The Horse's Head

#440) The Poor Little Rich Girl (1917)

OR “There’s Something About Mary”

Directed by Maurice Tourneur

Written by Frances Marion. Based on the play by Eleanor Gates.

Class of 1991

The Plot: Gwendolyn (Mary Pickford) is the titular poor little rich girl; she has servants waiting on her day and night, yet is denied affection from her parents (Madlaine Traverse & Charles Wellesly) and rarely socializes with other children. On her 11^th birthday, Gwen becomes sick, and an overdose of sleeping medicine sends her to the fantasy world of the Tell-Tale forest and the Garden of Lonely Children. Aided by fantastical characters who look a lot like people from her real life, Gwen travels this magical land to find a way to connect with her distant family. Hmmm…this sound so familiar…

Why It Matters: The NFR’s write-up is ONE SENTENCE, and not a very detailed one at that. The accompanying essay by Mary Pickford expert Eileen Whitfield gives a little more insight into the film’s production.

But Does It Really?: I went into “Poor Little Rich Girl” with somewhat high expectations after being bored to tears with Pickford’s other NFR offering: “Tess of the Storm Country”. I agree that Mary Pickford should be on this list, and overall this film is enjoyable, if a bit plodding, but I have yet to hear a compelling argument as to why this specific Mary Pickford film made the cut. She was already a star at this point in her career, and the film does not have any historical significance other than it was also successful. Perhaps it’s the name recognition that puts “Poor Little Rich Girl” at the head of the class. It’ll do for now, but surely there’s a more superior Pickford offering out there.

Everybody Gets One: Stage actor Madlaine Traverse reprises her role as Gwen’s mother from the original stage play.

Wow, That’s Dated: Organ grinders, plus punishing your child by making them cross-dress. Break those gender constructs!

Other notes

• By 1917, Mary Pickford was Hollywood’s biggest star, and had a contract with Famous Players (now Paramount) that granted her full control over her films, as well as half the profits. “Poor Little Rich Girl” was produced by Pickford’s own production company, another perk from the new contract.
• The stage version of “Poor Little Rich Girl” originally played Broadway in 1913 and starred Viola Dana. Ms. Dana eventually became a film star herself, and her 1917 offering “The Girl Without a Soul” is also in the NFR.
• This was the first movie where Mary Pickford played a child, as opposed to a childish ingénue (ick). Pickford was 25 years old when she played 11-year-old Gwen, her short stature (around 5’1”) aiding in the illusion. In addition, certain set pieces were built at a slightly larger scale.
• Director Maurice Tourneur did not get along with Mary Pickford, who (along with screenwriter Frances Marion) insisted on adding a few gags into the film. Tourneur did not appreciate the additions, stating his films were dignified, but Pickford was “the muscle” on her films, and got her way. Pickford and Tourneur did not work together after “Poor Little Rich Girl”.
• Gwen’s banker father and socialite mother are too preoccupied to care for her? Maybe this family just needs Mary Poppins.
• Am I missing something with Mary Pickford? She’s clearly having fun in the role, and she’s as cute as I am allowed to find a woman playing a child, but I’m missing her overall appeal. This is the biggest star of her time?
• These domestics are really pushing a fear of bears onto Gwen. She has a bigger case of arkoudaphobia than Stephen Colbert.
• I am enjoying Gwen’s occasional daydreams in which she literalizes everyone’s figures of speech. Very “Bobby’s World”.
• Cinematographers Lucien Andriot and John van den Broek are having fun with the camera once Gwen starts getting drowsy.
• The Garden of Lonely Children? Is that like the Island of Misfit Toys?
• I know Gwen’s just trying to be polite to the Organ Grinder, but “Mr. Grinder” takes on a whole new meaning these days.
• The fantasy scenes are definitely the movie’s highlight, but we don’t get to them until more than two thirds of the way through. They should have been the bulk of the movie, a la “Wizard of Oz”! But hey, that’s my critique of 103-year-old movie that has endured just fine without me.

Legacy

• “The Poor Little Rich Girl” was another hit for Mary Pickford, and kicked off a string of movies in which Pickford played a child, including “Pollyanna”, “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm”, and “Little Annie Rooney”. Pickford’s career faltered after the transition to talkies, but she survived as a producer and co-founder of United Artists.

• Director Maurice Tourneur would go on to direct another NFR entry/children’s fantasy: 1918’s “The Blue Bird”.

• “The Poor Little Rich Girl” is one of several Mary Pickford films that were remade in the ‘30s as a Shirley Temple vehicle. The Temple version drops the “The” from the title, as well as pretty much everything else from the original plot.

• Poor Little Rich Girl was also the nickname linked to Barbara Hutton, a wealthy socialite whose tragic personal life earned her the moniker. The title was also used for her inevitable TV movie starring Farrah Fawcett.

#439) Sullivan’s Travels (1941)

OR “A Bum Deal”

Directed & Written by Preston Sturges

Class of 1990

The Plot: Hollywood director John L. Sullivan (Joel McCrea) is dissatisfied with the successful comedies he has helmed for his studio, and vows to adapt the novel “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” into a dramatic movie about the impoverished. To better understand his subject, Sullivan checks his privilege and decides to travel the country posing as a vagrant. Sullivan doesn’t get too far before he meets a jaded aspiring actress (Veronica Lake) on her last day in Hollywood. Through their journey, Sullivan not only learns about the world outside of Hollywood, but also about just how important his comedies were to the average moviegoer.

Why It Matters: The NFR write-up gives an overview of the plot and the film’s genesis. A more detailed appreciation comes courtesy of an essay by film expert/author Julie Grossman.

But Does It Really?: It may not be the greatest film comedy, but “Sullivan’s Travels” is a well-crafted film that still has plenty of laugh out loud moments. Sturges’ screenplay gets its point across, and keeps up the pace (and the laughs) all the way through. No argument here for the NFR inclusion of “Sullivan’s Travels”.

Everybody Gets One: After appearing as an extra and bit player in several RKO and MGM films, Veronica Lake got her breakout role in 1941’s “I Wanted Wings”. It was during one take that her hair fell over her right eye, inadvertently creating her iconic “peek-a-boo” look. Lake was six months pregnant with her daughter Elaine during production of “Sullivan’s Travels”, resulting in the use of a body double in several scenes, and infuriating Preston Sturges, who never cast her again.

Wow, That’s Dated: The film’s look at our poverty situation is definitely dated (more on that later). But worse are some of the cringe-worthy credits at the end. Veronica Lake’s character is credited simply as “The Girl”, while African-American actor Charles Moore is credited as “Colored Chef” and is the one-note stereotype of the day. Oof.

Seriously, Oscars?: “Sullivan’s” received mixed reviews upon release, and audiences felt it wasn’t as good as Preston Sturges’ other 1941 offering “The Lady Eve”. Not surprisingly, “Eve” got an Oscar nod, while “Sullivan’s” was completely ignored.

Other notes

• Preston Sturges was inspired to write “Sullivan’s Travels” as a response to his view that comedies of the era had gotten too preachy. The film is dedicated to “those who made us laugh”, which was originally meant to be part of the film’s epilogue.
• I was not familiar with Joel McCrea before this movie, and unsurprisingly, he’s quite good in this. His screen persona is somewhere between Gary Cooper’s naturalism and William Holden’s ruggedness. And at 6’ 2”, he was certainly one of Hollywood’s tallest stars.
• The opening scene between Sullivan and the studio heads is outstanding. The whole scene is covered in one take, with every actor spouting their dialogue at Hawksian speed. It’s all the exposition you need before we’re off to the races.

• Also in that opening scene: Sullivan bemoaning that “the world [is] committing suicide…with grim death gargling at you from every corner”. This is another movie I probably should have avoided during my COVID-19 shelter in place.
• The first scenes are packed with smart, funny dialogue that keeps everything moving, and is promptly followed by a delightfully slapstick chase scene that, had it not been preceded by such classy dialogue, would seem like a run-of-the-mill Three Stooges short. Sturges earns his chase scene.

• You could make a “Sullivan’s Travels”-type movie today, but you couldn’t remake it completely. The problem is that you would now have to acknowledge the mental health issues all too commonly found in our homeless population today. And that doesn’t make for good comedy. Sturges recognized the tricky line he had to walk, opting for non-verbal montages during the film’s deeper dives into the subject.
• There’s a 17-year age gap between Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake. I’m gonna have to prosecute this movie to the fullest extent of the law.
• Best exchange in the movie: “How does the girl fit into the picture?” “There’s always a girl in the picture. What’s the matter, don’t you go to the movies?”
• Today on “We Suck at Inflation”: the 10 cents Sullivan starts out with is $1.76 today, and the five dollars he hands out to each bum is about $88.
• Whoa, there’s a shot of Veronica Lake in a shower. Didn’t see that coming. I assume all that steam is to hide her baby belly, among other things.
• Sturges definitely thought the phrase “income tax” was funny; he uses it a few times as a punchline.
• I didn’t realize “Sullivan’s Travels” is on the list of great chain gang movies like “I Am a Fugitive…” and “Cool Hand Luke”. Joel McCrea even spends a night in the box!
• After the film’s release, Sturges received a letter from the NAACP’s then-secretary Walter White in praise of the film’s church sequence, featuring a large group of African-American actors and extras. White thanked Struges for “the dignified and decent treatment of Negroes” in the movie. I guess he didn’t see the “Colored Chef” scenes.
• The film’s most famous sequence is Sullivan watching as his fellow inmates laugh hysterically at the Disney short “Playful Pluto”. The cartoon was Sturges’ second choice after Charlie Chaplin denied permission to use one of his films. Truly, every dog has its day.

• “There’s a lot to be said for making people laugh. Did you know that that’s all some people have? It isn’t much, but it’s better than nothing in this cockeyed caravan.” There’s your thesis statement. Thankfully, the preceding film makes sure Sturges doesn’t come off as too preachy.

Legacy

• Preston Sturges’ film career wasn’t harmed by the lukewarm reception of “Sullivan’s Travels”, and he spent the ‘40s making seven more films, including future NFR entries “The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek” and “Hail the Conquering Hero”.

• “Sullivan’s Travels” is the standard for any filmmaker (real or fictitious) who wishes to break out of their pigeonhole and create something “meaningful”. Lawrence Kasdan’s film “Grand Canyon” even goes as far to say “movies are where we get our answers to life.”

• Exhibit A for my argument that any modern remake wouldn’t be as good: “Life Stinks”.

• “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” finally did get made in 2000 by the Coen Brothers. Come for the Odyssey parallels, stay for the bluegrass soundtrack.

#438) Vertigo (1958)

OR “Scottie Doesn’t Know”

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Written by Alec Coppel and Samuel Taylor. Based on the novel “D’entre les morts” (“The Living and the Dead”) by Pierre Boileau & Thomas Narcejac.

Class of 1989

Spoilers Ahead

The Plot: San Francisco Detective John “Scottie” Ferguson (James Stewart) is sent into early retirement when a rooftop chase triggers his acrophobia and leads to the death of a colleague. His college friend Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore) coaxes Ferguson to follow his wife Madeline (Kim Novak), who Elster fears is possessed by the spirit of her great-grandmother, Carlotta Valdes. Ferguson discreetly follows Madeline, but her suicide attempt leads to the two interacting and sparking an unexpected romance. After Madeline’s death at Mission San Juan Bautista, Ferguson becomes fixated on Judy Barton, a woman who looks remarkably like Madeline. It’s no surprise that Hitchcock took a movie about a middle-aged man obsessing over a younger blonde woman and turned it into a classic!

Why It Matters: The NFR write-up praises “Vertigo” to the hilt, calling it “a vivid picture of the consuming and harrowing nature of desire”. Hitchcock receives praise, as does the “mesmerizing” Novak and the “surprisingly compelling” Stewart. There’s also an essay by Hitchcock expert Thomas Leitch.

But Does It Really?: You could spend days reading the endless essays and articles about the artistry of “Vertigo”, but I’ll keep things simple here. “Vertigo” works because it invites you to obsess over not only the mystery, but the film itself (The motifs! The symbolism!) What starts as a standard Hitchcock thriller becomes a doomed romance, a deep psychological character study, and a ghost story all in one. If you’re willing to forgive the film’s obvious issues regarding its unhealthy control over women, “Vertigo” is Hitchcock in his prime elevating the art form of the movies. “Vertigo” is a classic that improves with age, and an untouchable for NFR inclusion.

Everybody Gets One: Kim Novak started her Hollywood career modeling refrigerators at an L.A. trade show, ultimately signing a film contract with Columbia. The studio loaned Novak to Paramount to make “Vertigo” after Hitchcock’s first choice Vera Miles became pregnant. Novak has spoken fondly of working with James Stewart, and while she respected Hitchcock, he remained somewhat distant to her during production. Currently, Kim Novak is retired, focusing on her painting and photography, with the occasional “Vertigo” screening appearance.

Wow, That’s Dated: Top billing for this movie goes to the VistaVision widescreen process: still a novelty in 1958. Also, as a longtime resident of San Francisco, I can tell you that this city has definitely changed in the last 60 years. Street parking is never as easy as the movies will lead you to believe.

Title Track: For the record, vertigo is not the same as acrophobia. Vertigo is a common type of dizziness in which you feel that the stationary things around you are moving or spinning. Because Scottie develops his vertigo and acrophobia concurrently, many over the years have conflated the two.

Seriously, Oscars?: “Vertigo” did just okay on its initial release. Although the film broke even, critics were divided, and audiences deemed it too big a departure from Hitchcock’s previous ‘50s thrillers like “The Man Who Knew Too Much”. Despite this, “Vertigo” entered the Oscar race with two nominations: Art Direction (losing to “Gigi”) and Sound (losing to “South Pacific”).

Other notes

• The original novel “D’entre les morts” has a near identical plot to the movie, with the major difference of being set in wartime France. Hitchcock lobbied for the novel’s film rights after losing out on the authors’ previous book, which became the classic movie “Les Diaboliques”. Screenwriter Samuel Taylor was hired based on his knowledge of San Francisco, and although his draft was used for the final film, previous draft writer Alec Coppel successfully appealed to the Writers Guild for credit.
• Shoutout as always to Saul Bass for his opening titles. Oh, the things he can do with his Spirograph.

• One of the most famous readings on the Michael Douglas Scale: James Stewart is 25 years older than Kim Novak! He is also 14 years older than Barbara Bel Geddes, despite their two characters being college classmates. Maybe he went to night school?
• That first scene between Scottie and Midge is quite the exposition dump, much of it repeated in the next scene with Elster. We get it: He has vertigo. It’s the title!
• What’s Hitch carrying? Most sources agree it’s a trumpet or bugle case, but IMDb says it’s a plague doctor mask. I think we all have too much free time these days…

• If the suspense of Jimmy Stewart tailing Kim Novak doesn’t intrigue you, at least there’s this lovely footage of 1957 San Francisco. This city never looked more beautiful.
• Jimmy Stewart knows how to reign in his natural Stewart-isms when the time calls for it. Once Scottie zeroes in on Madeline, his movement becomes more economic, his homespun stammering more scarce. Stewart knows exactly what he’s doing in this performance. Now if only Scottie wasn’t instantly creepy towards Madeline…
• Ooh, nice timing with the waves on the rear projection. Sure, it’s an innuendo, but it looks great!

• While Mission San Juan Bautista is a real place, its bell tower was created specifically for the moving using matte paintings and trick photography.
• [Spoilers] It’s a good thing the corpse of the real Mrs. Elster landed face down on the mission roof. Otherwise Scottie could have figured out the whole ruse then and there. Special mention to Jean Corbett, the real vic.

• Scottie’s mental breakdown is portrayed as an effects-heavy sequence from artist John Ferren, who also painted the Carlotta portrait featured in the film. Hitchcock chose to credit the scene as a “special sequence” so as not to spoil things for the audience.

• Now’s a good time to give praise to Bernard Herrmann’s score. Herrmann’s composition compliments the film’s spiral motif perfectly, making this the first score that might actually cause dizziness.
• If this movie were made today, Scottie’s stalking of Judy would not fly at all. He’d get about two words in before Judy broke out the mace.
• How did Elster find Judy for this gig? You can’t really put out a notice for this kind of thing. “Wanted: Young attractive woman to play decoy wife in murder plot. Adept at improv, skilled driver; art knowledge a plus. Meals and wardrobe provided.”
• The spiral motif continues with a very impressive 360 shot of Scottie and Judy kissing, complete with a dissolving backdrop. It’s one of the rare rear projection shots of the time that holds up well today.

• What an ending. Stewart’s denouement is startling, as is the final moments when he becomes the ghost in his own ghost story: forever haunting and haunted.

Legacy

• After “Vertigo” underperformed at the box office, Hitchcock blamed James Stewart for being too old to convincingly play Scottie. The two never worked together again, causing Stewart to miss out on the lead in Hitch’s next picture: “North by Northwest”.

• While there were film buffs in the ‘60s and ‘70s who sang the praises of “Vertigo”, the film didn’t get a major re-evaluation until it was re-released in 1983. The film continues to be a critical darling, and in 2012 edged out “Citizen Kane” in Sight & Sound’s critics’ poll of greatest movies.
• You can still visit many of the San Francisco locations used in “Vertigo” (though you’re not allowed that close to the water at Fort Point). In fact, the York Hotel (sitting in for the film’s Empire Hotel) has been renamed Hotel Vertigo in the film’s honor.

• “Vertigo” doesn’t so much prompt parodies as it does homages. See “De Palma, Films of Brian”.

• Okay fine, I’ll mention “High Anxiety”, the Mel Brooks movie whose only strength is the movies it spoofs.

• The 1997 music video for Faith No More’s “Last Cup of Sorrow” is a light-hearted recreation of the film. Hey, that’s Jennifer Jason Leigh!

• But perhaps the film’s most enduring legacy: the dolly-zoom perfected in “Vertigo” to highlight Scottie’s acrophobia is more commonly known as “the Vertigo effect”. You may recognize it from Spielberg’s effective usage in “Jaws”.

#437) The Phenix City Story (1955)

OR “Alabama Shakes”

Directed by Phil Karlson

Written by Crane Wilbur & Dan Mainwaring

Class of 2019

No trailer, but here’s a clip

Thanks, Katrina! 

The Plot: Ripped from the headlines, “The Phenix City Story” covers the true story of Phenix City, Alabama and the takedown of its corruption. By 1954, Phenix City has become overrun with illegal gambling, prostitution, and organized crime, leading to its nickname “Sin City, U.S.A.” Any attempts to end the corruption are silenced by crime syndicate leader Rhett Tanner (Edward Andrews). A group of concerned citizens push to get revered local attorney Albert Patterson (John McIntire) elected Alabama’s Attorney General on a platform of cleaning up Phenix City. When Patterson is murdered, his son John (Richard Kiley) takes over and convinces the governor to declare martial law in Phenix City, and restore democracy to its people. And crime syndicates and voter oppression were never an issue ever again.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls it “[t]ight, tense and graphic for all of its 100 minutes”, and praises director Karlson’s “innovative camera work”.

But Does It Really?: At first I thought, “Does this list really need another late noir/pulp crime drama?” While “Phenix City” doesn’t differ too much from similar films of the era, I knew almost immediately why it made the cut in 2019. “Phenix City”, more than any other film I can think of, is a plea for fair and free elections in America, free of corruption and suppression. The film uses its real life events as a cautionary tale of what can happen in our own backyard, and that the power of change lies in the hands of the voter. It’s a message I hope the NFR inclusion will help make heard to our current politically divisive world. Is “The Phenix City Story” an undisputed classic? Hardly. Is it worth tracking down for its unexpected relevance to our own political unrest? Absolutely.

Everybody Gets One: Phil Karlson got his start in show business as an assistant director for several Universal B-pictures of the ‘30s. Among those he worked with was Lou Costello (of “Abbott &” fame), who hired Karlson to direct his first feature, 1944’s “A Wave, A WAC, and a Marine” for Monogram Pictures. Though Karlson never rose above his B-picture standing, he directed over 40 movies in a 30-year career.

Wow, That’s Dated: Guests of “The Phenix City Story” fly TWA!

Title Track: This is another movie I wasn’t expecting to have a title song. Composed by Harold Spina, singer Meg Myles has the “Phenix City Blues”.

Other notes

• First of all, no one knows for sure why the city is spelled “Phenix” and not “Phoenix” like the bird. Even the city’s official website doesn’t know!
• When announced in 1954, the film was set to star Glenn Ford and Edward G. Robinson (presumably as John Patterson and Rhett Tanner, respectively). I presume scheduling (as well as the film’s low budget) prevented Allied Artists from recruiting such big name talent. A majority of the cast were TV actors, many of them making their film debut.
• The film begins with a prologue featuring real-life broadcast journalist Clete Roberts interviewing several people connected to Albert Patterson’s murder, including reporters who chronicled the story first-hand. The report concludes with Patterson’s widow urging viewers to vote. This is all well and good, but it’s a weird way to start a movie.

• “The Phenix City Story” was filmed on location in Phenix City, Alabama. Many of the real locations were used, and the actors even wore some of their real-life counterparts’ wardrobe! Filming took place while many of those convicted were still on trial, and some remnants of Phenix City’s mob scene tried to disrupt production.
• Rhett Tanner is an amalgamation of Jimmie Matthews and Hoyt Shepherd, who ran the Phenix City crime syndicate. Tanner is played by character actor Edward Andrews, making his film debut, and giving me some older George C. Scott angry vibes.
• Weirdly enough, despite her prominence in the prologue, the widow Patterson is not a character in the movie.
• Among the Phenix City residents appearing as themselves is Beachie Howard. Known as Ma Beachie, Howard ran “Beachie’s Swing Club”, which housed strippers, gamblers and prostitutes. By all accounts Howard was one of the kindest people in Phenix City, a story that meshes with her genteel cameo here.
• Despite the film’s push for accuracy, hardly any of the cast members attempt a Southern accent or drawl. Another class of graduates from the Leslie Howard School of Invisible Accents.
• Once Richard Kiley shows up, this film stands on its soapbox firmly and often. This movie is fighting for truth, justice, and the American way, and it will do so with as many Kiley close-ups as they can!
• The incident in which Zeke’s child (an African-American girl) is brutally murdered is entirely fictional. The Production Code took issue with this film’s “unusual amount of violence and brutality”, specifically this scene, which was deemed “unacceptable”. Despite these objections, the film was released with these scenes intact.

• The real hero of this story is Zeke’s wife Helen, played by Helen Martin, who points out the hypocrisy of wanting to avenge those who were killed. Thanks Wanda.
• It’s somewhat appropriate that Richard Kiley plays John Patterson. After all, voting rights for every American is still the Impossible Dream.

Legacy

• While the film was successful with audiences and critics, reporter Ray Jenkins called its historical accuracy into question. A Pulitzer Prize winner for his coverage of the events, Jenkins dismissed the film as “a rush job” and called some of the fictionalized scenes “inflammatory”.
• Among the film’s fans is Martin Scorsese, who included clips from “Phenix City” in his 1995 documentary “A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies”.

• Director Phil Karlson doesn’t have too many bona fide classics on his resume, but he did direct ‘70s favorites “Ben” and “Walking Tall”, the latter being another film about a real-life person taking the law into their own hands.

• As depicted in the final sequence, the real John Patterson did indeed become the Attorney General of Alabama, continuing his father’s platform of ending political corruption. In 1958, Patterson became Governor of Alabama, and was known for his…corrupt upholding of segregation laws!? Oh man, that completely changes my view of this movie…

#436) On the Town (1949)

OR “Fleet Week: The Musical”

Directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen

Written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Based on the stage play by Comden & Green and Jerome Robbins. Original songs by Comden & Green and Leonard Bernstein. Additional music by Roger Edens.

Class of 2018

The Plot: Sailors Gabey, Chip, and Ozzie (Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Jules Munshin) have a 24 hour shore leave in New York City, and they don’t want to miss a sight, and by sight I mean woman. Gabey pursues aspiring dancer Ivy, aka “Miss Turnstiles” (Vera-Ellen), Ozzie falls for anthropologist Claire (Ann Miller), and Chip finds himself in the arms of cab driver Hildy (Betty Garrett). There’s plenty of music and mayhem to be had by these six in New York, New York, a helluva wonderful town.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls the film no less than “movie magic”, praising the “sparkling direction”, “splendid songs”, and its representation of America’s post-war “national optimism”.

But Does It Really?: This one is definitely a minor classic. Overall it’s a fun output from Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, but we all know they can do much, much better. Still, “New York, New York” is one of the most iconic musical numbers in film history, and you can’t have this list without it. So the remaining 95 minutes of this movie, as dated and uninspired by comparison as they are, get preserved thanks to an unforgettable opening number. That’s a helluva legacy.

Shout Outs: Lucy asks Gabey if he’s ever seen “The Lost Weekend”.

Everybody Gets One: Special mention to leading ladies Betty Garrett and Vera-Ellen (though I suspect “White Christmas” will make the cut eventually). Neither Garrett nor Vera-Ellen had much of a film career after “On the Town”: Vera-Ellen retired from public life following a personal tragedy, and Garrett was blacklisted along with her husband Larry Parks. Garrett’s career would later rebound with work on “All in the Family” and “Laverne & Shirley”.

Wow, That’s Dated: In addition to the film’s antiquated skirt chasing, we get references to such ‘40s culture as “High Button Shoes”, Shmoos, and Alfred Kinsey! Also, suffice to say that New York is a very, very different city now.

Title Track: The title number “On the Town” was written specifically for the film, and I’ve already forgotten about it.

Seriously, Oscars?: A hit in 1949, “On the Town” won an Oscar for its sole nomination: Scoring of a Musical Picture. The film benefited from weak competition from fellow nominees “Jolson Sings Again” and “Look for the Silver Lining”. You don’t see either of them on this list, that’s for sure.

Other notes

• MGM purchased the film rights to “On the Town” before the show even opened! When Arthur Freed finally saw the show, he hated it and made the film a low priority on his list. Stage director George Abbott was replaced by Kelly & Donen to distance the movie from the play. “On the Town” was the directorial debut for both Kelly and Donen, who had been seeking more creative control over their MGM projects.
• To further differentiate the film version, most of the play’s songs were deleted in favor of new numbers by in-house composer Roger Edens. What could have been if Arthur Freed had actually liked the show.
• Kelly & Donen pleaded with Freed to film “On the Town” in New York, with Freed eventually allowing them nine days to shoot in the city. Unexpected rain caused delays, but they managed to shoot the entire opening sequence. Watching Kelly, Sinatra, and Munshin cavorting around the real city puts “New York, New York” head-and-shoulders above the rest of the film.

• Jules Munshin is to this movie what Ernie Hudson is to “Ghostbusters”. Munshin is adept at the comic shtick he is provided, but this movie really doesn’t care about Ozzie.
• Vera-Ellen kinda looks like Michelle Williams.
• Gabey tracks down Ivy using clues in her “Miss Turnstiles” poster, but none of those clues appear on the actual poster he’s holding. That’s a pretty massive plot hole. How did no one catch that?
• Betty Garrett is having fun as Hildy, but she lacks the dynamite energy of a Nancy Walker or Lea DeLaria. Also, a woman being sexually aggressive towards Sinatra? Not so fun on this side is it, Francis?

• “Prehistoric Man” is an excuse to get Ann Miller’s feet a-tapping, and her costume is likewise designed to give her legs a good reveal. It’s fun, but man oh man the cultural appropriation in this number. That’s not making the highlight reel any time soon.

• Hildy’s roommate Lucy is played by Alice Pearce, aka Gladys Kravitz #1. Pearce is the only cast member from the original show to reprise their role.
• This film breaks the 180 rule of filmmaking on a few occasions, causing characters to suddenly swap places in the frame. Rookie move, Kelly & Donen.
• Just a reminder that Chip threw his guidebook off the top of the Empire State Building, no doubt killing an innocent bystander 1200 feet below.
• Wow, these new songs aren’t great. No wonder Sinatra didn’t add these to the act. Side note: Sinatra would eventually record “Lonely Town”, a song from the stage version.
• Shoutout to costume designer Helen Rose: Ivy, Claire, and Hildy have great costumes! I think it’s to make up for the necessarily dull sailor suits from the men.
• That’s voiceover actor Hans Conried in an early on-screen role as the Head Waiter.
• “Somewhere in the world is the right girl for every boy.” This movie just keeps adding to its “Wow, That’s Dated” section.
• “A Day in New York” is Gene Kelly’s mandated third act extended ballet. It’s fine, but we all know the best ones are just around the corner.

• Not a lot of movie musicals end in a car chase. I think just this and “Les Miserables”. Kidding of course: that movie sucks.

Legacy

• Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen both started their directing careers with “On the Town”, and while they both found subsequent success making movies individually, nothing can top their collaboration on “Singin’ in the Rain”.

• The stage version of “On the Town” has been revived on Broadway from time to time, most recently in 2014.

• 70 years later, this film’s main takeaway is still the “New York, New York” number. Many have donned the sailor suit and belted a few bars, in one case in honor of that other helluva town: Springfield.

Further Viewing: 1945’s “Anchors Aweigh”, the OTHER Gene Kelly/Frank Sinatra “sailors on shore leave” movie musical. It’s the one where Gene Kelly dances with Jerry the Mouse!