jerry Mouse dance from Hanna & Barbera as well as a few trailers. It could have done with a few more chapters; one of the best things about the Singin' in the Rain DVD is that they were very liberal with them, which allows for easy maneuvering when you want to jump from one spot to the next. They were less liberal here but at least all of the chapters start at logical places. This one is going on my wish list.
  
  

• Heartwarming, Corny, but Great Musical Fun
  By A2GJ98824GGXGP on 2003-07-03
  When I took the time to actually think about the plot of Anchors Aweigh, I wondered how anyone ever took the movie seriously. Two sailors on leave hope to find love, or at least a girl, accidentally meet a small orphan being raised by his aunt, both sailors fall in love with the aunt and also act as surrogate fathers for the boy, but never fight over the aunt, and promise to arrange an audition for the aunt with Jose Iturbi, the great Hollywood conductor and arranger. One sailor finds the girl of his dreams, another falls in love with the aunt, and everyone is happy, and of course the very talented aunt is on her way to stardom. This movie should not work, but somehow it does work and works well. Why? Because the two sailors are Frank Sinatra as Clarence Doolittle and Gene Kelley as Joseph Brady and Kathryn Grayson plays the aunt. This very talented trio created magic in the musical numbers, and since Gene Kelley is involved, the dance numbers are naturally amazing.
  
  Though the most famous highlight of the film is Gene Kelley dancing with Jerry of Tom and Jerry fame (mixing animation and live action, quite a fete in 1945), perhaps the best dance scene is when Kelley dances with a small Mexican immigrant girl. As in so many Kelley dance sequences, Kelley compliments those who dance with him and seems to never let his ego get in the way.

  This movie is more than a far fetched story with great musical and dance numbers. It also says a great deal about America at the end of World War II. Victory was imminent, but the country was tired and needed hope. Movies such as Anchors Aweigh provided such hope, and for this reason alone it deserves praise. And let's face it, who can resist a corny musical with an implausible story that can capture our hearts and imaginations?

  P.S. If you don't want to spend more money, avoid the bonus tracks advertising other great MGM musicals, but if you can't resist, don't say I did not warn you!
  
  

• I fell in love too easily with Anchors Aweigh
  By on 2004-05-09
  Anchors Aweigh is an MGM classic. When you watch it you'll never forget Gene Kelly's dance with the animated mouse, Jerry, Frank Sinatra's crooning of "I Fall in Love too Easily", Jose Itrubi's brillinat playing of the piano, and Kathryn Grayson's operatic "Jealousy". I don't think this is Kathryn Grayson's best role, but she sure does a good job. Some other songs that I haven't mentioned are "If You Knew Susie", "Waltz Serenade", "All of a Sudden My Heart Sings", and "We Hate to Leave". I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and if you're a fan of Frank, Gene, or Kathryn, you'll love it too.
  
  
• One of the first Technicolor big productions is entertaining
  By A2JYIDH7JIG48H on 2005-05-23
  One of the first of the best musicals, Anchors Aweigh features several memorable musical sequences, such as Kelly dancing with Jerry the mouse, Kelly dancing with 7-year-old Sharon McManus, Sinatra singing with Jose Iturbi playing piano, Kathryn Grayson singing with Iturbi conducting, and much more. The technicolor is perfect, with some innovative camera work such as seeing a piano played from beneath, through transparent keys, and Grayson singing, seen through the finder of another camera. The plot is thin, but you get involved from Kelly's & Sinatra's enthusiasm. Sailor's on leave, they have to take home a runaway boy (Dean Stockwell) and Sinatra falls for his aunt. To set him up with the aunt (Grayson), Kelly suggests that Sinatra can get her an audition with Jose Iturbi. But Sinatra's young and naive in this one, and, in his own sung words, falls in love too fast. While they're trying to contact Iturbi, who's never available, he starts to fall for another girl (Barbara Britton); but Kelly's now falling in love with Grayson. Anchors Aweigh is most often remembered for the combination live-action / cartoon sequence with Tom and Jerry, but there's a lot more here that's worth a look. I'm giving it five stars because, while it's not quite as good as the best musicals - Singin' In The Rain, The Music Man, Oklahoma - it is one of the first of their class of technicolor big productions (perhaps Meet Me In St. Louis was the first), and better than most others.
  
  
• This is fantastic!!
  By ACHU8QP6KQKNZ on 2000-10-18
  This is my favourite Kelly/Sinatra collaboration. It's so funny especially the Suzy song and the bit where Gene Kelly dances with Jerry mouse. I watched it with a friend who'd never seen any of the actors in action and she loved it. It's great coz it appeals to all age groups and you really care what happens to the characters.I always watch it when I need cheering up and it never fails to work!!Jose Iturbi is also really good in it, buy it!
  
  
• Anchors Aweigh 1945
  By A3GN9I0UYV08LC on 2006-04-21
  See-worthy sailors Kelly and Sinatra in a singing , dancing Romantic Classic . Given free rein in choreographing ANCHORS AWEIG , Gene kelly (1912-1996) was eager to do the unexpected , But what ! "How about doing a dance with a cartoon " collaborator and friend Stanley Donen (1924- ) asked how about it indeed . Kellys live action fancy footwork with animated Jerry (of Tom and Jerry) remains a milestone of movie fantasy . Frank Sinatra (1915-1998) and Kathryn Grayson (1922- ) also headline this wartime tale of two sailors on leav in Hollywood . Sinatras "I Fall in Love Too Easely" , the exuberant Kelly/Sinatra : We hate to leav and highlights helped ANCHORS AWEIGH in with a Scademy Award for Best Scoring Musical Picture , Plus four more Oscars nominations , including Best Picture and Actor ! . This is a great Musical . Digital transfer in High Quality picture .
  
  
• One of my absolute favorite films
  By on 2003-10-13
  Just sheer joy. Gene looking very, very, VERY good, and dancing very, very, VERY well! They didn't come much better looking or more talented than Gene Kelly, especially in this film. Frank (that voice...ah, that VOICE!) skinny and sincere, playing a shy sailor without any experience with women...who said this boy wasn't an actor?!. In other words, Frank and Gene doing what they do best in brilliant Technicolor. Great music, wonderful sets, terrific comedy, and a groundbreaking dance (the first on film, I believe) between a live action and animated character (Gene and Jerry Mouse in the delightful "Worry Song"). Kathryn Grayson, a great beauty with a stunning operatic voice, perfectly complements the nautical duo. I've heard the criticism that the film runs too long...personally, I wish it had been a little longer! A great movie and a lot of fun.
  
  
• A First-Rate Showcase
  By A1Z8M7D2CRWM4F on 2008-08-30
  Yes, Anchors Aweigh is long. Very, very long (2 hours and 20 minutes) and best absorbed in two sittings, if possible.
  
  However ... I, personally, have the attention span of a goldfish and this movie never left me bored. The plot is rather basic: two sailors (Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra) go on four-day leave and fall in with (and fall in love with) a beautiful young singer (Kathryn Grayson) and her little nephew (Dean Stockwell). What this movie is, more than anything, is a showcase for the incredible talent that MGM had to offer.
  
  Vocally, Sinatra and Grayson are top of the class, with Sinatra crooning "Brahm's Lullaby" (to spectacularly soothing effect on Stockwell, Kelly, and the audience), "I Fall in Love Too Easily," and, my personal favorite, "What Makes The Sunset." Grayson shows off a beautiful coloratura in songs like "Jealousy," and a softer, musical-theatre-ingenuous side in "My Heart Sings."
  
  Gene Kelly sings ably, but, of course, his bold and athletic dance techniques take centerstage in his "showcase" scenes (most famously, "The Worry Song" with Jerry Mouse). Sinatra also proves himself a capable dancer in "She Begged Me." Jose Iturbi, of course, is one big showcase himself, and the MGM directors give him several scenes in which to use his piano skills.
  
  In conclusion, I guess, if you're looking for fast-paced, plot-heavy entertainment, don't watch Anchors Aweigh. However, if taking a few hours to watch a display of some of the greatest artistic talents of the 20th century sounds like your kind of leisure, I think you'll enjoy it as much as I did.
  
  
• For one great moment, worth the price of admission
  By AKKSHEGRQVQRK on 2008-01-31
  Rather generic Sinatra and generic Kelly, both of whom must have made pretty much the same musical a dozen times for MGM. Not all that great a movie, really, but better than most Hollywood musicals, and it has does have its moments. The classical numbers from Jose Iturbi are better than Kelly's usual material, which Kelly repeated in one form or another for some fifteen years. Young Kathryn Grayson is irresistibly cute. The DVD color is gorgeous, a tribute to the 1940's golden age of Technicolor. I've always considered this a decent 3-star film overall. But if you're a Sinatra fan, consider this a Sinatra Essential: in the latter part of the film Frank sings a short song credited to C. Jackson and G. E. Stoll, "I Fall In Love Too Easily." -- probably one of Sinatra's most memorable moments in his long and varied musical career. It lasts only 90 seconds, but it's one of the best songs Blue Eyes ever crooned. Those are Axel Stordahl's strings in the background, which accompanied most of Sinatra's hits on Columbia in the forties and would later back up up the likes of Perry Como and others in the fifties. I love this on DVD, because it was getting to be a pain fast-forwading VHS tape to find this dandy little number. If one and a half minutes of magic is worth it to you, add this DVD to your collection. It's in mine.
  
  
• One of the most popular musicals of the period...
  By AGZVS6M8XJGN6 on 2006-12-17
  Released some months before the end of the war, "Anchors Aweigh" is one of Gene Kelly's major musical triumphs of the forties...
  
  Under the direction of George Sidney, it had the benefits of a pleasant score, and--best of all--the services of Gene Kelly in his first true starring role at MGM... The year before, in Columbia's "Cover Girl," he had revealed an innovative approach to dance on the screen, a light but agreeable singing voice, and considerable charm In "Anchors Aweigh," although he was billed under Frank Sinatra and Kathryn Grayson, he was laying the solid groundwork for his most revealing years at MGM...
  
  The film's story, a kind of dry run for "On the Town" four years later, follows sailors Kelly and Sinatra on shore leave, spend their holiday in Hollywood, where they become involved in the affairs of an aspiring singer (Grayson) and her little nephew (Dean Stockwell).
  
  Grayson, it appears, has her heart set on an audition with conductor-pianist Jose Iturbi... She gets the audition, of course; Kelly gets Grayson after some misunderstandings; and Sinatra, has forgotten to be shy, and has lost his heart to a girl from Brooklyn (Pamela Britton).
  
  The plot is conventional for the period but, regrettably, it now seems barely tolerable... But there is Gene Kelly, who dominates the movie with his agreeable personality... Perhaps he grins too much, but when is permitted to dance, the film finally lifts off the ground...
  
  "I Begged Her," his early song and dance with Sinatra, is amusing and slightly absurd, in which he imagines himself as a bandit chieftain in a Spanish courtyard, courting maiden Grayson with a flamboyant flamenco dance and some athletic leaps... He also does a charming Mexican dance with little Sharon McManus in the square of a Mexican settlement in Los Angeles...
  
  The highlight of the movie, however, is Kelly's famous dance with the cartoon character Jerry the Mouse (of "Tom and Jerry" fame). Delightful and innovative, it skillfully combines live action and animation in its tale of a sad mouse king who refuses to allow music in his kingdom until Kelly, a sailor in the "Pomeranian Navy," wearing a striped shirt and a beret, shows him how to dance... "Look at me, I'm dancin'!" says the gleeful mouse king...
  
  
  
  
• Gene and Frankie, together? It's a beautiful thing...
  By A297HZKL2JKQ6M on 2002-06-07
  Two heart-throb's in one setting? You'd think it were impossible. But it happened. Gene, the ladies man who thinks he knows exactly what women want, and how to go about getting them. Frankie, the little nerdy guy who has trouble with the ladies, wanting tips from Gene and always screwing up his plans. It was FUNNY. Especially when Gene over slept when he was supposed to meet Lola and Frankie didn't wake him up and Gene chased him around the room ready to bust his head in. Them singing together reminds you of how great they really are. You just wish singers today had voices like that. And the dancing is fun too. There's absolutely no beating Gene in that category. Of course if you haven't seen it, you've had to of heard of the scene with him dancing with Jerry Mouse. Kathryn Grayson did a good job, but her singing voice, personally, (NOTICE: This Is My OPINION!!) made me wish I didn't have ears. Now some people might like her voice, don't just base it off what I say, but yeah, each time she sang I would hope it was a short song so I wouldn't have to listen to it for long. It's not like Debbie Reynolds, her voice was beautiful and strong. Kathryn was on the verge of a Snow White voice. It just wasn't high enough. I sometimes couldn't understand what she was saying. But all that was made up for by Gene and Frankie. ::sigh:: Makes me wish I lived back then so I coulda seen it when it first came out. Oh well, it's a great movie, everyone should watch it.
  
  
• Classic musical!
  By on 2001-08-03
  Sinatra, Grayson, and Kelly all show off their amazing talents in this movie. Many scenes are enjoyable for children, such as Kelly doing the waltz with a little girl and also dancing with Jerry mouse! Kelly taught Sinatra to dance for this movie. In fact, Sinatra is amazingly good. Grayson's voice is beautiful, and Jose Iturbi spices up the movie with his piano skills. Definitely something you'll want to see.....
  
  
• One of the best videos I've watched.
  By A3GQMRFS29YA85 on 1999-12-19
  I believe that this video is one the tells the real story about the United States Navy in World War II. It not only tells the story but it makes you feel like you are there right next to the brave men and women of the United States Navy. It puts you in there place and it gives you the real sense of being on a naval ship during the 1940's.
  
  
• Fantastic Movie
  By A2CAUGPWEX2DVC on 2008-08-24
  I think everyone should watch this movie and all other old movies!! I truly enjoy this movie, it is such a treat to watch, especially Gene Kelly dancing with Jerry the Mouse!!!!! Fantastic!!!!
  
  
• Enjoyable Kelly/Sinatra musical and the last full film directed by Busby Berkeley
  By AQP1VPK16SVWM on 2008-05-19
  The film opens on the deck of a destroyer where Clarence Doolittle (Frank Sinatra) and Joseph Brady (Gene Kelly) receive commendations for staying at their posts during a brutal battle. Many of the men on the ship get leave while off the shore of Los Angeles allowing Clarence and Joe to hit the shore and have fun. Joe, Clarence and their friends decide they are going to hit Hollywood. Joe a well known womanizer finds the shy Clarence dogging his steps so he can learn how to be a lady's man. Joe reluctantly agrees to help Clarence "get a dame" in a particularly funny sequence where Joe plays the dame and Joe tries to pick "her" up. The two get taken downtown to help the police talk a little boy into returning home and not "joining" the Navy. They get wrangled into taking the boy home where the pair meet the little boy's young aunt Susan (Kathryn Grayson) who is his guardian. Ultimately Joe finds himself falling for Susan while trying to help Clarence woo her.
  
  The first pairing of Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra "Anchors Aweigh" is most famous for Gene Kelly's dance with Jerry--you know the little mouse from the Tom and Jerry Cartoons. While that's certainly notable, what's more important here is that "Anchors Aweigh" is a terrific musical with two of the top stars of the era at the top of their game. While Sinatra really isn't asked to stretch as an actor here, he does perform a number of terrific songs penned especially for the film. Unlike "On the Town", "Anchors Aweigh" was a studio original. Gene Kelly is in charge of choreographing the marvelous dance numbers here. While "Anchors Aweigh" isn't on a par with "Singing in the Rain" or "An American in Paris", it's still an enjoyable bit of entertainment.
  
  The film looks gorgeous with sharp set designs. Although there are scratches and dirt that crop up from time to time, the film looks extremely good. It's unfortunate that Warner hasn't cleaned this up a bit for re-release. Unlike the later "On the Town", "Anchors Aweigh" was shot totally on the backlot at MGM. Interestingly, the opening sequence set on the deck of the destroyed that the two men are stationed on looks incredibly fake. The matte painting used looks as much like a cartoon as Jerry the Mouse does which is surprising given the fine eye for detail that producer Arthur Freed and Busby Berkeley had. The visual effects are credited to Warren Newcombe who also worked on "Forbidden Planet". While that film's matte paintings and use of animation are, again, not totally realistic, they look better than the visuals in "Anchors Aweigh". While they were probably as good as could be done at the time, they still stand out like a sore thumb.
  
  A beautiful transfer, the film is marred only by a bit of dirt and scratches. It's a pity that Warner didn't upgrade the film for this re-release"Anchors Aweigh" looks sharp and has the rich robust colors typical of a three strip Technicolor film from the era. Skin tones look great and the blacks are rock solid. Detail is remarkably crisp and the audio sounds extremely good presented in its original mono format.
  
  
  We get a snippet pulled from the documentary "When the Lion Roars" about the making of the "Worry Song" featuring Jerry the mouse on how directors Joseph Hanna and William Barbera created the sequence. Originally the plan was that Mickey Mouse and Gene Kelly would perform together. MGM made an appointment for Kelly to meet with Disney. Disney told Kelly that "Mickey Mouse will never do an MGM movie". This is ironic given that later Disney animators WOULD work on an MGM film--"Forbidden Planet"--although it was a far cry from putting Mickey Mouse into an MGM film. It's clear that Disney was OK with another creature appearing in an MGM film as long as it wasn't Mickey Mouse. MGM had largely dismantled their animation division by 1956 (when "Forbidden Planet" was made) and didn't have the resources to do the animated sequence any longer. Disney animator Joshua Meador was loaned out that for film to MGM. Meador already had some experience with visual effects animation in live action films working on "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and "Song of the South" in addition to his work on such Disney classics as "Cinderella", "Alice in Wonderland" and "Fantasia".
  
  Hanna and Barbera discussed the technical aspects of creating the sequence. While this wasn't the first pairing of live action and animation but with Kelly's brilliant dancing and the carefully executed animation the sequence was a sensation. Ironically the sequence had to be animated TWICE (this isn't mentioned in the brief excerpt which runs all of 5 minutes with narration by Patrick Stewart) because during the screen of the finished product it was noticed that Gene was reflected on the floor and Jerry wasn't. To make the sequence more realistic the animators had to go back and redo the sequence with Jerry realistically reflected on the surface of the floor as well.
  
  It would have been nice to see Warner create a new featurette on the visual effects and on Busby Berkeley's legacy as a director but we don't get anything new just the special features from the 2000 issue of this film.
  
  We also get theatrical trailers for this film, "On the Town" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" which also featured Kelly, Sinatra and their "On the Town" co-star Jules Munshin. Made during a time when Sinatra's films only did well when he was paired with Kelly, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" was also Busby Berkeley's last full length film.
  
  "Anchor's Aweigh" remains an enjoyable musical with some stunning set pieces notably Gene Kelly's dance with Jerry the Mouse. This re-release (it was previously released in a snapcase on DVD in 2000 at the same time as "Take Me Out to the Ballgame") looks marvelous although It doesn't appear to me that the transfer is new.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• No anchor - sky-high enjoyment
  By A2QNRB4DJ2VXQI on 2008-01-07
  Of the Kelly-Sinatra musicals, runs a close second to On the Town. Humorous, great songs and singing and dancing. A good family film in the best sense of the term. Only those whose souls are dead could fail to enjoy this.
  
  
• An unforgettable musical!
  By A16CZRQL23NOIW on 2006-11-30
  This couple of young actors by then (Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra opening his wings to stardom) were so distant respect their respective would depart for them. And this amusing and entertained movie has to deal with some ins and outs respect two sailors who have a license during four days in L.A. as consequence of a valorous act of heroism and total conveyance.
  
  A funny musical that deserves all your attention, due is one of the most original and suggestive musicals ever made.
  
  
  
• Wonderful - it's got Gene Kelly in it!!!!!!!!!!!
  By on 2004-10-07
  This movie is one oF Gene Kelly's best movies!!!! and I have seen almost all of them. The characters are very belivable, the plot is good and the singing and dancing are GOOD!!! I love the dance with Gene Kelly and the cartoon mouse Jerry!!! Some people say this movie was boring and long. NO!!! They are definitely wrong! Frank Sinatra and Kathryn Grayson sing wonderfully such as 'I Fall in Love to Easily,' and 'Jealously.' Now don't hesitate, SEE IT NOW!!!!!!
  
  
• THE CHARM OF THIS MUSICAL NEVER ENDS
  By A1M9DQDGE07Q0U on 2003-03-08
  "Anchors Aweigh" is bar none the best of the 'sailors on shore leave' musicals that seemed to flood the film market during the 1940's and early 50's. The story is pretty contrite, two sailors fall for the same girl and lie to gain her affections. That's it, that's all. But history has taught us that most musical film fare needs nothing more that this by way of plot in order to captivate its audience.
  Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra are the front liners here. This was Sinatra's first MGM film and he and Kelly are a remarkable team to behold on the screen. Sinatra's scrawniness and Kelly's male bravado bow well with one another. Add to the mix one of MGM's greatest singers, Kathryn Grayson and how could anything go wrong. It doesn't and the resulting film not only won Kelly his first Oscar nomination as best actor but took a Best Picture nomination as well.
  Warner Home Video has done a pretty spiffy job on this transfer. Colors, though dated, are bold, saturated and well balanced. During the animated segments there are some instances where color balancing is inconsistent, but nothing that will terribly distract. Also, a few instances of edge enhancement crop up, but again, nothing that will ruin your enjoyment of this great musical classic. The sound, unfortunately, is a big, lousy mono but carried off with such clarity and remarkable spread that one can forgive Warner for not doing a 5.1 remix. The disc also includes a snippet from MGM: When The Lion Roars that explains how Kelly and Jerry (the mouse from Tom and Jerry fame) were able to be seen dancing together. Is it just me or is Jerry awfully big for a mouse?!?
  Get the film and find out. This one's a keeper!!!
  
  
• Some Magical Moments in MGM Mishmash
  By A1J03J0HZ7KU5T on 2007-04-14
  For those who grew up watching Gene Kelly's "Singin' in the Rain" and "On the Town," the MGM mishmash of "Anchors Aweigh" (1945) will prove a disappointment. Nevertheless, there are some magical moments. The film's highlight is Gene's breakthrough dance with Jerry the Mouse - a stunning fusion of animation and live-action. Along the way, Frank Sinatra sings a few memorable numbers amid the Technicolor splendor. However, you must keep your finger on the fast-forward button to encounter these gems. Running 140 minutes, it's obvious that the editor fell asleep at the Moviola. Though directed by the usually reliable George Sidney, one wishes Kelly had more creative control over this unwieldy project.
  
  
• Overall Good!
  By ALPVMB5P07GPM on 2004-08-18
  The reason I saw this movie is because Gene Kelly was in it. Overall I don't think this was his greatest movie but its good. Bascially the movie is about two sailors on leave in Hollywood. Sinatra is a shy character who follows his worldly friend Kelly. Anyway they run into a girl named Susie (Kathryn Grayson) who is trying to make it big as a singer. Anyway as it turns out they promise her an auditon with José Iturbi. Overall this movie is ok but I have seen better musicals. Personally the music is great! The best songs are "I Fall in Love too Easily" and "All of a Sudden My Heart Sings." My favorite part in the movie was the whole Gene Kelly and Jerry dance part. Overall I think this movie is worth a watch. So I suggest you see this one!
  
  
• One of my all time favorites
  By A2HE454NIR8FT8 on 2010-08-30
  I LOVE this movie! it arrived on time and in perfect condition. I'm so happy! I HIGHLY recomend it!
  
  

• On the Town
• Take Me Out to the Ball Game
• For Me and My Gal (Keepcase)
• The Pirate
• Summer Stock