Movie Classics

On the Town (1949)
Runtime: 98min
Director: Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly
Cast: Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jules Munshin,
Betty Garrett, Ann Miller, Vera-Ellen



The three sailors Gabey (Gene Kelly), Chip (Frank Sinatra) and Ozzie (Jules Munshin) have 24-hours in New York before their fleet has to leave the shore. Ozzie and Gabey is looking for some New York girls, while Chip wants to look at all the famous sights that the city has to offer. The city has more to offer than famous sights, and the three are finding love in places they would never have thought of. Gabey falls in love with "Miss Turnstiles of the Month", Ivy Smith (Vera-Ellen), a girl he first sees at a poster on the subway. He decides to look all over for her, but on the way the three sailors meet the passionate cab driver Brunhilde Esterhazy (Betty Garrett) and the sexy anthropologist Claire Huddesen (Ann Miller).


"The Bronx is up and the Battery's down, but no one can be down after going On The Town."

Yet another feelgood movie. It's so full of joy and color. The entire cast is suberb; funny, charming and smart, and each character has its own wonderfull characteristics. The soundtrack is so catchy (with some of the movie classics' best voices), with numbers like "New York, New York", "Miss Turnstiles", "Prehistoric Man", "You're Awful" and the title song "On the Town". And who wouldn't like to see some cute sailors and some stunning ladies in beautifull costumes? As the song says: "New York, New York, it's a wonderfull town".

Movie Classics

Cover Girl (1944)
Runtime: 107 min
Director: Charles Vidor
Cast: Rita Hayworth, Gene Kelly,
Phil Silvers, Otto Kruger, Lee Bowman, Eve Arden

Rusty Parker (Rita Hayworth) is one of the lead dancer at her boyfriend Danny McGuire's (Gene Kelly) Night Club in Brooklyn. She dreams of becoming a successful star, and enters a contest to be a "Cover Girl". She is given a chance by the wealthy publisher John Coudair (Otto Kruger), who was in love with Parker's grandmother a long time ago. She left Coudair at the altar, because she loved someone else. Parker continues to work at McGuires' club, but as she is pursued by the musical producer Noel Weathon (Lee Bowman) to become a star on Broadway, the two worlds collide and Parker has to choose between Weathon or McGuire.

This is one charming and bubbly musical. The costumes are adorable, the setting is fantastic and the muic is lovely. The cast is wonderfull, and I can't decide which of the main stars I adore the most. This is in so many ways a Rita Hayworth movie and even though Gene Kelly (on a loan from his company) takes the backseat, he has still feels like huge partof it. Hayworth and Kelly really carry the movie together. She is stunning and cute as always, and he is charming and down to earth as the night club owner. They are a perfect couble, and the perfect trio with the funny Phil Silvers as Genious.


Every musical number has it's own charm and brings something special to the entire movie, but my favorite acts have to be Gene Kelly's dance number, Phil Silvers number with all the girls, "Make Way for Tomorrow" number with the trio and the "Long Ago & Far Away" number between Kelly and Hayworth. The "Cover Girl" number is also good (fantastic set design), but is too long for my liking.