ANCHORS AWEIGH

Anchors Aweigh
MGM, 1945, Color, 141 minutes, ****
Released July, 1945
Class Act

Young Donald Martin (Dean Stockwell) runs away from home to join the Navy, but a cop (Rags Ragland) foils his plans. He grabs gobs Kelly and Sinatra, on shore leave in the wrong place at the right time, and convinces them to escort the young lad home and convince him that he needs to wait a few years before joining up.

Arriving at Donald's home, the sailors discover he lives with his very attractive and very eligible Aunt Susie (Kathryn Grayson). Aunt Susie has been spending her days working to break into show business as an opera singer, so Kelly and Sinatra offer to get her an audition with "friend" Jose Iturbi as an excuse to meet her again. But Iturbi is no friend at all - they had recently seen him conducting a concert onboard their ship but didn't actually meet him. Suddenly their shore leave turns into a series of fiascos as they try to get Aunt Susie an audition with Iturbi to keep from disappointing her.

Highly entertaining film with Kathryn singing "Jealousy" and "My Heart Sings." Legend has it that the Grayson audition scene is actual footage from her first MGM screen test. Iturbi plays some splendid classical numbers, and Frank and Gene sing an impromtu bawdy version of "If You Knew Susie" to discourage a would-be suitor (Grady Sutton). Frank also croons "What Makes the Sunset" and "I Fall in Love Too Easily." Kelly dances with Jerry the mouse - an early mix of live-action and animation. But the show-stopper is Gene Kelly and little Sharon McManus performing a Mexican Hat Dance together!

Produced by: Joe Pasternak
Directed by: George Sidney
Screen Play by: Isobel Lennart
Suggested by a Story by Natalie Marcin
Musical Direction: Georgie Stoll
Frank Sinatra Songs by: Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn
Orchestrations by: Axel Stordahl
Kathryn Grayson's Vocal Arrangements by: Earl Brent
Dance Sequences Created by: Gene Kelly
Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons, Randall Duell
Set Decorations: Edwin B. Willis
Associate: Richard Pefferle
Costume Supervision: Irene
Associate: kay Dean
Make-Up Created by: Jack Dawn
Set Decoration: Edwin B. Willis
Recording Director: Douglas Shearer
Directors of Photography: Robert Planck, Charles Boyle
"Tom & Jerry" Cartoon by M-G-M Cartoon Studio
Photographed in Technicolor
Technicolor Color Director: Natalie Kalmus
Associate: Henri Jaffa
Film Editor: Adrienne Fazan

Awards: Academy Award for Best Score - Musical (Georgie Stoll). Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Gene Kelly), Best Color Cinematography and Best Song ("I Fall in Love Too Easily") by Jule Styne (Music), Sammy Cahn (Lyrics)

Cast: Frank Sinatra [Clarence Doolittle], Kathryn Grayson [Susan Abbott], Gene Kelly [Joseph Brady], Jose Iturbi [Himself], Dean Stockwell [Donald Martin], Pamela Britton [Girl from Brooklyn], Rags Ragland [Police Sergeant], Billy Gilbert [Cafe Manager], Henry O'Neill [Admiral Hammond], Carlos Ramirez [Carlos], Edgar Kennedy [Police Captain], Grady Sutton [Bertram Kramer], Leon Ames [Admiral's Aide], Sharon McManus [Little Girl Beggar], James Flavin [Radio Cop], James Burke [Studio Cop], Henry Armetta [Hamburger Man], Chester Clute [Iturbi's Assistant], Additional Cast: Peggy Maley [Lana Turner Double], Sondra Rodgers [Iturbi's Secretary], Steve Brodie [Soldier], Garry Owen [Soldier], William Forrest [Movie Director], Renie Riano [Waitress], Ray Teal [Assistant Movie Director], Milton Kibbee [Bartender]

Musical Program: [0:00] Overture (played by Orchestra behind titles); [0:01] Anchors Aweigh (Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Jose Iturbi); [0:06] We Hate to Leave (sung by Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly); [0:21] Largo al Factotum (excerpt sung by Carlos Ramirez with Orchestra Conducted by Jose Iturbi [onscreen]); [0:27] Brahms' Lullaby (sung by Frank Sinatra with music box); [0:33] I Begged Her (sung and danced by Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra); [0:47] If You Knew Susie Like I Know Susie (with special lyrics, sung by Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly); [0:54] Cielito Lindo (sung by mens quartet); [0:56] Jealousy (Jalousie) (sung by Kathryn Grayson); [1:03] What Makes the Sunset (sung by Frank Sinatra); [1:09] (All of a Sudden) My Heart Sings (sung by Kathryn Grayson); [1:11] The Donkey Serenade (played by Jose Iturbi at the piano with Orchestra); [1:15] The King Who Couldn't Dance (aka The Worry Song, sung and danced by Gene Kelly with Jerry the Mouse); [1:30] Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 / Tonight We Love (excerpt played by Jose Iturbi at the piano, sung by Frank Sinatra); [1:34] The Charm of You (sung by Frank Sinatra); [1:43] Chiapanecas (Mexican Hat Dance - actually a medley of tunes) (danced by Gene Kelly and Sharon McManus -- really cute!); [1:47] Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (played by Jose Iturbi and young pianists at the Hollywood Bowl); [1:53] I Fall in Love Too Easily (sung by Frank Sinatra); [1:59] La Cumparsita (ballet danced by Gene Kelly); [2:12] Waltz from Serenade for Strings (Screen Test of Susan Abbott - sung by Kathryn Grayson); [2:17] Finale: Anchors Aweigh (Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Jose Iturbi); other tunes embedded in the background score