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Information

Year
1949
Runtime
98 min.
Directors
Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly
Genres
Romance, Comedy, Musical
Rating *
7.6
Votes *
11,933
Checks
4,101
Favs
233
Dislikes
29
Favs/checks
5.7% (1:18)
Favs/dislikes
8:1
* View IMDb information

Top comments

  1. Bill.MI.1's avatar

    Bill.MI.1

    Very entertaining. Like Singin' In the Rain set in New York with lots of great gags. 11 years 7 months ago
  2. TomReagan's avatar

    TomReagan

    Loved it. Great cast, songs, and dancing numbers, with a lot of humor. I wouldn’t put it near Singin in the Rain, but I only mention that to counter other reviewers here. Highly recommend, especially for Gene Kelly fans. 4 years 4 months ago
  3. Siskoid's avatar

    Siskoid

    Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra get into their sailors' uniforms four years after Anchors Aweigh for another shore leave movie, On the Town. This is Stanley Donen's first collaboration with Kelly and heads and shoulders above Anchors, but really, Kelly's fingerprints (footprints?) are all over it. Donen didn't direct An American in Paris, but the two abstract dance numbers in On the Town are clear precursors to American's show stoppers, and Donen didn't direct that. I love the opening number ("New York, New York", but not that "New York, New York") and how it's echoed in the finale, and really, all the numbers are fun even if the melodies aren't necessarily catchy. The story, of course, is thin and silly. Three sailors have 24 hours ashore and decide to find some girls and go out on the town. That's it. It's cool that those women are very forward, post-War dames, and while Ann Miller is a stand-out performer, Betty Garrett steals the show as Brunhilde the cab driver who takes a shine to Sinatra. She's hilarious. Even in the songs, this flick leans into the comedy part of musical comedy, and is the better for it. A fun, flighty dream, with enough charm to make you forgive the dated cultural insensitivity of the museum number. 4 years 3 months ago
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In 10 official lists

  1. This movie ranks #67 in BFI's 100 Film Musicals
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    BFI's 100 Film Musicals

    67
  2. This movie ranks #117 in TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films: 1001-2500
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    TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest F…

    117
  3. This movie ranks #138 in Halliwell's Top 1000: The Ultimate Movie Countdown
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    Halliwell's Top 1000: Th…

    138
  4. This movie ranks #213 in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
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    1001 Movies You Must See…

    213
  5. This movie ranks #218 in Emma Beare's 501 Must-See Movies
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    Emma Beare's 501 Must-Se…

    218
  6. This movie ranks #277 in Empire's The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time
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    Empire's The 500 Greates…

    277
  7. This movie ranks #624 in The New York Times's Book of Movies
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    The New York Times's Boo…

    624
  8. This movie ranks #656 in The Guardian's 1000 Films to See Before You Die
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    The Guardian's 1000 Film…

    656
  9. This movie ranks #680 in Time Out's 1000 Films to Change Your Life
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    Time Out's 1000 Films to…

    680
  10. This movie ranks #800 in Library of Congress's National Film Registry
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    Library of Congress's Na…

    800
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