On the Town was directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen. It was the first film they directed. So which director can you thank for this spectacle New York musical? Both. As we know Gene Kelly today, he's probably responsible for all the cheer, spectacle dance scenes and Stanley Donen was most likely more intimate as a director. He makes the pauses in between of the dancing, which are very important. They're the pauses to the actors and to the viewers. That's where the reality happens. So this was a great idea: to combine two talented filmmakers, because you need both of those elements for On the Town.
The story reminded me of another musical starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, Anchors Aweigh (1945). In On the Town three sailors Chip, Gabey & Ozzie get a one-day long break to spend in the city of New York. The three boys want to hook up with some good looking NYC girls, even that Chip wants to go sight-seeing he also understands the fine art of dating when he meets a woman taxi-driver, Brunhilde Esterhazy (Betty Garrett). When Gabey (Gene Kelly) sees a poster of the Miss Turnstiles of the Month AKA Ivy Smith (Vera-Ellen) he gets a sudden urge to find her. Along the searching process, Ozzie (Jules Munshin) also finds a girl of his own, Claire Huddesen (Ann Miller) from the museum of anthropology.
The three main characters (Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin) are wonderfully created. They represent American men, who lived in a world where WWII was over and whose minds hadn't yet been depressed by the Korean War, a peaceful era. The three supporting female characters were great too (Betty Garrett, Ann Miller and Vera-Ellen), maybe though a little oppressed by men. Men make them dance and through that, forget their troubles. That's maybe the negative side of the film, it shows women as people oppressed by men who are just waiting to be found and whose only job is to bring happiness to men. But all together, great characters!
The milieu of On the Town is amazing. The film was untypically for that time, actually filmed in New York City. It's a great documentary of New York in the time between WWII and the Korean War. No movie before the year 1949 had given such a great view on the particular city. There are actually three layers of the city. The underground where Gabey finds the poster of the Miss Turnstiles, the streets, the museums and the sights where they try to find her, and then there's the sky. Where they can get by going to the top of the Empire State Building. In my opinion the latter represents the illusion, that's where everything they've hoped for happens. The streets are the reality, but also because of the musical scenes maybe some sort of a modern fantasy. The underground has no illusion at all. It is the actual reality, where Gabie sees Ivy Smith for the first time. The first time they meet is important, but I'll let the enjoyment of that to you.
So On the Town is a great reflection of the United States in a cheerful era. It's a good documentary of NYC, it has great characters and the milieus of the film are fantastic. The basic themes that it deals up with are the relationships between men and women. Maybe the view on that subject could have had a little more depth though. On the Town also wonders one's attitude to life. But basically it's a survey of the people of that time and their thoughts. First film directed by Donen & Kelly and one of the finest, if not that finest.
5-6 is my usual rating for a decent, enjoyable musical. So this clearly had something more. In addition to the fact that it's great entertainment, it works on a higher level.
7/10
The story reminded me of another musical starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, Anchors Aweigh (1945). In On the Town three sailors Chip, Gabey & Ozzie get a one-day long break to spend in the city of New York. The three boys want to hook up with some good looking NYC girls, even that Chip wants to go sight-seeing he also understands the fine art of dating when he meets a woman taxi-driver, Brunhilde Esterhazy (Betty Garrett). When Gabey (Gene Kelly) sees a poster of the Miss Turnstiles of the Month AKA Ivy Smith (Vera-Ellen) he gets a sudden urge to find her. Along the searching process, Ozzie (Jules Munshin) also finds a girl of his own, Claire Huddesen (Ann Miller) from the museum of anthropology.
The three main characters (Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin) are wonderfully created. They represent American men, who lived in a world where WWII was over and whose minds hadn't yet been depressed by the Korean War, a peaceful era. The three supporting female characters were great too (Betty Garrett, Ann Miller and Vera-Ellen), maybe though a little oppressed by men. Men make them dance and through that, forget their troubles. That's maybe the negative side of the film, it shows women as people oppressed by men who are just waiting to be found and whose only job is to bring happiness to men. But all together, great characters!
The milieu of On the Town is amazing. The film was untypically for that time, actually filmed in New York City. It's a great documentary of New York in the time between WWII and the Korean War. No movie before the year 1949 had given such a great view on the particular city. There are actually three layers of the city. The underground where Gabey finds the poster of the Miss Turnstiles, the streets, the museums and the sights where they try to find her, and then there's the sky. Where they can get by going to the top of the Empire State Building. In my opinion the latter represents the illusion, that's where everything they've hoped for happens. The streets are the reality, but also because of the musical scenes maybe some sort of a modern fantasy. The underground has no illusion at all. It is the actual reality, where Gabie sees Ivy Smith for the first time. The first time they meet is important, but I'll let the enjoyment of that to you.
So On the Town is a great reflection of the United States in a cheerful era. It's a good documentary of NYC, it has great characters and the milieus of the film are fantastic. The basic themes that it deals up with are the relationships between men and women. Maybe the view on that subject could have had a little more depth though. On the Town also wonders one's attitude to life. But basically it's a survey of the people of that time and their thoughts. First film directed by Donen & Kelly and one of the finest, if not that finest.
5-6 is my usual rating for a decent, enjoyable musical. So this clearly had something more. In addition to the fact that it's great entertainment, it works on a higher level.
7/10