On the Town

On the Town (1949)

  • 96% of critics liked it
    (23 reviews)

  • 81% of users liked it
    (12,732 ratings)

Three sailors on a 24-hour pass -- Gabey (Gene Kelly), Chip (Frank Sinatra), and Ozzie (Jules Munshin) -- decide to soak up the sights and sounds of New York. Each one finds romance within those 24 hours: Gabey with aspiring dancer Ivy Smith (Vera-Ellen), Chip with lady cabbie Hildy Esterhazy (Betty… More

Play Trailer

Unrated,
Directed By
,
Written By
Adolph Green, Betty Comden
Genres
Musical & Performing Arts, Classics, Comedy
In Theaters
Dec 30, 1949 Wide
MGM

Critic Reviews

  • Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

    A fine, freewheeling musical.

  • Variety Staff, Variety

    The pep, enthusiasm and apparent fun the makers of On the Town had in putting it together comes through to the audience and gives the picture its best asset.

  • Stephen Garrett, Time Out

    On the Town is exhilarating, brash spectacle, all rip-snorting, wisecracking attack, and maybe just a teensy bit unlikeable.

  • Bosley Crowther, New York Times

    Gaiety, rhythm, humor and a good, wholesome dash of light romance have been artfully blended together in this bright Technicolored comedy.

  • Ian Nathan, Empire Magazine

    Delightful, athletic stuff with some unusual -- but wonderful -- location shooting. New York never looked better.

Read all 15 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Devon B


    Exuberant, nonstop dashing about the streets of New York City while on shore leave, three sailors chase down love in one of the first musicals to use actual location shooting. The three sailors, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Jules Munshin, each have their own idiosyncratic charms,… More

  • Jennifer X


    This one and Anchors Aweigh act as perfect companion pieces! But this is definitely more rowdy, more sexually charged, and I must say I do prefer it, if not just for Ann Miller's awesome museum tap dancing.

  • Lady D


    I have to confess a secrt love for Gene Kelly, the man is a fascinating dancer with a style of his own. This fun 40's musical is typically corny, extremely predictable and the songs (bar one or two) are easily forgettable and yet there is something here that catches this era of… More

  • Luke B


    24 hours in New York turns into a wild ride of girls, dance routines, and memorable songs. Munshin, Sinatra, and Kelly make an excellent trio. They blend well as a comedic triplet, but when they tell each other "I love you" it feels genuine and true. Sinatra perhaps shines… More

  • Anthony L


    Cheesy but cheerful, not really my kind of musical but it's still a lot of fun to watch. Worth watching just to watch how uncomfortable Frank Sinatra looks throughout! Oh, and the dames are pretty easy on the eye too!

Read all 14 featured audience ratings

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