The last of those HBO Max musicals I decided to check out before they left the service was On the Town, an adaptation of a Broadway show that, like Anchors Aweigh, had Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra playing sailors on shore leave. Why do so many musicals feature sailors? I don’t know. And given this is the second one to feature Kelly and Sinatra, with Kelly not only choreographing the dance sequences but also co-directing, I may consider he just liked the way he looked in those sailor’s uniforms.

That said, On the Town doesn’t have any dance sequences with a cartoon mouse.

Sailors Gabey (Kelly), Chip (Sinatra), and Ozzie (Jules Munshin) have 24 hours leave to explore New York City. All three have come from small towns, with the biggest home town being Chip’s home in Peoria. None of them have been to New York before, so with a quick singing of “New York, New York,” they’re off. Chip has a plan and wants to see as much as they can, but his two companions quickly notice the women walking around the city are nothing like the girls back home. Chip keeps insisting he really wants to see New York City because he’s never been there before.

You know, Sinatra’s Hoboken accent never made a character he played seem any weirder than it did here as the guy who insists the most he’s never been to New York City.

As it is, the guys all have some luck. Gabey decides he wants to go out with a woman he presumes is one of the city’s biggest celebrities, Ivy (Vera-Ellen), Miss Turnstile for the month of June whose face is plastered all over the subway. Ozzie finds affection at a museum when it turns out he’s a spitting image of a caveman, drawing the attention of Claire (Ann Miller), an anthropologist who has no time for modern man or affections though she seems to quickly forget that last part. And Chip has his hands full when cab driver Hildy (Beth Garrett) starts pursuing him in a rather aggressive manner though it’s about as aggressive as the other two men show their respective partners; it’s just a wee bit different in that the woman starts it with this pairing. And yes, Chip does eventually give in. Most of the movie is devoted to making sure Gabey and Ivy hook up, with the other two women deciding it’s for the best for the men not to know Ivy is basically just a model and not a huge celebrity moving through the city’s high society.

Given this one had music by Leonard Bernstein, there’s a lot to like about the songs, and “New York, New York” is a great song. Kelly’s choreography is always top notch, the humorous moments largely work, and the cast is game for whatever is going on. Yeah, it’s a musical and not exactly a very deep story. But after sitting through as many as I have for the past couple weeks, I am somewhat used to that. I wouldn’t say I am overly fond of musicals, but at least I don’t hate them or anything. That said, I don’t think I’ll be rushing off to try another all that soon.

Then again, it might depend on what’s leaving HBO Max in February…

Grade: B+


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