One of the most iconic dance numbers from classic Hollywood occurs on screen in 1945’s Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra’s Anchors Aweigh. This scene is, of course, a Gene Kelly dance number paired up with MGM’s hugely popular Jerry from the Tom and Jerry shorts. Most people have seen clips from this scene, or at least a still, but not the film itself, as this moment has eclipsed the film it comes from. Those of us who watch the Oscars every year have seen this moment often in montages and tributes over the years. This silly little musical number is but a tall tale, told by a sailor to a group of impressionable young boys at school.
This number was originally planned for Mickey Mouse, but Walt Disney, or perhaps it was his brother Roy, got cold feet and changed their mind about lending out the character. The reasons are not clear but most likely had to do with the financial hardships the Walt Disney Studio was going to after the war. Whatever the reason, the part planned for Mickey ended up being Jerry the Mouse. This short diversion in the film is a fitting example of what Anchors Aweigh is like watching in total. There are a lot of little dance numbers and vignettes that do not contribute to the overall plot; that are fun in their own right but pad out the film to an unnecessary two hours and twenty minutes for a story that doesn’t justify that length. It’s never quite boring, but it overstays its welcome.
The story concerns Gunner’s Mate Second Class Joe Brady (Gene Kelly) and Seaman First Class Clarence Doolittle (Frank Sinatra), two Navy sailors who have been granted a four-day leave in San Diego, which they decide to extend to Hollywood. Joe saved Clarence’s life at one point, and, to pay him back, Clarence wants to tag along and learn how to be confident with women while Joe, the extrovert of the two, only wants to have some alone time with his girl, Lola. In an attempt to speed things along, Joe agrees to tutor Clarence on how to pick up women, but, in the process of role-playing scenarios, both men are picked up by the police.
As it turns out, the police have picked up a young boy, Donald (Dean Stockwell), who has run away to join the Navy and refuses to tell the police his address so he can be returned home. The police believe that Donald will be more responsive to men in Navy uniforms and have picked up Joe and Clarence for that very purpose. The plan works, and Joe and Clarence are able to get his address out of him and return him home. But as they are dropping him off, his aunt, Susan Abbott (Kathryn Grayson), comes home and finds them there. Susan has been trying to catch the attention of musician José Iturbi, a professional who may be able to advance her career as a singer. At present, she works for a movie studio but only in small roles.
After spending some time with her, including listening to her sing at a local restaurant, the two men decide to help her get an audition with José. They lie to her, telling her that they know him personally and that they have already gotten her the audition, but when they try to get through to José, they either just miss him or run into studio roadblocks preventing them from gaining an audience. With time running out, it seems like they will never get to him in time to help Susan follow her dreams. Along the way, Clarence runs into an unnamed woman from his hometown of Brooklyn, New York; a woman he has a lot in common with and isn’t afraid to talk to. Ultimately this is heading towards an uber happy ending where Susan gets her dreams and both men end up with a woman by their sides.
The real star of this film is, of course, the choreographer. As was typical with Gene Kelly, he served as his own choreographer, creating and performingu many somewhat complicated and whimsical dance numbers. Frank Sinatra matches him step for step, though, showing us why he was not only the King Crooner but a skilled dancer as well. All of this is on display within minutes of the opening credits with the hilarious tongue-in-cheek performance of “We Hate to Leave,” a song that sarcastically suggests that the two men don’t want to go on their leave, but the Navy is forcing them. Of course, the Navy men staying behind on the ship don’t buy the obvious lie and are throwing things at them as they dance their way out the door.
I am never not surprised by the innocent, yet wise beyond his age, performance by Dean Stockwell. He was about eight years old in this film, but he handles himself like an old pro. It is no surprise he was able to successfully transition into adult films and would continue acting for the rest of his long life. He steals the scenes whenever he is on camera. This isn’t as serious a role as the one he had in Gentleman’s Agreement, but it is just as good of a performance nevertheless. Dean is one of those talents that burns bright and stays that way long after his contemporaries have burned out. Very few child actors manage to thrive in Hollywood into adulthood, but the ones that do always seem to have that extra special star quality that doesn’t dissipate when the cuteness of childhood morphs into adolescence.
Great performances, even better choreography, and impressive set pieces don’t always translate into a great film, though. The parts don’t always gel together into perfection. That is the case here. There is not one scene that I can point to and say this is bad and needs to be gone; yet the film as a whole is bloated and drags at several points throughout. Consider the aforementioned dance number with Jerry the mouse. This is a wonderful dance number that showcases the possibilities of marrying live action and animation. This would be further refined by Walt Disney in films such as Mary Poppins and Pete’s Dragon. This dance number is cute, well choreographed, but it’s five minutes that brings the entire film to a halt.
The same happens later when Gene Kelly and Kathryn Grayson do a dance number inspired by her Mexican heritage. There are some amazing dance moves and stunts on display, but it interrupts the flow of the film. On top of everything else, I couldn’t get past the fact that Joe is romancing Susan while he was supposed to be catching up with Lola while on his leave. It feels like the script just forgot about Lola or thought we’d not notice he just forgets about her after a while.
Anchors Aweigh is best experienced in clips rather than all in one go. It just runs far too long for how flimsy the story is. This is not a complete deal breaker, but it does make the film a bit too much of a slog for frequent viewings. It’s fine for what it is but doesn’t really have enough to keep it afloat for over two hours. This is no Singing in the Rain, a film with a lot to say while being charming and infectious. Instead, it’s a light diversion that just overstays its welcome.
Academy Award Nominations:
Best Motion Picture: Joe Pasternak
Best Actor: Gene Kelly
Best Cinematography - Color: Robert H. Planck and Charles P. Boyle
Best Scoring of a Musical Picture: Georgie Stoll (won)
Best Song: “I Fall in Love Too Easily” Music by Jule Styne; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
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Release Date: July 19, 1945
Running Time: 140 minutes
Not Rated
Starring: Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson, Gene Kelly, José Iturbi, Dean Stockwell, Pamela Britton, “Rags” Ragland, Billy Gilbert, Henry O’Neill
Directed by: George Sidney
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