Guys and Dolls, 1955

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewics

Choreographer: Michael Kidd

Stars: Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Jean Simmons, Vivian Blaine

Nathan Detroit (Sinatra) cannot find a place to hold his illegal floating crap game, until this hopeless gambler comes across Skye Masterson (Brando), another inveterate gambler, and in order to pay for the place to have the crap game, Nathan bets Skye that he cannot take a certain doll to Havana, Cuba, for dinner. Skye is confident he can convince any doll to go with him anywhere, and he is dismayed to find that Nathan has chosen Sergeant Sarah Brown (Simmons), of the Salvation Army. In order to win, Skye must convince this "mission" doll to go to Cuba with him for dinner. (Yes, Skye is just that wealthy; he can go to another country for dinner.)

Well, if that isn't plot enough (oh, it is!), Nathan also has a doll, his finacee Adelaide (Blaine), who has put up with him for 14 years, waiting for him to finally set a date and tie the knot.

Bottom line- completely fantastic! If you love musicals, and haven't yet discovered this gem, do watch it! My high school put this on, and I was in the orchestra pit, so this one is very special to me.

On the Town, 1949

This week, it's pretty much about Gene Kelly.....

Director: Stanley Donan, Gene Kelly

Choreographer: I think this might be Gene Kelly, but neither Wikipedia nor Imdb are clear....

Stars: Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Betty Garrett, Ann Miller, Vera-Ellen, Jules Munshin

Gabey (Kelly), Chip (Sinatra), and Ozzie (Munshin) are three sailors on 24 hours leave in New York, so they hit the town. When Gabey sees a poster of a "Miss Turnstiles" (Vera-Ellen) in the subway, he thinks she's famous, and then seeing her right there in person, he falls for her quickly. So the guys' plan to see the town and meet girls becomes a reality as they hop in a cab driven by Hildy (Garrett)- who turns out to only have eyes for Chip- and head to a museum, where they run into anthropologist Claire (Miller), who falls for Ozzie, her very own prehistoric man. All the while they're searching for Ivy - that's Miss Turnstiles' real name.

But Ivy isn't famous, and of course, she feels awful for deceiving Gabey. But he continues to look for her, even after she runs away again! And who would have thought that a sailor on leave in New York would find romance with a small town girl- from HIS own small town, even!

Only in New York....or rather, Hollywood. This musical is notable because it was filmed in both Hollywood and New York on location, and apparently "on-location" wasn't done back then. Or perhaps not very often. But Gene Kelly insisted.

I absolutely adore the dresses! Check out Hildy's dress on the roof when she and Frank Sinatra are singing "You're Awful". And the green and plaid dress Ann Miller wears during "Prehistoric Man". Wow! So cool!

Ocean's Eleven, 1960

Director: Lewis Milestone

Stars: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis Jr, and many others!

Sorry, Frank. I liked George's version better.

I watched the original (this one) after I had already seen the remake (2001). I don't know how you could like this one better, to be honest. For the first 45 minutes, this one was truly lame. Nothing was happening. But when the guys finally got together to hear about Ocean's plan (literally about 45 minutes in- I am not exaggerating), things picked up and it got good! But I almost quit watching it in the beginning. Get through those lame 45 minutes, and it's totally fine.

Call me crazy, but I loved the ending. I would have loved it better if there was something the audience didn't know, like where the money really was-- but I did love it anyway.

I also adored Peter Lawford! Man, just his voice makes me feel weak in the knees! If he winked at me, I don't know what I'd do.

Note: Check out the sign behind Sammy at the very end. Cute.