All I really knew about this before -- perhaps all anyone today is expected to know about it -- is that it includes a dance sequence involving Gene Kelly and Jerry Mouse of Tom and Jerry fame. That told me it was going to be whimsical, even by old musical standards. If nothing else, that scene promised to be cute.
On shore leave in Hollywood, Clarence (Frank Sinatra) looks to Joe (Kelly) for guidance on courtship. Lessons are interrupted when a cop irregularly strong-arms them into persuading single-digit boy Donald (Dean Stockwell), who wants to join the Navy right away, to return home that night. They accompany him and meet his Aunt Susie (Kathryn Grayson), an aspiring singer who immediately appeals to Clarence but not Joe, who'd rather pursue the local woman he's already dated. Through a series of events that's tricky to summarize, Joe winds up claiming that Clarence can get her an audition with concert pianist José Iturbi (as himself), figuring it's Clarence's best shot. As the two men try to make that claim a reality, their feelings shift....
Yeah, the plot gets pretty predictable to musical aficionados as it goes along. It kinda reminds me of the Astaire and Rogers pictures of the prior decade, even if there's only one great human dancer. Still, it's kinda interesting to see Joe improvise so efficiently. And you know it's early in Sinatra's career when he plays a bashful guy with no dating experience. You could make the case that neither fraud deserves Susie, but I've certainly seen worse "happy" pairings on screen, and Donald welcomes as much of a sailor's presence in his life as possible.
Oh, you want to know how Jerry fits in? Well, he doesn't. He's shoehorned into an already ill-fitting tangent where Joe makes up a talking-animal story to explain his badge to Donald's class. I won't bother to spell out the short story, but it's not meant for Jerry's personality at all. The studio's first choice was Mickey Mouse, but Disney understandably wouldn't lend their prize property to MGM. I suppose Jerry is still better cast, if only because his childlike voice (Sara Berner) suddenly signals a departure from canon. I'd call the whole scene a Big-Lipped Alligator Moment if it weren't the selling point, showing relative smoothness in an era when toons and live action had barely mixed. (Of course, in '45, even Technicolor was a rare treat.) IMDb even adds a fantasy tag, but come on.
Personally, I was more into the less cheesy elements. Iturbi on the piano -- now that's classy. And it's a shame I barely know Grayson for anything else, because her singing is exceptional. It's not like she bombed at acting or looking pretty, so why did she get so few roles in famous titles?
At a time when I've wanted to wash out the taste of a grim art film and found an action flick inadequate for the purpose, AA wasn't a bad pick. It doesn't exactly rekindle my love of the subgenre, but it delivers on its promises. Better than Joe and Clarence do, anyway.
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