Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly Shine in On the Town

On the Town is the kind of movie you can fall in love with as a kid, and still find yourself captivated with years later.



When I was little, On the Town roped me in with its catchy songs and gorgeous dresses (especially Ann Miller’s green and black number...someday I WILL have that dress). Every time she starts singing “Prehistoric Man,” I get an unrelenting urge to brush the dust off my tap shoes, but am forced settle for just a sing-a-long.



While I'm still charmed by those elements, there’s even more to appreciate now that I’m older. As I learned more about New York’s history and the post-WWII era, references I’d never caught before start to click for me. Every time I watch this movie, I learn something new… something that, while mesmerized by fantastic dance routines, I’d previously overlooked.



The story follows three sailors on a day of shore leave in New York City, looking for a lot of adventure and at least a little romance before their twenty-four hours are up. The leader of the group, Gabey (Gene Kelly), sees a poster of “Miss Turnstiles” on the subway and so enamored with the aspiring actress, Ivy Smith (Vera-Ellen), that he convinces his buddies, Chip (Frank Sinatra) and Ozzie (Jules Munshin), to help him search the big city for this lil gal.

Luckily, these out-of-towners get assistance from some New York natives, and joining the search is a persistent taxi driver, Hildy (Betty Garrett), and a man-crazy anthropologist, Claire (Ann Miller). Running from one New York landmark to another, each sailor finds romance. Ozzie is claimed by Claire, who declares him her “Prehistoric Man,” and Chip finds himself happily trapped in Hildy’s taxi. This leaves Gabey more determined than ever to find his New York love.



If you like this movie, try:

Summer Stock, with Gene Kelly and Judy Garland (1950)
My Sister Eileen, with Jack Lemmon and Betty Garrett (1955)