MovieChat Forums > On the Town (1949) Discussion > sorry to say it's overrated

sorry to say it's overrated

posted 17 years ago by Death_to_Pan_and_Scan
20 replies | jump to latest

*SPOILERS*

I'd looked forward to this as a bright spot of the Ann Miller day on TCM and was a bit disappointed. Ann Miller was one of the main reasons I kept watching (a dancer/singer of much charm and talent, but unfortunately relegated mostly to mediocre B movies). People on imdb have claimed it to be one of the great musicals of all time and I really have to disagree. Throw Bernstein's name around all you want, but I didn't care for the songs all that much, "New York, New York" being a rare catchy exception.

I can see that it was very unusual for an MGM musical to do location shooting and that New Yorkers might therefore have less objectivity regarding any so-called 'greatness' of this musical (according to TCM the only location shot using the girls was the farewell at the boat at the end). I know it is the first Donen/Kelly co-directorial effort, but there are any number of musicals better than this one that I can name and I still have many more Hollywood musicals to see. For just Gene Kelly films alone I would say Singin in the Rain, An American in Paris and Brigadoon are all noticeably better than On the Town.

I give it a 6/10

I really wanted to like this film more than I did. Better music really could've helped it.

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If you're watching 'Fullscreen' DVDs, you aren't getting the whole picture.

[–] McQueen1980 17 years ago

it is better than sining in the rain but it does get bogged down by the script when they get stuck in the bar and all that
still enjoyable to see all the famous faces though in one film though

[–] Death_to_Pan_and_Scan 17 years ago

On the Town better than Singin in the Rain? You must stay off the crack pipe!
I've seen both in the past month and Singin in the Rain is much better in music (albeit recycled music), music/dance sequences and story.
Singin in the Rain is just outside my top 100 (favorite) movies list. On the Town is outside my top 1,000.

Though it wasn't the greatest musical ever, I enjoyed Kiss Me Kate more than On the Town after seeing both last night and then finally watched my Guys and Dolls dvd (I'd already seen the film many years ago) and that musical starring Sinatra was a much better musical even if some fans understandably lament that Sinatra didn't get the Sky Masterson role with his better pipes (yes, he can outdo Brando on 'Luck Be a Lady' by miles) and similar big shot persona to the character.

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If you're watching 'Fullscreen' DVDs, you aren't getting the whole picture.

[–] ceva 17 years ago

I'm not certain ON THE TOWN is better than SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, but I find it more likable. The entire cast is perfect in their roles and the dance numbers don't strain for their effects, as was generally the case in Kelly's later musicals (compare the ballet "A Day in New York" with the overblown "Broadway Melody" from SITR or the grandiose finale to AN AMERICAN IN PARIS). There's nothing mean-spirited in OTT--no running theme with a squeaky voiced silent movie star who's set up to be humiliated at every turn. To be sure, Comden & Green's screenplay for OTT was not very compelling, but narrative was never one of their strengths as writers.

[–] Death_to_Pan_and_Scan 17 years ago

I'm also not a big fan of the finale of American in Paris, though I love the rest of the film.

Jean Hagen was great in that squeaky voiced role, especially since it's nowhere near her real voice. Her character is shallow, talentless (useless for talkies), none too bright (aside from her one bewilderingly smart mean0spirited legal move) and conniving (plans to destroy the career of someone more talented by forcing her to be her voice) and she gets what's coming to her. If you want to complain about a movie being mean-spirited pick on something like The Prestige (a very well-made 2006 film, but not all that enjoyable to watch).

Singin' in the Rain is a great comical look at what happened when talkies came into being. It's funny to hear characters dismiss talkies as a fad when it seems obvious that some of them know it is the death knoll for their careers. For a darker dramatic take on the era there's always Norma Desmond telling a phantasmal Mr. DeMille that she's ready for her closeup in Sunset Blvd.

Even the music alone makes OTT much less enjoyable than SitR for me. I don't agree with AFI putting SitR in the top 15 on their AFI 100 list, but I don't agree with a lot of the rankings on that list. I watched Funny Face again last night and even the musical numbers in that appealed to me more than OTT's -- even with Audrey Hepburn's handicap of not really being a singer/dancer. The Gershwin music in FF was definitely better than the music in OTT.

I don't think On the Town is a bad film per se, but I do find it quite a bit overrated compared to other classic movie musicals.

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If you're watching 'Fullscreen' DVDs, you aren't getting the whole picture.

[–] mothboy88 16 years ago

don't you like the hilarious "Pre-historic Man" song? Or the touching "Main Street" song? Or the "Count on Me" song?

It certainly isn't as refined as American in Paris or Singin' in the Rain, but the good hearted, joyful nature of the movie, coupled with its hilarious under the table raunchiness is what makes it wonderful. Sure, it's not as visually or musically impressive as the other two, and the dancing isn't as powerful, but the genuine joy of making a production comes through, and deserves as much praise as it has received. The chances of a movie as good as SITR being made are pretty slim; not everything can be "great." But there's nothing wrong with being really damn good.

[–] nycruise-1 16 years ago

Well the score was butchered in the transfer from stage to screen.

Also, starting out as a New York cabaret act, it could get away with little plot, relying more on presentation (as far as stage popularity).

But, bear in mind: the writers and performers of the stage version - Betty Comden and Adolph Green - were hired by MGM based on the talent they displayed in the writing and performing of "On The Town"; later, they wrote the script for "Singin' in the Rain"!

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"Don't call me 'mac'... HONEY!"

[–] murph24 16 years ago

Well the score was butchered in the transfer from stage to screen.

This is quite true. In fact, of the film's eleven musical numbers, only three songs (and the music for two dance sequences) were composed by Leonard Bernstein; everything else was composed by Roger Edens - all the lyrics, though, were written by Comden and Green. The Broadway musical, written & set during WWII, had a more somber tone; when the sailors boarded their ship at the finale, there was a very real possibility they would never return - which is why the song "Some Other Time" had such poignance.

The powers-that-be at MGM wanted to eliminate the show's darker tones & give the material a more upbeat, post-war mood. The time period was changed, and beautiful songs like "Some Other TIme" and "Lonely Town" were jettisoned. But the cuts didn't stop there; producer Arthur Freed felt much of Bernstein's score was too high-brow and sophisticated, so he enlisted Roger Edens to write songs that matched the film's peppy, optimistic new atmosphere.

So if anyone (and that includes the OP) has a problem with the music in the film, Leonard Bernstein might not be the one to blame.

[–] merriam94 16 years ago

I agree that it is a bit overrated. I like it somewhat because it has Frank Sinatra in it, but I think I would like anything with him playing a role. A few things really irritated me, such as the Gene Kelly-esque humor--the imitating of girls, the bizarre facial expressions, etc. I rarely find his jokes funny, so it's probably just a matter of taste. But a few special effects are absolutely horrible! When they're on the Empire State building and they lean over the edge and we see the top of the building, it is very obviously not a real building.

But there are some pretty funny moments, and the music is nice. It isn't a bad movie...but there are certainly better ones.

[–] BwlBoy 15 years ago

I agree that it is not a great musical.

[–] TheLittleSongbird 14 years ago

While I actually liked this movie for its depiction of New York, Ann Miller and its feel good nature I do think Singin' In the Rain is better. Whereas I would put Singin' In the Rain towards the top of my top 10 of my favourite movie musicals, On the Town is a very nice movie but not neccessarily a favourite. Dont get me wrong I genuinely enjoyed it, but I missed "Some Other Time" and I also found the substitution of dancers for Sinatra and Munshin in the ballet somewhat distracting.

"Life after death is as improbable as sex after marriage"- Madeleine Kahn(CLUE, 1985)

[–] saxonman63 14 years ago

As to the OP's initial post, Sorry to say, but I don't really care about your opinion. Enjoy it or don't, it makes no difference.

[–] BestOfAllPossible 14 years ago

It's not just overrated, it's a complete bastardization of what the original musical was. Singin' in the Rain is a better movie because there's a purpose behind the story. By taking away the serious undertones of the original musical (thereby necessitating the cutting of more than half the original score), the film is reduced to nothing but a silly story about three sailors getting in lots of trouble. Gene Kelly's dream ballet in the film has nowhere near the dramatic importance of the "Lonely Town" ballet from the original. And the new songs written for film are laughably derivative.

Aside from the brilliance of the performances, the entire movie is Hollywood trash.

[–] don-lockwood 14 years ago

It's like this thread is only for people who don't care for Gene Kelly musicals anyway. Obviously Singin' in the Rain is the best - my favorite for sure. As for Gene Kelly musicals, my second favorite is Cover Girl because it's just so joyful, the score is wonderful, and Rita Hayworth dances and acts so beautifully. It's a much simpler movie than the others, but quite overlooked, with a really cute story.

On the Town is deservedly up there, though. It's funny, cute, and endearing. Technically, it's superb, and there's enough of a premise and a sense of joy and energy that I actually definitely prefer it to many of the more elaborate musicals that followed, from An American in Paris to Gigi and My Fair Lady. I really like the setup, the cast, and the pacing. So much about musicals is pacing.

The songs themselves are not that memorable, but they are peppy and fun thanks to the lively dance numbers. And I really enjoyed and remember quite a few: "New York, New York," "On the Town," "You're Awful," and "Come Up to My Place." Ann Miller's number is less memorable, but she was terrific. Betty Garrett was a hoot. The whole story was surely contrived, but the cast gelled. With lesser actors it would have failed miserably, but with this supremely talented and likable cast, the movie succeeds so well because everything appears so effortless.

The thing about the old Hollywood musicals like this one - the "let's put on a show" or "let's dance even though we're sailors" types - they are so fun and celebratory that they are more than the sum of their parts. So much talent was involved. Yeah, Xanadu has a more memorable soundtrack than On the Town, but Xanadu as a film sucks whereas OTT is a superior piece of filmmaking. My Fair Lady and South Pacific have more memorable songs, but they're overly slow, dated, or both.

And nobody should ever call this movie "Hollywood trash." WTF? Jonah Hex is Hollywood trash, but a classic you simply don't like isn't.

[–] dmnemaine 13 years ago

Only "I Feel Like I'm Not Out Of Bed Yet", "New York, New York", and "Come Up To My Place" are Leonard Bernstein numbers, and the two ballets. The rest of his wonderful score from the 1944 stage version was axed in favor of second-rate Roger Edens compositions. And what we're left with that is Bernstein's is not faithful to the original. We only get one chorus of "I Feel Like I'm Not Out Of Bed Yet". The lyrics to the other two were heavily sanitized due to the censorship of the films of the day. If you really want to hear the true Bernstein/Comden&Green score for "On The Town", get a hold of a copy of the original cast recording from the Broadway show. It is much superior to the music from this film version.

[–] Errington_92 11 years ago

I thought On the Town was fantastic. Great acting all round, astounding dance sequences and excellent dialogue particularly in its double entendre.

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[–] don-lockwood 11 years ago

It's an excellent movie and I love it, but more for the cast, performances, production, and writing than for most of the songs.

[–] muito-merda 10 years ago

"it's a complete bastardization of what the original musical was. Singin' in the Rain is a better movie because there's a purpose behind the story."

Singin' in the Rain took it's songs from various sources.

On the Town is a classic. Perhaps just behind Singin' and American in Paris.

[–] JohnnyWeissmuller 10 years ago

I agree, although Singin' in the Rain, An American in Paris and On the Town finds everyone involved working at the peak of their abilities. And you can't ask for much more than that. Especially when considering the quality of these movies.

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[–] ciocio-2 10 years ago

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN was an original piece, conceived in part as a tribute to the movies, music and artists of the period it portrays, incorporating (very skillfully) actual songs from that period. I consider it a masterpiece, and amazingly coherent and stylish, with excellent humor and a compelling central romance. Although it is a "jukebox musical," it holds together considerably better than do most of those. AMERICAN IN PARIS is, imo, another masterpiece, making good use of its many Gershwin songs and other music.

As for ON THE TOWN, there are many of us who will simply never be able to make peace with what was done to the original show and score, regardless of the popular success of the movie going by the same name, but not really representing it at all. I kind of wish, since they decided to throw out so much of the score and story, that they would simply have made their own story as a movie, with its own completely new score. I did come to appreciate the movie as its own thing, with some charms and fun performances, but I find it far from top-tier MGM musicals level. And I kind of resent it and the folks who created it (yes, even Comden and Green--perhaps especially them), for appropriating the title and a very surface concept of what the story and score of the original were about, as it makes the possibility of a movie version of the actual ON THE TOWN much more challenging, due to probable response from much of the mass audience, who know and love the movie, and would decry another version, even if it's actually more genuine.

It's kind of like the many people who were upset at any kind of screen version of THE SOUND OF MUSIC other than the 1960s one, despite the fact that many of us considered it quite flawed, and longed for one that conformed much more closely to the original Broadway script, score, and character portrayals. Those defenders of the '60s SOM movie were upset at people "messing with a classic," mostly not realizing that that movie and its creators were the ones messing with a classic in the first place. Don't get me wrong--I think that SOUND OF MUSIC was well made, and was understandably and mostly deservedly successful, but compared to a really good production of the true original Broadway version (which is virtually never presented these days--the only one I know of done in many decades was produced in North Texas a little over a year ago, with participation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein organization, and was breathtaking; so much better than other stage productions, and even more superior still, to the feature film).

So, taken on its own, ON THE TOWN ('50s movie) is a sweet enough light fluff of a movie, to my mind not even up to the level of IT'S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER, SUMMER STOCK, or LES GIRLS.

Multiplex: 100+ shows a day, NONE worth watching. John Sayles' latest: NO distribution. SAD.

[–] bari2525 8 years ago

So...

You consider OTT a "'50's movie" simply because it was released in 1949?

I tend to agree with everything else in your post, though...

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