On the Town

"They Paint The Town With Joy!"

1949 1h 38m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 301

ComedyRomance

Synopsis

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Three sailors wreak havoc as they search for love during a whirlwind 24-hour leave in New York City.

“They Paint The Town With Joy!”

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Cast

Gene Kelly
Gabey
Frank Sinatra
Chip
Betty Garrett
Brunhilde Esterhazy
Ann Miller
Claire Huddesen
Jules Munshin
Ozzie
Vera-Ellen
Ivy Smith
Florence Bates
Madame Dilyovska
Alice Pearce
Lucy Schmeeler

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Gene Kelly
Writers: Adolph Green, Betty Comden
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $2.1M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

77 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Gene Kelly, shot by Harold Rosson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Roger Edens. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ralph E. Winters shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra and Betty Garrett carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "They Paint The Town With Joy!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0041716 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Gene Kelly directs. Harold Rosson behind the camera. Roger Edens scores. Ralph E. Winters cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $2.1M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
277 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Gene Kelly, shot by Harold Rosson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Roger Edens. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Ralph E. Winters shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra and Betty Garrett carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "They Paint The Town With Joy!".
8IMDB entry: tt0041716 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 10 themes, including "new york city", "musical", "u.s. navy", "coney island".

The technical file

Cinematography: Harold Rosson
Original score: Roger Edens
Editing: Ralph E. Winters
Costume design: Helen Rose
Makeup / hair: Jack Dawn
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $2,133,000
Box office: $4,428,000
Return: 208% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: On the Town (1949)

Awards

Academy Award for Best Original Musical Score

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Gene Kelly

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2015-05-31
★ 8/10
Wonderful town gets a wonderful movie. As would be tradition, the story at the core of On the Town isn't anything to sing from the roof tops, but it plays out as one of MGM's most memorable slices of froth. Propelled by talented stars and singers, it's a musical of comedic delights. Adapted from the successful stage production, charges of being dated and that not all the songs are great, is correct. The dated thing is not always a viable debating tool, but certain stereotype and sexist elements here will ring a little hollow with some folk. Yet if you can just run with it and accept the era of film making it comes from, then this is mostly a joyous and uplifting picture. So roll with the boys and girls, with the wonderful dances and the wonderful singing, for New York New York, A Wonderful Town. 8/10
CinemaSerf2022-07-09
★ 7/10
That old expression about things not being broken not needing fixing springs to mind with this. Messrs. Sinatra, Kelly (who co-directed) and Munshin don their naval uniforms for a 24 hour pass in the Big Apple. Once there, they fall for a pretty diverse trio of dames - Betty Garrett, Ann Miller and Vera-Allen and with the fabulous musical talents of Green/Comden and Bernstein at the helm, we have the perfect ingredients for a day no-one will ever forget. The plot is pretty straightforward, but the musical numbers notably "New York, New York", "On the Town" and "I Can Cook Too" alongside some perfectly choreographed dance sequences give this adaptation of the 1944 Broadway musical more than a splash of style and class. The whole thing is well paced, the characters (though hardly what you might call "developed") are fun and engaging - especially the really almost "cute" Frank Sinatra - as they (and we) enjoy their whirlwind romantic tour. On the downside, the story could do with being just a smidge more substantial and there are maybe just a little too many sound stage performances that do sterilise the charm just a little, but I'm splitting hairs - it's well worth a watch if you like the broadway musical at it's best.