Anchors Aweigh
BBB.5
(out of 5)
Lightweight musical that isn’t as memorable as Gene Kelly‘s later navy-themed On The Town. He and Frank Sinatra (who co-starred with Kelly in the aforementioned Stanley Donen classic) star as two sailors on shore leave in Los Angeles who meet up with a charming young tot (Dean Stockwell) who would love to join the navy. As it turns out, his big sister (Kathryn Grayson) is really dreamy and the boys don’t fail to notice. Lots of musical numbers, the standout being the point where Kelly dances with Jerry, the animated mouse from the famous duo of Tom and Jerry. This was the only time that Kelly was ever nominated for an Academy Award for an acting performance.
USA, 1945
Directed by George Sidney
Screenplay by Isobel Lennart, suggested by a story by Natalie Marcin
Cinematography by Charles P. Boyle, Robert H. Planck
Produced by Joe Pasternak
Music by Calvin Jackson, George Stoll
Production Design by Randall Duell, Cedric Gibbons
Costume Design by Irene
Film Editing by Adrienne Fazan
Cast Tags: Billy Gilbert, Carlos Ramírez, Chester Clute, Dean Stockwell, Edgar Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Grady Sutton,Henry Armetta, Henry O’Neill, James Burke, James Flavin, José Iturbi, Kathryn Grayson, Leon Ames, Pamela Britton, Rags Ragland, Sharon McManus
Academy Award
Best Music (Scoring of a Musical Picture) (Georgie Stoll)
Nominations
Best Actor (Gene Kelly as “Joseph Brady”)
Best Cinematography (Colour) (Robert Planck, Charles Boyle)
Best Music (Song) (“I Fall In Love Too Easily”, music by Jule Styne; lyrics by Sammy Cahn)
Best Motion Picture (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
