ANCHORS AWEIGH (1945)

A huge hit from Hollywood’s ‘hugest’ year (just before the post-war contraction signaled the beginning of the end to the old studio system), this big, dopey, unconscionably long (2' 20") M-G-M musical, from top lowbrow producer Joe Pasternak & kid director George Sidney, tags along as two sailors on a four-day pass (top-billed Frank Sinatra; third-billed Gene Kelly) meet-cute with nine-yr-old Dean Stockwell to talk him out of joining the Navy.  Taking him home they meet-cute yet again!  Now with guardian Aunt Kathryn Grayson and proceed to waste their leave slowly figuring out that shy Frankie really prefers that hash slinging Bkln gal (an over-parted Pamela Britton*) while wolfish ladies’ man Gene likes the Aunt, a nice girl with the screechiest coloratura soprano on the M-G-M lot.  (Her vocal adaptation of Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings a particular horror.)  Classical musician José Iturbi is around to play Fairy Godfather and keyboards on various deconstructed pianos.  But those who stick it out will be rewarded every half-hour or so with 1): a swell song-and-dance duet for the boys (‘I Begged Her’); 2): a first-rate Jule Styne/Sammy Cain ballad for Frankie (‘I Fall in Love Too Easily’); 3): two showoff specialty dances for Gene (one balletic; one saccharine with sad little girl); and 4): an animated novelty ‘Numbo’ for Gene and Jerry (of Tom & Jerry) Mouse.  (Live-action & post-production largely supervised by uncredited 19-yr-old Stanley Donen.)

ATTENTION MUST BE PAID/LINK/DOUBLE-BILL:  *Britton’s spot in these kind of roles @ M-G-M would soon be taken over (and much improved) for the rest of the decade by Betty Garrett.  They’d also improve in handling Sinatra’s sunken cheeks and TechniColor-reddened cheek bones.  (And that’s not the only thing they filled out, TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME/’49 added ‘symetricals’ to the concave Sinatra tuchus.)  https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2010/04/take-me-out-to-ball-game-1949.html)