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On the Town is a 1949 musical film with music by Leonard Bernstein and Roger Edens and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. It is an adaptation of the Broadway stage musical of the same name produced in 1944, although many changes in script and score were made from the original stage version; for instance, most of Bernstein's music was dropped in favor of new songs by Edens, who disliked the majority of the Bernstein score, for being too complex and too operatic. This caused Bernstein to boycott the film.

The film was directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, and stars Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Ann Miller, Betty Garrett, Jules Munshin, and Vera-Ellen. It also features Alice Pearce and in small, bit part, Bea Benaderet. It was a product of producer Arthur Freed's Unit at MGM, and is notable for its combination of studio and location filming, as a result of Gene Kelly's insistence that some scenes be shot in New York City itself, including at the American Museum of Natural History, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Rockefeller Center.

The film was an instant success and won the Academy Award for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture, and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Cinematography (Color). Screenwriters Comden and Green won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written American Musical.

Judy Holliday was uncredited as the voice of Daisy Simkins.

In 2006, this film version ranked No. 19 on the American Film Institute's list of best musicals.

Plot

As three sailors – Gabey, Chip, and Ozzie – begin their shore leave, Gabey falls in love with the picture of "Miss Turnstiles", who is actually Ivy Smith. The sailors race around New York attempting to find her in the brief period they have ("New York, New York").

They are assisted by, and become romantically involved with, two women, and pair up: Ozzie with Claire, an anthropologist; and Chip with Hildy Esterhazy, an aggressively amorous taxi driver; and eventually, Gabey with Ivy, an aspiring actress. Claire claims that she's found her passionate "Prehistoric Man" in Ozzie at the Museum of Anthropological History. Hildy invites Chip to "Come Up to My Place". Gabey takes Ivy on an imaginary date down "Mainstreet" in a studio in Symphonic Hall. Later, Chip sincerely falls for Hildy telling her "You're Awful" -- awful nice to be with. That evening, all the couples meet at the top of the Empire State Building to celebrate a night "On the Town".

But when Ivy must leave early to work as a cooch dancer, the friends tell a despondent Gabey, "You Can Count on Me", joined by Hildy's hilarious roommate, Lucy Schmeeler. They have a number of adventures reuniting with Ivy at Coney Island before their 24-hour leave ends and they must return to their ship to head off to sea. Although their future is uncertain, the boys and girls share one last kiss on the pier as a new crew of sailors heads out into the city for their leave ("New York, New York reprise").

Cast

• Gene Kelly as Gabey
• Frank Sinatra as Chip
• Ann Miller as Claire Huddesen
• Betty Garrett as Brunhilde "Hildy" Esterhazy
• Jules Munshin as Ozzie
• Vera-Ellen as Ivy Smith
• Florence Bates as Madame Dilyovska
• Alice Pearce as Lucy Schmeeler
• George Meader as Professor
• Hans Conried as François (head waiter)

Cast notes

• Carol Haney, Gene Kelly's assistant, performed with Kelly in the Day in New York ballet sequence, but was not credited.
• Bea Benaderet has a small, uncredited role as a girl from Brooklyn on the subway.
• Bern Hoffman has an uncredited role as a shipyard singer.
• Alice Pearce was the only original member of the Broadway cast to reprise her role.

Musical numbers

1. "I Feel Like I'm Not Out of Bed Yet" —Shipyard builder
2. "New York, New York" —Gabey, Chip, and Ozzie
3. "Miss Turnstiles Ballet" (instrumental) —Ivy and ensemble
4. "Prehistoric Man" —Claire, Ozzie, Gabey, Chip, and Hildy
5. "Come Up to My Place" —Hildy and Chip
6. "When You Walk Down Mainstreet with Me" —Gabey and Ivy
7. "You're Awful" — Chip and Hildy
8. "On the Town" —Gabey, Ivy, Chip, Hildy, Ozzie, Claire
9. "Count on Me" —Chip, Ozzie, Hildy, Claire, and Lucy
10. "A Day in New York" (instrumental) —Gabey, Ivy, and dream cast
11. "New York, New York" (Reprise) —Shipyard builders, three new sailors, and chorus

Awards

• Academy Awards, Best Music, 1950 (won)
• BAFTA Awards, Best Film, 1951 (nominated)
• Golden Globes, Best Cinematography - Color, 1950 (nominated)
• Writers Guild of America, Best Written American Musical, 1950 (won)

See also

• Arthur Freed

References

1. "On the Town - Box Office Data". The Numbers. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
2. 'The Top Box Office Hits of 1950', Variety, January 3, 1951
3. "IMDB - Judy Holliday". Retrieved 2013-06-13.
4. "Hollywood Musicals Year By Year", Second Edition, 1990, Green, Stanley, Revised and Updated by Elaine Schmidt, Hal Leonard Corporation, ISBN 0-634-00765-3

• It appears that DD443, the ship in the background for the opening two numbers, is the USS Swanson

External links

• On the Town at IMDb
• On the Town at the TCM Movie Database
• Template:Allrovi movie
• On the Town at Rotten Tomatoes

Template:Musicals and operas of Leonard Bernstein

• 1949 films
• 1940s musical films
• American films
• American musical films
• English-language films
• Films directed by Gene Kelly
• Films directed by Stanley Donen
• Directorial debut films
• Films set in the 1940s
• Films set in New York City
• Films shot in Technicolor
• Films shot in New York City
• Best Original Music Score Academy Award winners
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
• Films based on musicals
• Films produced by Arthur Freed