On the Town (1949)

Three sailors on a day of shore leave in New York City look for fun and romance before their twenty-four hours are up.

Directors:

Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly

Writers:

Adolph Green (screenplay), Betty Comden (screenplay),

Stars:

Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Betty Garrett

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gene Kelly	...	Gabey
Frank Sinatra	...	Chip
Betty Garrett	...	Brunhilde Esterhazy
Ann Miller	...	Claire Huddesen
Jules Munshin	...	Ozzie
Vera-Ellen	...	Ivy Smith
Florence Bates	...	Mme. Dilyovska
Alice Pearce	...	Lucy Schmeeler
George Meader	...	Professor

Storyline

Three sailors - Gabey, Chip and Ozzie - let loose on a 24-hour pass in New York and the Big Apple will never be the same! Gabey falls head over heels for "Miss Turnstiles of the Month" (he thinks she's a high society deb when she's really a 'cooch dancer at Coney Island); innocent Chip gets highjacked (literally) by a lady cab driver; and Ozzie becomes the object of interest of a gorgeous anthropologist who thinks he's the perfect example of a "prehistoric man". Wonderful music and terrific shots of New York at its best.

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Plot Keywords:

sailor | anthropologist | prehistoric man | miss turnstiles | turnstile | 

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Taglines:

Come On, Everybody, Let's Go On the Town!

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 December 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

Heut' gehn wir bummeln

Filming Locations:

5th Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,111,250 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Loew's

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie marked the screen debut of actresses Carol Haney and Bea Benaderet.

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Goofs

Near the end of "Prehistoric Man" when the dancing moves in front of the dinosaur, Claire's mark can be seen on the floor.

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Quotes

Officer Tracy, Car 44: [to his patrol car partner, after hearing about the dinosaur collapsing] Collapse? That's terrible. She's my favorite singing star, that Dinah Shore!
[the other officer rolls his eyes]

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Connections

Featured in American Masters: Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note (1998)

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Soundtracks

"A Day in New York"
Music by Leonard Bernstein
Danced by Gene Kelly, Vera-Ellen, Carol Haney, and dancers

User Reviews

'On the Town' paints the town red!

I have found that On the Town is one of the best movies from the 1940's. It has the perfect chemistry for a movie. From the all-star cast of Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Ann Miller, Vera Ellen and others to the script itself written by the wonderful Betty Comden and Adolph Green, it is no wonder that this movie is still around. When 3 sailors have a leave in NYC, and their main objective is to pick up girls, you know that you are in for some laughs. From the dinosaur to the cab drivers, this movie is a score on my list. The dancing is also great. Ann Miller taps her heart away and Gene Kelly amazes us yet again. This movie is here to stay!