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!

Elf, 2003

Director: Jon Favreau (Iron Man)

Stars: Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel, James Caan, Edward Asner, Bob Newhart, Mary Steenburgen

Buddy (Ferrell), a human who was raised by an elves at the North Pole, finds out he is actually a human (he never knew). When his Papa (Newhart) tells him the truth, he sets out to find his father Walter (Caan) in the magical land of New York City.

Buddy explores New York, accidentally acquires a job at a department store, and finds Walter and his wife Emily (Steenburgen) and son Michael. Buddy's ways are unconventional, but everybody loves him. He even gets himself a girlfriend, (Deschanel), one of his coworkers.

Then, on Christmas Eve, Santa crashes in Central Park, because not enough people believe in Santa anymore! If Buddy and his friends don't find a way to get more people to believe in Santa, the sleigh will never get off the ground again.

A wonderful, hilarious Christmas adventure! I love it!