MOVIE MUSIC UK

GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

Original Review by Craig Lysy

When the 1944 ballet “Fancy Free” by Jerome Robbins gained critical acclaim, it was brought to Broadway as a play with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. It opened on December 28, 1944 at the Adelphi Theatre, running for 462 performances. Following this successful run MGM management decided to bring it to the big screen. It secured the film rights, Arthur Freed was placed in charge of production with a $2.1 million budget, Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen were tasked with directing, and Betty Comden and Adolph Green would write the screenplay. Kelly would also manage the choreography. For the cast, Gene Kelly would star as Gabey, joined by Frank Sinatra as Chip, Jules Munshin as Ozzie, Vera-Ellen as Ivy, Betty Garrett as Hildy Esterhazy, and Ann Miller as Claire Huddesen.

The story follows the exploits of three US navy sailors Gabey, Chip and Ozzie who are set loose for a twenty-four shore leave in New York City. They are each looking for love and intent on sowing their oats. Well, fun, comedy, romance and a wild police pursuit follow as all three find a woman and manage to have a wonderful time. The three couples are eventually arrested at Coney Island, but all ends well after the women’s stories move the police who agree to let them go, and then escort the men back to their ship just in time to meet the shore leave deadline. The film was a huge commercial success earning a profit of $474,000. Critical reception was favorable, it received good reviews, and the film received one Academy Award nomination and win for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture.

In conceiving the approach for the film’s music, Arthur Freed and his directors decided to drop most of Leonard Bernstein’s music, in favor of new songs, which would be created by Roger Edens and Lennie Hayton. They felt that most of Bernstein’s music was just too complex, and too operatic for film audiences. This was not well received and caused great consternation from Bernstein who boycotted the film. Eleven musical numbers were conceived, but in the end only five of Bernstein’s songs from the original play were included:

1. “I Feel Like I’m Not Out of Bed Yet” – Shipyard Worker (from Leonard Bernstein’s score)
2. “New York, New York” – Gabey, Chip, and Ozzie (from Bernstein’s score)
3. “Miss Turnstiles Ballet” (instrumental) – Ivy and Ensemble (from Bernstein’s score)
4. “Prehistoric Man” – Claire, Ozzie, Gabey, Chip, and Hildy
5. “Come Up to My Place” – Hildy and Chip (from Bernstein’s score)
6. “Main Street” – Gabey and Ivy
7. “You’re Awful” – Chip and Hildy
8. “On the Town” – Gabey, Ivy, Chip, Hildy, Ozzie, and Claire
9. “You Can Count on Me” – Gabey, Chip, Ozzie, Hildy, Claire, and Lucy
10. “A Day in New York” (instrumental) – Gabey, Ivy, and Dream Cast (from Bernstein’s score)
11. “I Feel Like I’m Not Out of Bed Yet”/”New York, New York” (reprise) – Shipyard Worker, Three Sailors, and Chorus.

To weave together the musical and dance performance vignettes, three song melodies were used as leitmotifs, with “New York, New York” and “Our Town” being used to propel the film’s narrative pacing and forward momentum, while “Main Street” served as a Love Theme for Gabey and Ivy.

Film scene descriptors and time indices will be used for this review. 0:00 “Studio Logos” offers fanfare reale, which supports a display of “Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Silver Anniversary Picture”. We then shift to fanfare dramatico as the MGM Lion logo displays. 0:15 “Main Title” opens with a grand prelude from which is born a vibrant instrumental rendering of the Titular song, which perfectly sets the tone of the film. At 1:22 the song melody of “Main Street” or Love Theme is rendered as a danza romantico. We enter the film proper at 1:55 “New York Dawn” with a panorama of the East River and New York Skyline. An idyllic musical narrative unfolds suggesting a city awakening from slumber. We descend onto a pier dock where a shipyard worker (Bern Hoffman – uncredited) sings the sleep going to work song “I Feel Like I’m Not Out of Bed Yet”. 3:14 “New York, New York” offers a wonderful musical highlight! It reveals a naval shop’s whistle sounding at 6:00 am with a joyous and energetic instrumental prelude, from which is launched the iconic song sung by Gabey, Chip, and Ozzie who revel with the start of shore leave, which each looking for fun, love and to sow their oats.

At 4:05 a vibrant instrumental interlude of the song with playful accents for street antics supports them crossing the Brooklyn Bridge and walking through town. Under the Statue of Liberty, the singing resumes now sung exclusively by the three sailors. At 4:59 a montage of our sailors taking in famous New York sites unfolds, supported by another vibrant instrumental interlude of the song’ melody. At 5:34 they resume singing from the observation deck of the Empire State Building. The song ends with a wonderful, joyous vocal flourish. In an unscored scene they take the subway uptown. An attendant mounts a poster that says; “Miss Turnstiles for June – Meet Lovely Ivy Smith”. They are captivated by her beauty and decide to go see her perform at Symphonic Hall.

At 9:36 we flow into “Miss Turnstiles Ballet” a well-conceived and executed score highlight. It offers a Bernstein instrumental piece performed by Ivy and ensemble. We open with a narrated montage of beautiful women from who the monthly Miss Turnstiles is chosen, supported by light, and playful musical narrative. At 10:22 sardonic muted horns support Ivy Smith turning to face the camera. She is ecstatic at being selected and Bernstein’s music channels her joy as photographers, fans, and male dancers fawn over her. At 10:42 we are told Miss Smith is “A home-loving girl” and as she dances while ironing, the music shifts to a delightful danza felice. At 11:00 narration advises that “She likes high society whirl” and we see her transform into an elegant evening gown dancing with a retinue of men in tuxedos, supported now by a danza elegante. At 11:18 narration declares that “She goes out for the army”, as she transforms into a blouse and white dress supported by a marcia militare. At 11:23 a naval officer joins her with narration stating “But her heart belongs to the navy” as horns declare the US Navy anthem “Anchors Aweigh”. At 11:28 narration states that she studies painting and dancing at Symphonic Hall and she transforms into a ballerina tutu as balletic bubbling woodwinds support her balletic dancing and painting. At 11:45 narration states “She’s a frail and flower-like creature, but oh, boy, what an athlete!” She transforms into a cheerleader outfit supported by an energetic musical narrative as she does cheerleader routines, and leaps over hurdles with an accelerando at 12:02 propelling her sprinting, which shifts into a danza celebrativa with a retinue of men after she wins the trophy. The festive dancing empowered by horns vivaci supports her running with a football, and winning boxing bouts replete with bells and comedic accents as one by one she dispatches all her opponents. We crest victoriously at 13:34 as she sits atop a pile of all her defeated opponents.

They leave the train and find Ivy in a photo shoot in which Gabey is invited to join. Gabey is smitten but she departs on the train, and so he grabs the other two to catch a cab so he can catch her at the next station. Brunhilde (Hildy), the cab driver takes a fancy to Chip and has him ride up front with her. She propositions him but turns her down. At Columbus Station they run out and miss Ivy who passes by them. Frustrated they return, reboard and order Hildy to take them to Anthropological History Museum in hope of finding her. They arrive and Hildy joins them as they go inside to search. Ozzie separates to make a pass at Claire, a scientist, who takes more than a passing interest in him when she bends him back into a kissing embrace, just as Gabe, Chip and Hildy return. She relates how she is attracted to prehistoric men as modern males just cannot seem to measure up. At 21:48 Claire launches into a dazzling song and dance highlight with the song, “Prehistoric Man” joined by Ozzie, Gabe, Chip, and Hildy.

At 23:57 Chip plays a bongo drum with a drum chorus, which supports Anne Miller’s virtuoso tap dancing, joined by the comedic dancing of the others as we descend into silliness. At 24:33 Claire plays a horn Arabo punctuated by a gong strike by her butt, as she resumes tap dancing that begins with a drum chorus, shifts to Swing, and then a driving Big Band sound. Her dancing propelled by classic Big Band sound becomes high octane, and the piece concludes with a stunning accelerando furioso! Wow, Anne Miller could dance! The dance loosens a joint from the Brontosaurus skeleton, which collapses as they flee back to the cab carried by scampering pizzicato strings, replete with comedic accents.

Police patrol car 44 is ordered to report to the Anthropological History Museum to investigate the collapse of a dinosaur exhibit. They agree to continue to search for Ivy with Gabe saying he does not give up easy. 27:25 “The Search for Ivy” begins with Claire adding “neither do I”, punctuated by comedic accents as frenetic strings propel them along New York streets. A travel and search montage follows as they search one museum after another in hope of finding Ivy. A spirited musical narrative with silly and comedic musical accents propels their search. Frustrated, and with Leave time being eaten up, they accept Hildy’s suggestion, with clear sexual overtones, to break up into three teams to cover more ground; she and Chip, Ozzie and Claire, and Gabe. They agree to meet up at the Empire State Building at 8:30 pm. Comedic musical accents at 29:17 launch Claire taking Chip to her apartment, lust clearly seen in her eyes. He still wants to see the city sights, to which she agrees with the proviso that afterwards, he comes up to her place. A spirited musical narrative supports their drive and she asks where he wants to go first. At 29:44 he launches into the silly tit for tat and madcap song “Come Up to My Place”, sung by he and Hildy.

In an unscored scene Chip surrenders to the inevitable and the scene shifts to the two walking into her apartment. She coaxes him to the coach, and he gives in, taking her into a kissing embrace only to be startled by the loud sneezing of Lucy, her roommate, who enters the room. She is home sick from work due to a cold. Hildy coerces Lucy to leave and they resume their kissing embrace. 34:34 “Symphonic Hall” reveals Gabe entering and searching room by room as we hear a cacophony of various singers and instrumentalists warming up for the performance. In a ballet studio Ivy practices, supported by the piano accompaniment of her imperious teacher Madame Dilyovska. As Dilyovska departs to replenish her booze, Gabe arrives and they reacquaint. Yet his offer for a night on the town with him is rebuffed and she tells him to leave as she changes behind a screen. He then tries to elicit sympathy by apologizing and complimenting her on her beauty. She comes to realize that they are both from the same town in Indiana, Meadowville, but hides this from him. When she asks about his home town, he begins to sing at 40:06 “Main Street”, a wistful and sentimental song. At 41:40 there begins an elegant and beautifully choreographed tap danza felice together carried by the song’s melody. We end tenderly with him reprising “How proud I’m going to be, when you walk down Main Street with me…”

The song’s melody continues softly and romantically as his asks her out for a date. She declines, but when she discovers his Leave ends tomorrow, she tells him she is cancelling her engagement to go out with him. He is very happy, and they agree to meet at 8:30 pm at the Empire State Building. Gabey is sent packing by the now refortified Madame Dilyovska, with playful woodwinds of delight carrying his departure. Inside Madame Dilyovska threatens to write her parents if she goes on the date, but relents, provided she meets her at Coney Island as planned by midnight. A sad rendering of the “Main Street” song melody ends the scene as she gazes out the window.

46:07 “You’re Awful” reveals Chip and Hildy on the observation deck with him looking through a pay telescope at scenic sites, much to her frustration. The musical narrative is tinged with sadness as she is frustrated that he finds the sights more interesting than her. He wounds her with a thoughtless comment that he should have come up here earlier instead of wasting the day. After she says “Thanks a lot”, he apologizes, compliments her, says he likes her, and proves it by tossing his guidebook off the deck. He then begins to croon the song “You’re Awful”.

We close atop sweet strings romantico as they join in a kissing embrace. The moment is shattered by the loud arrival of Ozzie and Claire. After a scare from police searching for Ozzie, Gabe and Ivy arrive. Ozzie is ecstatic now that all of them are assembled, and launches into at 55:30 “On the Town”, a wonderful celebratory musical and dance highlight sung by Gabe, Ivy, Chip, Hildy, Ozzie, and Claire. The US Navy anthem “Anchors Aweigh” melody is interpolated, and then at 58:06 a spirited jazz rendering of the anthem melody supports the three couples dancing. The song and dance act ends with them entering the elevator and the doors closing. A violin driven descent motif supports the elevator floor indicator going from 85 to 0. At 58:49 the song and dancing resumes on the street; the song ends vibrantly with a vocal flourish as they head out for a night on the town propelled by the celebratory “On the Town” song melody. It’s 9:30 pm and for Club Sambacabaña, the melody assumes a festive salsa Mexican flair borne by a Mariachi band. They are denied a table, but Claire and Hildy bribe the maître’d and secure a table and his fawning over “Miss Turnstiles”. After they get their beers, trumpeting fanfare at 1:02:04 heralds “Goodnight” as a six women’s dance troupe ends their show with a playful song and dance number.

HiIdy, Chip, Claire and Ozzie head out to the dance floor carried by festive dance rhythms while Ivy and Gabe share champagne and toast to New York. They are clearly attracted to each other and kiss, only to be interrupted by the other two couples returning to the table. The guys and then the gals make toasts to the other to end the scene. Heraldic fanfare opens 1:04:56 “Club Dixieland” and reveals that it is 11:15 pm. Another six women’s dance troupe performs on stage and reprises the show concluding song.

They all take to the dance floor with Ivy and Gabe slow dancing cheek to cheek to a classic 1940s instrumental. He assures her he does not have a girl in every port and that he looks forward to seeing her again. She the assures him that she wants to see more of him and both savor the beauty of the moment. Yet the moment is lost when she discovers it is 11:30 pm and recalls Madame Dilyovska’s threat. She tries to tell Gabe she has to go but he leaves to answer a hail from two shipmates. He brings them to their table to introduce them to Ivy, the most beautiful woman in the world, finds a note, and departs in a hurry. Outside he is joined by the group who all read the letter. They console him and he warms to the Claire’s idea of having Lucy replace Ivy. Trumpeting fanfare at 1:08:22 “Shanghai Revue” brings on the next club at 12:30 pm. Another six women’s dance troupe performs on stage and reprises the show concluding song.

In the background slow dance music supports their conversation until Lucy’s loud sneeze announces her arrival with her overbite and shrill voice. The other two couples abandon Gabe to his fate and he tries to make the best of it. Another two shipmates arrive and he tries to hide Lucy’s face to no avail and they are left speechless by her ‘beauty’. Gabe leaves to buy cigarettes and the gang finds him sulking at the bar. So, they decide to cheer him up and launch into the very playful, comedic and at times, silly song at 1:12:23, “You Can Count on Me” sung by Gabey, Chip, Ozzie, Hildy, Claire, and Lucy.

The song ends with the table on which they are all seated collapsing to the floor! Afterwards Gabey takes Lucy home, and thanks her with a gentle peck on her cheek. As he walks away sulking, he passes a poster 1:17:08 “A Day in New York”. As he thinks about his day, the instrumental melody swells on a crescendo grandioso, which launches a dream sequence where the three guys dance to an exciting big band rendering of a danza energico with interplay of the “New York, New York” song melody. At 1:18:18 the music slows and usher in a dramatic passage as Claire and Hildy arrive and begin dancing empowered by a sultry saxophone led danza seducente. We slowly shift back to a big band driven narrative as the men join in dancing. At 1:19:21 Gabey falls in front of Ivy’s Miss Turnstiles poster and a diminuendo usher in a scene change to her dancing at the studio. We flow into an idyllic musical narrative borne by a flute pastorale, kindred woodwinds and muted horns as he joins her on stage and the begin dancing to a danza romantico. Sumptuous strings take up the melody as they dance seductively and entwine around the ballet barre. The dance ends on a tender diminuendo as they kiss and slowly move apart. 1:21:25 returns Gabey to the original dream stage carried by fluttering woodwinds. The music shifts to a playful danza spiritoso as Gabey dances first around, and then with Ivy’s poster. At 1:22:37 Ivy arrives, followed by the other couples and the dance performance shifts energetically to a big band sound. The other couples leave the stage and Ivy and Gabe offer high octane virtuoso dancing. Ye at 1:24:01 11:30 pm flashes on the screen and Ivy runs off unnoticed. The music becomes frantic as he looks in vain for her, with a diminuendo of sadness carrying him back to her poster. We culminate on a crescendo dramatico as a red curtain rises and displays “A Day In New York”.

Back in the present, Chip joins Gabey by the “A Day in New York poster. They return to the Shanghai Club, find Madame Dilyovska who tells them that they can find Ivy at Coney Island. They rush out and get into Hildy’s cab, are discovered by the Museum owner and police, and a madcap chase is launched at 1:25:49 “The Chase” is empowered by quotes of “New York, New York”. They pull into a fruit stand, and lower the awning at 1:27:42 marked with a coda of celebration. After the fleet of cop cars pass by, flight music joins and carries their escape. 1:28:01 “Coney Island” opens with fanfare, which heralds their arrival. We shift to exotic Indian auras as they drive past “Rajah Bimmy’s” with dancing girls on its stage. He discovers Ivy as one of the dancers, but she flees after discovery. Back stage all pretenses are dropped as she confesses that she is not a celebrity, that this is where she works to make money to pay Madame Dilyovska for her lessons. Gabey reassures her that all this does not matter, and what matters is that he found her again. The cops arrive and begin searching with everyone changing into Indian costumes in hope of avoiding arrest. The three guys in drag take to the stage and the Indian Motif moves to the forefront as the girls resume dancing with Claire and Hildy. Next the three guys perform on another stage and the three dragsters begin a hilarious farcical dance as the cops watch with amusement. They begin singing at 1:31:06; Ozzie’s skirt falls off, they panic and all run off stage. The cops arrive back stage and a chase begins with madcap buffoonery, which ends with the guys climbing into, and then being locked in a van, which turns out to be Navy Shore Patrol. The girls are arrested, charged with speeding, destroying a dinosaur exhibit, and disturbing the peace. Claire and then Hildy tries to elicit sympathy, appealing to everyone’s patriotic pride. Well, they win over the crowd and police, and a paean of celebration unfolds. 1:35:32 “I Feel Like I’m Not Out of Bed Yet”/”New York, New York” (reprise) reveals a new day and the same shipyard worker reprising the opening number. This time he is interrupted by the cab arrival Ivy, Claire and Hildy, who run to the guys waiting at the boarding plank. All three couples join in a kissing embrace until the Officer of the Day orders them aboard. As they run and board, the ship’s whistle sounds as 6:00 am displays and a new group of sailors run off the boat, empowered by a spirited musical narrative. A team of three sailors then join in singing “New York, New York” and we culminate with grand flourish to end the film. 1:37:25 “Cast Credits” is supported by a reprise of the “On The Town” song melody.

The digital album form Amazon contained only the songs, not the score. Leonard’s Bernstein’s original score and songs were outstanding, however the creative team decided to keep only five songs with the composer team of Roger Edens and Lennie Hayton providing the score with the original lyricists Adolph Green and Betty Comden assisting with new songs. There is some incongruity in the musical tapestry as Bernstein’s compositional style is in a class all its own, but nevertheless in the final analysis the musical succeeds. The songs “On The Town” and “New York, New York” are iconic, and when joined with Kelly’s peerless virtuoso dancing, achieved sublime cinematic confluences. I believe that the musical succeeds because it never tries to take itself seriously, offering storytelling and a musical narrative, which are fun, comedic, vibrant and has heart. I can see why audiences loved this musical and why it won the Academy Award. Folks, there is never a dull moment in the film, and every dance and song performance is enjoyable and entertaining. I highly recommend you take in the film as afterwards you will have a smile for many hours.

Buy the On the Town soundtrack from the Movie Music UK Store

Track Listing:

• Main Title (3:03)
• New York, New York (3:24)
• Miss Turnstiles Ballet (1:53)
• Prehistoric Man (4:23)
• Come Up to My Place (2:16)
• When You Walk Down Main Street With Me (3:42)
• You’re Awful (3:10)
• On the Town (4:14)
• You Can Count On Me (3:32)
• A Day in New York Ballet (7:21)
• Finale (1:07)

Running Time: 38 minutes 05 seconds

Amazon (1949/XXXX)

Music composed by Leonard Bernstein and Roger Edens. Conducted by Lennie Hayton. Orchestrations by Conrad Salinger. Recorded and mixed by XXXX. Score produced by Lennie Hayton. Album produced by XXXX.