Two sailors, one naive, the other experienced in the ways of the world, on liberty in Los Angeles, is the setting for this movie musical.2h 20min || 19 July 1945
Director: George Sidney
Stars: Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson, Gene Kelly, Jose Iturbi, Dean Stockwell (b. 1936)
Stanley Donen ... assistant choreographer
Gene Kelly ... dance sequences created by
Jack Donohue ... dance director (uncredited)
Genres: Comedy | Fantasy | Musical | Romance | War
In the Tap! Appendix for Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Tom? and Jerry Mouse (cartoons). (Tom appears very briefly as a servant to King Jerry, but does not dance.)
Performances (38 chapters, custom menu; IM indicates "integrated musical" number):
- ch2. Anchors Aweigh, Played by a Navy Band conducted by José Iturbi
- ch4. We Hate to Leave, Sung and Danced by Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra (IM)
- ch8. Largo al factotum della città from "Il barbiere di Siviglia", sung by Carlos Ramirez
- ch10. "Brahms' Lullaby", Sung by Frank Sinatra and hummed by him (IM)
- ch11. I Begged Her, Sung and Danced by Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, bouncing on cots (IM)
- ch14. If You Knew Susie, Sung by Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly (IM)
- ch16. Jealousy (Jalousie), Sung by Kathryn Grayson
- ch17. What Makes the Sunset?, Sung by Frank Sinatra (IM)
- ch19. (All Of A Sudden) My Heart Sings, Sung by Kathryn Grayson (IM)
- ch20. The Donkey Serenade, Played on the piano by José Iturbi
- ch22. The King Who Couldn't Dance (The Worry Song), Sung & Danced by Gene Kelly and Jerry Mouse (voiced by Sara Berner) (IM)
- ch26. Tonight We Love, Played on piano by José Iturbi and sung a bit by Frank Sinatra (IM)
- ch27. The Charm of You, Sung by Frank Sinatra (IM)
- ch29. Jarabe Tapatío (The Mexican Hat Dance), Performed by Gene Kelly and Sharon McManus (child) (IM)
- ch30. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, Played on pianos by José Iturbi and a group of piano students
- ch31. I Fall In Love Too Easily, Sung by Frank Sinatra (IM)
- ch33. La Cumparsita, Danced by Gene Kelly (IM)
- ch36. Waltz from Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48, Performed by Kathryn Grayson and the studio orchestra conducted by José Iturbi, her filmed audition
Previously rated 8. This viewing, I'm appreciating KG more, and the quantity and quality of dancing, and the integration of so many of the musical numbers, which perhaps makes this a pivotal moment in film Musicals history. Then again, other (past) films have integrated the music numbers in the plot, but they've been few and far between. It's time for me to start tracking integrated vs. not. This film still has performance numbers, namely those with JI. But ALL of the GK dances and the FS songs are integrated into the plot or take the place of dialog. Out of 18 numbers, only 6 are pure performance, non-IM. Amazing that this has no commentary track.
MGM, dir. Sidney; 9
