On the Town Reviews

• Exuberant, Joyous . . . and a Trend-Setter

  
  By A3NQU1649SH0Q4 on 2001-04-13
  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 ticker-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.
  
  

• A NIGHT AT HOME ON THE TOWN!

  
  By A2SX6VNPSJPGP7 on 2000-09-01
  New York, New York, a wonderful town- With Gene, Jules, Frank, and three cute girls around!

  In this brilliant collaboration of direction by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, three lovable sailors are on 24-hour leave in the Big Apple. The on-location cinematography and Oscar-winning score provide the backdrop for the rousing, joyous musical. En route to find Gabey's (Kelly) dream girl, Miss Turnstiles of the month, Ivy Smith (Vera-Ellen), he and Ozzie (Jules Munshin) and Chip (Frank Sinatra) encounter a ready-for-love cab driver, Brunhilde ("Hildy") Esterhazy (Betty Garrett), and Claire Huddeson, a tap-dancing anthropologist (Ann Miller). The joyous night on the town spurns many an unexpected surprise for the sailors and their girls: the felling of a prehistoric dinosaur, a glitzy waltz through some of New York's exclusive nightclubs, and the boys dancing in gypsy attire. Other delights to be savored are: Kelly, Munshin, and Sinatra's rendition of "New York, New York, It's A Wonderful Town", Kelly's imaginative dance sequence with Vera-Ellen, and the belting brilliance from the sixsome of the title song make "On the Town" one of MGM's most irrepresibly fun and unforgettable musicals of the '40's. Have a ball tonight and go "on the town"!
  
  

• Good movie, bad dvd

  
  By A1I9ZF0615HJ9L on 2000-05-12
  The movie "On the Town" was very enjoyable. The dvd version though is no better than existing vhs versions. The only extra's are the theatrical trailer. No cast/crew biographies or other extras. The video quality is fair and the sound fair. The movie deserved a better transfer, definatley a rush job. Rent, don't buy.
  
  

• WHV DVD release of 13 May 2008

  
  By A15EW7ZDLT2XZ7 on 2008-06-28
  If you're thinking about improving your previous DVD edition of this great movie (WHV release of 2 May 2000), still available on Amazon, don't bother. It's identical, just repackaged...
  (FIVE stars for the movie itself!)
  
  

• Post World War II Comes To Life MGM Style

  
  By A2GJ98824GGXGP on 2005-04-20
  One of the most familiar images of an MGM musical would be Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Jules Munshin dressed as sailors singing the catchy words "New York New York's A wonderful town; The Bronx is up and the Battery's down; the people ride in a hole in the ground; New York New York: It's a wonderful town." While the song by Leonard Bernstein is from a Broadway musical called ON THE TOWN, it is MGM's adaptation (Broadway lovers may refer to it a usurpation) that makes the song immortal today.
  
  ON THE TOWN tells the story of three sailors: the lovable, somewhat cocky, but sincere Gabey (Gene Kelly), his clueless friend Chip (played by Frank Sinatra), and the bumbling Ozzie (Jules Munshin) who are on leave in New York City for a day. The three take a taxi where the driver Hilde (Betty Garrett) falls madly in love with Chip. She wants to ditch the other two sailors to be with her new found love, but the Chip will not abandon his two friends. Ozzie finds love when visiting the museum of natural history when he meets the intellectual Claire (Ann Miller). Gabey has yet to find the love of his life, a woman he knows only as "Miss Turnstiles" from a subway poster. He believes she is a famous New York celebrity, but discovers she is a hometown girl. There are also antics that would seem silly to a moviegoer today. The taxi company believes the taxi has been stolen. A skeleton of a dinosaur is damaged at the museum. A police chase ensues. Still, MGM, a studio that turned making unbelievable worlds into reality into an art form, does the same with this film.
  
  There are many reasons this film is considered a classic. While most of the musical numbers from the original Broadway score were believed to be too sophisticated for movie musical audiences and replaced with what some consider inferior music (MGM's Saul Chaplin once said looking back he could hardly believe that Bernstein's music was replaced), somehow the score does work. The dancing numbers are great. Much of the film (a radical idea at the time) was shot on location which makes the city almost a character in the film. Vera-Ellen fans love this film because it showcases her talent. BEWITCHED fans will also enjoy the performance of Alice Pearce as Lucy Shmeeler, Hilde's unlucky in love and chronic cold suffering roommate and back-up romantic partner for Gabey.
  
  This DVD is a just the film and its special features include just a trailer of the movie. It's a fun movie to watch and brings a viewer back to a time when the world was changing and a sense of optimism was real.
  
  
  
  
  
• Kelly & Co. Deliver
  By A1J2931UBBJPXM on 2001-12-06
  Here's an idea: Get a group of exceptionally talented performers together, sketch in an outline of a story based on a successful Broadway show, then supply the score, songs and setting in which they can individually and collectively showcase their respective gifts, turn them loose and see what happens, see if it works. Of course, by the time this film was made in 1949, MGM knew it would work, as it had for them many times previously; there was no guess work involved. The result this time around was "On The Town," a lively musical which marked the directorial debut of co-directors Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, with Kelly starring and also doing the choreography. The plot is simple: Three sailors get twenty-four-hour shore leave in New York and set off to make the most of it. Chip (Frank Sinatra) wants to see the sights; Ozzie (Jules Munshin) wants to play; and Gabey (Kelly) immediately falls into an obsession over a girl he sees on a subway poster, "Miss Turnstiles" of the month, Ivy Smith (Vera-Ellen), and vows to find her. Along the way they run into a quirky cab driver, Brunhilde (Betty Garrett), and a young woman, Claire (Ann Miller), doing some research at a museum. But what this movie is really all about is entertainment, and it delivers it by the songful.

  Kelly and Donen bring it all to life through the words and music of Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Leonard Bernstein, and the score, which earned an Oscar for Roger Edens and Lennie Hayton. it kicks off with Sinatra, Munshin and Kelly doing "New York, New York," in which they enlighten you to the fact that "The Bronx is up and the Battery's down, and people ride in a hole in the ground--" a dynamite opening that sets the stage for all that comes after. And it's pure entertainment that just sweeps you away with it while you hum along with the six stars of the show as they do what they do best, and it's a delight from beginning to end.

  Without a doubt, Kelly emerges as the star among the stars, and his solo numbers and the ones he performs with Vera-Ellen are especially engaging; but this is one of those musicals in which one memorable number follows another, with each of the principals getting their own moment in the spotlight. Vera-Ellen has a great number early on in the film, in which Miss Turnstiles is introduced; Ann Miller taps her way through a rousing routine in the museum (in which she is joined by Sinatra, Munshin, Kelly and Garrett) that really gives her a chance to show her stuff; and Sinatra and Garrett engage in a memorable bit in song, as she attempts to get him to "Come Up To My Place." Through it all, Sinatra exudes a certain boyish charm while Garrett and Munshin provide the comic relief. All of which makes for a fun and thoroughly entertaining movie experience.

  The supporting cast includes Alice Pearce (Lucy), Sid Melton (Spud), Hans Conried (Francois) and Florence Bates (Madame Dilyovska). Some movies are made simply to transport you to another place for a couple of hours, put a smile on your face, a song on your lips and just make you feel good; and "On The Town" is certainly one of them. This is pure, uplifting and satisfying Entertainment, beautifully crafted and delivered and guaranteed to make your day a little brighter. The fact is, they just don't make `em like this anymore, and it's a shame. Because this is what the magic of the movies is all about.
  
  

• I'm a new fan of the movie musical
  By AD8V3ZCH2WEEA on 2002-09-27
  On The Town is a great movie. Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin star as three sailors on 24 leave in the Big Apple. This movie was so much fun to watch. The big dance numbers are hilariously entertaining.

  THE GIRLS:

  Ann Miller has a big dance number in a museum that really showcases her talent as a dancer. Betty Garrett is hilarious as a cab driver who develops an immediate crush on Frank Sinatra. She was my favorite character in the film. Vera-Ellen was good but she was mainly used as a plot device so she didn't get as much screen time as the other two.

  THE BOYS:

  Frank Sinatra's character is more interested in seeing the New York sights than romancing the pretty cabbie, but everything changes when he sings, "You're Awful" to her. I wish someone would sing that to me. Jules Munshin is hilarious. I've never heard of him before and that's a real shame because he's great in this movie. Gene Kelly (a.k.a. the reason I saw this movie) is great. His character is sweeter that the one he played in "Anchors Aweigh." All I want to know is, can we clone him?
  
  

• Another botched musical!
  By A19DTLPRRAOK7S on 2007-10-08
  "On the Town" tells the story of three sailors - Gabey, Ozzie and Chip - on 24-hour leave in wartime New York City. Gabey falls in love with a subway poster of Ivy Smith, "Miss Turnstiles" for the month of June. Gabey, aided by Ozzie, Chip and two of their gals, goes on a hunt for Ivy. After several adventures and a disappointing blind date with Hildy's roommate, Lucy Schmeeler, Gaby finds Ivy.
  
  Let me say first that film version of "On the Town" is lively and entertaining, but no more so than many musicals of the 1940s, including "Anchors Aweigh," the very enjoyable 1945 movie starring Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly as two sailors on leave in Hollywood.
  
  The musical score of that film (by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne) is excellent. Sinatra's rendition of "I Fall in Love Too Easily" still leaves me with chills. But I'll leave it to others to argue over which is the better film.
  
  There are at least two ways to review "On the Town" or any other film of a Broadway musical: Take it for what it is, or express regrets over what it could have been. I fall into the latter camp.
  
  "On the Town" opened on Broadway in 1944 and ran for more than 460 performances - a healthy run for shows of the time. It was an "integrated" show, in which the book, songs and dances are tightly bound to advance the plot. Choreograper Jerome Robbins created innovative dances full of energy. The forerunner of "On the Town was the highly successful Leonard Bernstein-Robbins ballet "Fancy Free." The creation of the musical play was inspired by Robbins.
  
  In 1960 Columbia Records released "The First Full-Length Recording" of the show, which included members of the original cast:
  (Nancy Walker as Hildy the taxi driver, Betty Comden as Claire DeLoone (Claire Huddeson in the film) the anthropologist, Adolph Green (Ozzie) and Cris Alexander (Chip) as two of the sailors. John Battles as the other sailor (Gabey) is not heard on the album (John Reardon performs in his place. This is the REAL "On the Town."
  
  But producer Arthur Freed felt that the songs in the play were too sophisticated for film audiences, so most of the numbers in the play were dropped and second-rate composer Roger Edens filled out the score (I have to assume that Comden and Green were dragooned into writing the substandard lyrics that accompanied Edens' music). All of this confirms the saw that no one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American people.
  
  (Producers weren't entirely at fault. The Production Code Administration's censors were always on the lookout for anything that might violate its strict, moralistic code.)
  
  Even the two of the three songs that were retained in the movie, "New York New York" and "Come Up to My Place," were reduced to shadows of the original versions. Leonard Bernsteins's jazzy score was castrated by orchestrator Conrad Salinger and clever lyrics were dropped or altered. These factors changed the atmosphere and mood of the film.
  
  Among the songs that were omitted: "Lucky to Be Me," which has become a standard, sung by Gabey as he awaits his date; "I Can Cook Too," Hildy's witty mating song for Chip; "Carried Away," another funny number sung by Claire and Ozzie in the museum, in which they express a mutual weakness (the song was replaced by the silly "Primitive Man" number, which was only salvaged by Ann Miller's dancing; "Some Other Time," a poignant song, with a marvelous vocal arrangement, that acknowledges that the 24-hour leave is almost over (there are about two dozen versions of this song currently in print); "Ya Got Me," a propulsive, bouncy song with a Latin beat that the gang sings to Gabey to cheer him up (this was replaced in the film by an inferior, corny C&W song.
  
  For many successful musicals, MGM turned to established outside composers and lyricists. "Meet Me in St. Louis," "The Harvey Girls" and "It Happened in Brooklyn" are just three examples of this practice.
  Roger Edens is simply not in their league.
  
  So, I suggest that anyone who reads this review acquire or hear the 1960 Columbia album, or even the 1992 studio version that includes even more music.
  
  Your high opinion of the film may change significantly.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• A Fun Film!!!!
  By A3JKQ89YMZZA66 on 2004-10-09
  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.
  
  
  
• Toast of the Town
  By A3LU79BYMWZEW9 on 2006-04-23
  Even though this is not the musical in which Gene Kelly dances with Jerry the mouse, the 1949 film ON THE TOWN still has much that is cartoonish about it--and that's not a bad thing. It is cheerfully outlandish, in the way all the best animated cartoons of the era were. It's one unlikely or downright absurd event after the other, and like a good Bugs Bunny short, the audience knows that suspension of disbelief goes without saying. We delight in the absurdity.
  
  The story of three sailors on 24-hour leave and the NYC gals they pick up during their various misadventures should logically be fast-paced, which the film certainly is, or even a little frenzied, which it is not. Despite the crawling time-line, which should theoretically make the viewer feel as though time's a-wastin', the action almost seems suspended in time, rather than weighted down by it. It's the old romantic notion of one day lasting forever. And in such a magical setting, who needs to sleep? And there can't possibly be truly serious consequences for a lady cab driver failing to turn in her car for the next shift or for that matter for destroying a dinosaur at the Museum of Natural History.
  
  All that absurdity opens up a world of anarchic fun--just as in the best cartoons--and even the most staid of audiences can briefly escape into this loony world of antics with no consequences and true love found at the drop of a sailor's cap.
  
  And it's all done to a great Comden-Green and Bernstein score (much taken from the Broadway play of the same name on which it is based) and handled with aplomb by its talented cast. The casting is near perfect, with Kelly and Frank Sinatra heading an able cast of singers, dancers and comic actors. Ann Miller and Vera-Ellen shine in their dance numbers, and Betty Garrett and Alice Pearce are remarkable for their comic--as well as their musical--timing. Probably the only disputable casting would be that of Sinatra as a somewhat nerdy, control freak. But it's nice to see him out of the "ring a ding ding" mode for once.
  
  ON THE TOWN's great entertainment--and like so much of the entertainment of the era expresses a joy and optimism that now seems (sadly) naive to us today.
  
  A previous reviewer noted, in fact, that the film was emblematic of the post-WW II optimism that dominated American culture in the late 40s and early 50s. That's for sure. This is a world in which sailors can get in a bit of trouble (on leave) but are not about to get blown up (on duty). And it's also a world, in which invoking military honor and sacrifice can get excuse a bit of nautical mischief.
  
  Probably the sole bit of sobering realism is the fact that when the gobs and the gals say goodbye at the dock the next morn, they don't promise to stay in touch. Not even Gene and Vera, who have declared true love.
  
  The audience members can draw their own conclusions. But with all this free floating optimism how can they conclude anything other than a romatic reunion--for all three couples?
  
  We can suspend our disbelief on that point too.
  
  
  
  
• Still the Prototype for All the Great MGM Musicals Thanks Mainly to the Dazzling Kelly-Donen Choreography
  By A13E0ARAXI6KJW on 2006-11-02
  While 1952's "Singin' in the Rain" is definitely the more accomplished musical film, I think this buoyant 1949 classic best typifies what MGM produced during Hollywood's golden era when talents were at their peak. Co-directed by Gene Kelly and a 25-year old Stanley Donen in his feature film directing debut, the movie has a consistently propulsive energy thanks mainly to the remarkable choreography by Kelly and Donen, the seamless blend of Leonard Bernstein's familiar music with studio tunesmith Roger Edens' original compositions, and the sheer ebullience of the performers.
  
  Written by the estimable team of Betty Comden and Adolph Green, the threadbare plot is simply about three sailors - Gabey, Chip and Ozzie - on a 24-hour leave in New York City and the women they meet and romance. Based on a subway poster, womanizing Gabey falls for Miss Turnstiles and spends his time searching for her. Phobia-ridden Ozzie finds romance with anthropology student Claire, while timid Chip is focused on sightseeing in spite of the persistent attentions of aggressive lady cab driver Hildy. The closest the story comes to dramatic tension is in the deceptions around Miss Turnstiles, who is not the big-time celebrity Gabey assumes she is but an aspiring ballerina named Ivy, who has to work nights as an exotic dancer in Coney Island.
  
  The film is obviously at its best when it's focused on the musical sequences - beginning with the actual locations used for "New York, New York" in establishing the sailors' energetic arrival, continuing with the elaborate "Prehistoric Man" number at the Museum of Natural History and bouncing through the title tune ensemble with all six principals singing and dancing their way down from atop the Empire State Building. Everyone gets a chance to shine, though as Gabey, Gene Kelly clearly dominates with his graceful athleticism. As Chip, an overshadowed Frank Sinatra mainly gets to sing to Betty Garrett, who admirably contains her brassiness as Hildy.
  
  Though hardly believable as an academic type, Ann Miller gets to tap impressively during "Prehistoric Man", and rubber-faced Jules Munshin provides mostly comedy relief as Ozzie. When dancing rather than acting to deceive Gabey, Vera-Ellen dazzles as Ivy from the fantasy-laden "Miss Turnstiles Ballet" to her superb duets with Kelly on "Main Street" and "A Day in New York Ballet". The only sour note is the patronizing attitude toward Hildy's squawk-voiced roommate Lucy (played with gumption by the original Gladys Kravitz from "Bewitched", Alice Pearce). Harold Rosson's color-saturated cinematography has been maintained quite well in the print transfer on the 2000 DVD, though the only extra is the now-battered theatrical trailer.
  
  
• Just the most fun-packed musical ever!
  By on 1998-07-17
  This was the first Gene Kelly movie I ever saw - and did I become hooked! All this movie is is fun fun fun - three sailors have a day's leave in New York City, and have all sorts of adventures while meeting three charming and independent women. It also stars Vera-Ellen, Frank Sinatra, Ann Miller, Betty Garrett, and Frank Munshin. END
  
  
• New York, New York......
  By A1ZMN3OLTV3QQH on 2003-06-12
  It's a wonderful town! And a wonderful movie as well. One of the best of Gene Kelly's career (part of the three year stretch that produced 'Singin' In the Rain' and 'An American in Paris'), this movie has everything. Singing, dancing, and comedy. Ann Miller shines in her "Prehistoric Man" number, one of the best to showcase her talents. And Gene Kelly, well, he's Gene Kelly.
  Do I really have to elaborate on that. The cast also includes the comedy of Jules Munshin and Betty Garrett, the dancing talents of the lovely Vera Ellen, and, of course, the riot-inducing crooning of a pre Rat Pack Frank Sinatra. The plot (three sailors on a twenty-four hour leave) is somewhat thin, but the musical numbers more than make up for that. I've never seen or heard the original play, but I understand they cut quite a few of the original numbers out and changed some others. Chalk it up to politics of the time and the strict Hays Office. It doesn't undermine the spectacular peformances that are given in this movie. Definitely one of the gems of MGM.
  
  
• dazzling, exiting
  By ABH4G7TVI6G2T on 2001-06-14
  Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jules Munshin, Vera-Ellen, Betty Garrett and Ann Miller all dance and sing up a storm in ON THE TOWN, a perrenial MGM classic and one of the finest musicals ever written.

  The adventures of three sailors on 24-hour shoreleave is still exiting, dazzling and hilarious, as they search for adventure and romance.

  The songs include "New York", "Come Up To My Place" , "Prehistoric Man", "On The Town" and "You Can Count On Me". Kelly and Vera-Ellen dance the ballet numbers "Day In New York" and "Miss Turnstiles", while the comedic talents of Garrett, Munshin and Alice Pearce are given time to shine.

  From the Bronx to Battery Park, ON THE TOWN is a joyful romp that is considered a masterpiece.
  
  

• Top notch musical from co-directors Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen a pity Warner couldn't chip in some extras...
  By AQP1VPK16SVWM on 2008-05-19
  The story of three sailors Gabey (Gene Kelly), Chip (Frank Sinatra) and Ozzie (Jules Munshin)looking for love (in the form of Ann Miller, Betty Garrett and Alice Pearce)while on a one day leave for the first time in New York , "On The Town" continues to be a marvelous musical. It may lack the flash of later Donen-Kelly collaborations but it never loses sight of its purpose--to entertain. That along with marvelous location shooting in New York (a rarity at the time) makes "On the Town" unique.
  
  Based on the popular 1944 Broadway musical co-written by Leonard Bernstein and directed by Jerome Robbins, "On the Town" was notable for a number of firsts. It was the first musical shot on location in New York City. It was the first collaboration between director Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly. It was Donen first film. It also marked the first films of Carol Haney and Bea Benaderet. Although it was lost in the wake of later Kelly-Donen films including "Singing in the Rain", "On the Town" perfectly captures the magic of the play and cast.
  
  Many of the original songs were replaced by new material as producer Arthur Freed felt that they were a bit too sophisticated for the average American filmgoer. The result is that we have a mixed score with material by Roger Edens and Bernstein (with lyrics co-written by Adolph Green and Betty Comden). Although the new material isn't as strong as the Bernstein material, the film overcomes these hurtles by incorporating strong choreography.
  
  The re-release of this film accompanies a new boxed set of Kelly-Sinatra musicals although all the titles for that box set are available individually.
  
  "On the Town" looks terrific with nice robust colors that capture the look of the early three strip Technicolor process. Although a bit grainy at times, the film looks quite good. Sure, the studio could have cleaned up the look of the film a bit more but films that have that digital sheen often lose much of their character in the process. I'm not sure if this has been reissued because a new high definition master has been prepared or not but it looks extremely good in its new presentation.
  
  The mono soundtrack sounds great with a nice dynamic range and no noticeable drop outs. There was some minor clipping but on the whole the sound is terrific.
  
  No new special features in this reissue with only the original theatrical trailer included. It's a pity because there are BBC interviews with Kelly and recent TCM interviews with other cast members discussing the making of the film. If they were well integrated with production/promotional stills, new observations by film historians and footage from the film we could have a fine featurette. We could also find out bits of trivia about the shooting of the film for example co-star Jules Munshin's fear of heights. That necessitated that he perform at least one musical number with a rope tied around him (the other end was tied to co-director Stanley Donen who was off screen) and it would also explain his almost obsessive need in one particular dance sequence to touch and run his hands across the various props.
  
  A marvelous musical with Kelly, Sinatra and the rest of the cast in top form, "On the Town" has lost none of its charm, wit or entertainment value. The vintage footage of New York City during the late 40's will also be delightful to viewers. It's a pity this wasn't spiffed up for release.
  
  
  
  
  
• New York, New York, it's a wonderful town !!!
  By A2R6RA8FRBS608 on 2007-03-14
  New York, New York, a helluva town.
  The Bronx is up, but the Battery's down.
  The people ride in a hole in the groun'.
  New York, New York, it's a helluva town!
  
  On The Town let MGM showcase some of their very finest talents: Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly and Jules Munshin play three sailors who get a 24 hour pass to see the city. These men play their roles as Chip, Gabey and Ozzie magnificently. They sing and dance with three wonderfully talented ladies: Betty Garrett plays Brunhilde 'Hilde' Esterhazy, Chip's love interest; Ann Miller portrays Claire Huddesen, Ozzie's flirting partner for the day and Vera-Ellen plays Ivy Smith, or "Miss Turnstiles," who is chased after by Gabey.
  
  The movie plot is not very sophisticated; the idea of three sailors on shore leave to see the New York City and find some girls to celebrate with does not require much imagination. However, this remains a classic musical from "The Dream Factory" even today. The song and dance numbers impress me and the campy dance number in the archeological museum amused me and impressed me both at the same time.
  
  The Technicolor cinematography is excellent; and it is my understanding that this was one of the first films, if not the first, to ever be filmed at least partly on location in New York City. The choreography will never cease to amaze you and hold your attention; I couldn't believe how fast Ann Miller could spin around like a top as she danced her way through one of several gigantic and splashy song and dance routines. Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin shine as they dance; and Vera-Ellen dances to perfection as well. Wow!
  
  MGM wanted to inject some humor and some mild suspense into the plot so there is the scene in the archeological museum where an exhibit is destroyed and of course the cops begin the chase for our heroes. The car chase scene reflects careful planning and much forethought.
  
  I completely agree with the reviewer who writes that the film allows the actors to play parts that they could excel at before they became famous for performing other types of roles. For example, Frank Sinatra DOES play a somewhat introverted soul instead of the much rougher guy or "a heavy" as he did in his later years.
  
  Betty Comden and Adolph Green wrote magnificent lyrics for the songs; and the music by Leonard Bernstein could not be any better. Top notch talent!
  
  The DVD does not come with many extras. The best "extra" really is the three minute theatrical trailer for the movie. You can access scenes one at a time or just view the whole movie straight through as I did. There are French subtitles, too.
  
  Despite the many years since On The Town was filmed, this movie remains a classic musical from "Hollywood's Dream Factory," MGM. I am confident that On The Town will remain a classic musical for quite some while to come as well. The dancing, the singing, the filming on location and the superlative cast all make for a timeless and somewhat sweetly sentimental masterpiece.
  
  I highly recommend this film for fans of classic movie musicals. People who enjoy MGM musicals in particular will forgive the thin plot and love this musical forever. Great job, everyone!
  
  
  
• A colorful and fun MGM musical
  By AT07UZQQR7ZEH on 2005-09-27
  
  One of the most enjoyable of the MGM Technicolor musicals, ON THE TOWN (1949) was produced by Arthur Freed and co-directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen. The witty Betty Comden and Adolph Green screenplay, based on the Broadway musical, stars Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Jules Munshin as three love-starved sailors given 24 hours shore leave in Manhattan. The movie goes non-stop from 6:00 a.m. until the following 6:00 a.m. and benefits from a lot of rare on-location filming.
  
  (CAUTION: PLOT SPOILERS THROUGHOUT THIS REVIEW!) First of all, the guys fall in love with a poster of Miss Turnstiles of the Month (Vera-Ellen) in the subway, then find her for real and do not let her out of their sight. Kelly is paired off with her for some sensational dances. Sinatra sets his sights on a lady taxi driver (a wonderful Betty "Come Up to My Place" Garrett) as the gang heads to the Museum of Natural History. There, Munshin moons over anthropologist Ann Miller ("Modern Man"). Before you know it, the gang is doing "New York, New York" on top of the NBC Building in Rockefeller Center, with its spectacular aerial view of Manhattan. (The gone World Trade Center towers were not even built yet.)
  
  ON THE TOWN boasts rich color and imaginative production design as we move into nighttime. The sextette meets on top of the Empire State Building at dusk, then in a hilarious series of restaurants with waiters fawning over Miss Turnstiles, and finally Coney Island in the middle of the night and a nutty police escort on the Brooklyn Bridge in the pre-dawn hours. (The dinosaur has collapsed at the Museum of Natural History.) Fear not, though, there is a happy and romantic ending (a reprise of "New York, New York") to this tuneful and rather underrated musical delight. The six actors have seldom been better or more charming. (Reviewed from videocassette)
  
  
  
  
• On the Town
  By A10ODC971MDHV8 on 2005-09-06
  This exhilarating musical comedy, featuring (respectively) the fancy footwork and infectious crooning of GIs Kelly and Sinatra, perfectly captures the optimistic spirit that held sway in the post-World War II boom. Co-starring dancers Vera-Ellen and Ann Miller, "On the Town" was one of the first color films shot on location in Manhattan, and remains one of the grandest, liveliest Hollywood musicals ever made.
  
  
  
  
  
• A turning point for MGM
  By A2P1C75HUR3P3X on 2005-01-13
  'On the Town' was the best example in 1949 that MGM's Freed Unit had ever produced of the 'integrated musical'. Song, dance and plot are woven tightly together in a way that seems more natural than ever before.
  
  When 'On the Town' premiered, the line went all the way around the block at Radio City Music Hall. It was an outstanding success.
  
  I think for this movie you do need a particular sense of humor. The number 'Prehistoric Man' in particular can lead certain fans of other musicals to bewilderment with its sillyness... however, it's all good fun and all in the name of 'entertainment'. *gulps*.
  
  The movie is light hearted, eye catching (the first one shot on location in New York City) and fast paced. Any fans of Kelly and Sinatra need to see it, as well as fans of the musical comedy. If you want an example of one of the highest productions of MGM's Freed Unit (after which inspirations came for 'An American in Paris', 'Singin' in the Rain' and 'The Band Wagon'), this is it!
  
  
• I love this movie
  By A1S900P7YCWGR on 2003-02-05
  I love this movie alot. Partially because I am a big fan of Gene Kelley, and Frank Sinatra but it is a really great movie. This movie, and Take Me Out To The Ball Game Are two of the best ones ever made.
  
  
• on the town digital glory
  By on 2002-09-14
  excellent reproduction of the film, with clear picture quality and crystal clear all mono sound. preserves the MGM classic's
  quality forever.
  
  
• Right On With ON THE TOWN!!!
  By A23AFVXWF9A0CF on 2002-06-14
  This movie is spectacular. I have been watching this since I was about 8 years old and I still love it today.

  This film has an all-star cast with Ann Miller, Jules Munshin, Betty Garrett, Gene Kelly, and the "chairman of the board", Frank Sinatra.

  On The Town starts out with three sailors who have one thing on their minds and only 24 hours to get it. They are determined to find the girl of their dreams and hit a homerun within 24 hours!! Seem impossible?? Not with these guys.

  This film guides you through the treasures of New York, complete with a dance routine on top of the Empire State Building. By the end of the night, they end up at Coney Island running from the cops.

  Music, great acting and choreography makes this film a sure classic and a must for a video collection. If you would like to see these actors paired up again, check out Take Me Out To The Ballgame, another "homerun".
  
  

• Good, clean fun!
  By A3B1PT4RWZG1YM on 2001-10-01
  While not the best by Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly, or Frank Sinatra, it is a lighthearted way to pass a rainy afternoon. The story is light (three sailors have 24 hours to see the sights and find a girl), but the music is generally catchy and memorable. Not much in the way of extras for the DVD, but it is a fine print.
  
  
• Smashing !
  By A2X44DD1TN0P13 on 2000-06-10
  A one of a kind musical. that is the zenith of energy in dance and song. Vera Ellen,s pastel outfits are terrific. Sinatra singing" Your,e awful" to Betty Garrett, "Main Street" dance number with Kelly and Ellen, and Ann Miller too.!

  If you have had a hard day at work...and all that junk is on TV..in the evening..and you are looking for something with energy, craft, and music and dance..take a trip " On The Town" with Kelly, Sinatra and Jules Munshin..one of the few pleasures in life.
  
  

• ONE OF THE BEST KELLY/SINATRA MUSICALS EVER!
  By on 1998-11-08
  I love this movie! This movie has some of the best dance numbers ever done on film! (Other than maybe a few Astaire, Crosby, or other Kelly movies.) Gene Kelly and his co-stars are sailors with a 24 hour leave in NYC. There, they meet up with girls--including Vera-Ellen and Ann Miller. It has a very realistic premise and climax. One of my all-time favorite movies! END
  
  
• ON THE TOWN is On The Money!!
  By A1P6NRWDD1NT4B on 2002-02-09
  I saw a clip of ON THE TOWN on THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT (MGM's tribute film of its muscials circa 1970's) and never saw the actual movie until it came out on video back in the 80's. A musical probably overshadowed by SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, HIGH SOCIETY or AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, but this MGM Musical is just as good. The basic premise of 3 sailors on 24 hour shore leave in New York City and finding romance makes for great fun. It's as simple as that!! Boasting actual location shots in New York City, great songs, dance numbers, and of course...Gene Kelly and pre Eva Gardner and Rat-Pack Frank Sinatra, this is a must see musical from MGM's hey-day. Great supporting cast by Betty Garrett(who went on to TV sitcoms ALL IN THE FAMILY and LAVERN & SHIRLEY),Ann Miller, Jules Munshin, and the very forgotten, beautiful and talented Vera Ellen. The song New York, New York - - Its a Wonderful Town! used in the opening sequence in the New York City Location shots should have won an OSCAR. They just don't make 'em like this anymore!!
  
  
• Come up to my place....
  By A31LSS694Z235Y on 2000-09-01
  And watch "On the Town" on DVD. Okay, we all know the movie is fab but the new DVD makes it a whole new experience. This transfer is so sharp and crisp, and the colour so rich, that the film looks like it came out in 1999 not 1949. Plus there is a timeless story and great music- all combining to make a swell DVD experience. That's all there is folks so goodnight to you, I hope you like my little On the Town review...
  
  
• On The Town 1949
  By A3GN9I0UYV08LC on 2006-04-12
  New York , New York , its a wonderful town -especially when sailors Gene Kelly (1912-1996) , Frank Sinatra (1915-1998) , Jules Munshin (1915-1970) have a 24-hour shore leave to see sighs..and when those sights include Ann Miller (1923-2004) , Betty Garrett (1919- ) , and Vera-Ellen (1921-1981) . Co-directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen (1924- ) , based on the broadway hit . On the town changes the landscape of movie musicals , opening filmaker?s eyes to what could be done on location and when brilliant location and Studio production numbers are blended , it could be -as here -embulient , up-and-at-?m perfection . The Bronx is up and the batterys down , butno one can be down after going on the town . Super,Super Musical , your see a wonderful performance and how N.Y looks in 1949 and buildings and people have gone long time ago , it?s a time capsule for nostalgic tours . Transfer in Ultra-Resolution Quality picture . Recommended
  
  
• One of the Best!!!!!!!!!!
  By ALPVMB5P07GPM on 2004-08-17
  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!
  
  
• this is a 'heeluva' film
  By AAVM82AVN8N8E on 2004-08-15
  I don't care what I hear. 'On the Town' is one of the greatest films. Just hearing those songs makes me feel happy and the thought of watching them dance cheers me up, particularly the museum scene. The acting is wonderful, and though slightly out of date New York is shown in it's prime. I'm not out to defy all those people who think its a second rate musical, I'd just like to say that I've watched it many times and the more I see it the more I love it. This is something for solitary or family viewing as it never fails to impress. I love it.
  
  

• Anchors Aweigh (Keepcase)
• Take Me Out to the Ball Game
• An American in Paris
• Singin' in the Rain (Two-Disc Special Edition)
• High Society