Anchors Aweigh

Released Jul 14, 1945

2 hr. 23 min.

Musical

List

53%

15 Reviews

Tomatometer

78%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Joe (Gene Kelly) and Clarence (Frank Sinatra) are two young Navy sailors on leave in glitzy Los Angeles. The two men at first plan to use their layover as an opportunity to relax, but they soon find themselves in a complicated web of comic secrets. When the two buddies find a runaway boy and return him to his fame-hungry Aunt Susan (Kathryn Grayson), both men find themselves falling for the wannabe singer, setting off a series of misadventures that unfold in comedy and song.

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Simon T

You'd be forgiven for assuming this is the bloated charmless cousin of On the Town. Gene Kelly (at his most self-adoring) and a very young (and miscast) Frank Sinatra are sailors on shore leave, a shore leave that seems to last a month. Guess what, they is lookin' for goils. So of course they both fall for Dean Stockwell's nanny, Kathryn Grayson, and hours of tedious misunderstanding and (in Kelly's case) gurning at the camera ensue. And Kelly dances with a cartoon, as you do. There are no jokes, no surprises, and a sack load of incredibly boring tunes. Someone called José Iturbi (me neither) plays the piano rather badly.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/23/23

Full Review

StephenPaul C

The greatest 02 hours: and 23 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Starring Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/23/23

Full Review

M W

Gene Kelly's dance performances were outstanding! He seems to defy gravity with his floating spins and acrobatic leaps. ]I think my favorite was his seemingly impromptu 2 minute dance with the little girl in the market. I was also surprised that Dean Stockwell, of the original Quantum Leap series and other movies, appeared in this movie and many others as a child actor. I would have never recognized him from his numerous adult roles.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

David F

This wartime musical features the talents of Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra as two sailors on leave in Hollywood after distinguishing themselves in battle. Kelly's character, described as a wolf, is hot to trot for a woman named Lola who despite his success with women - attested to by seemingly everyone but really it's all on his authority - remains elusive. The two meet an aspiring singer and her adorable nephew along with another woman, a waitress, who's Brooklyn background captures the attention of the Sinatra sailor. Hearts are melted, songs are sung, and dances are danced amidst a glorious background of Hollywood (sound stages and the Hollywood Bowl are among the setting stars) in this patriotic, song-filled, romantic comedy.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/22/23

Full Review

Schiller

I'm not a musical fan, but this movie was a pleasant surprise. True, the runtime is too long, conflicts sometimes resolve quickly enough, but it's so kind and cute I can't get mad at it. The music numbers and dances were a pleasure to watch.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/15/22

Full Review

Jared Z

Perhaps best remembered for the famous sequence where Gene Kelly dances with Jerry from Tom & Jerry, and the introduction of the beautiful standard "I Fall in Love Too Easily," 1945's Anchors Aweigh is a bright and energetic but somewhat meandering film that's a bit too long for its rather thin story.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/30/21

Full Review

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George Sidney

Director

Frank Sinatra

Clarence Doolittle

Gene Kelly

Joseph Brady

Kathryn Grayson

Susan Abbott

Jose Iturbi

Self

Dean Stockwell

Donald Martin

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John McCarten

New Yorker

Pretty discouraging... except some excellent dancing by the reliable Gene Kelly.

Oct 16, 2021

Full Review

David Parkinson

Empire Magazine

A very thin story stretched out for over two hours, this is a melange of the wonderful and the pompous.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 31, 2012

Full Review

Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Tepid and slow.

Jan 31, 2012

Full Review

Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

It could have been a better film with the right director and producer but it comes off as rather bloated with its 140-minute runtime.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 30, 2023

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

A tepid and schmaltzy patriotic fluff musical.

Rated: C+

Feb 16, 2014

Full Review

TV Guide

A pleasant, mindless diversion.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jan 31, 2012

Full Review

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Synopsis

Joe (Gene Kelly) and Clarence (Frank Sinatra) are two young Navy sailors on leave in glitzy Los Angeles. The two men at first plan to use their layover as an opportunity to relax, but they soon find themselves in a complicated web of comic secrets. When the two buddies find a runaway boy and return him to his fame-hungry Aunt Susan (Kathryn Grayson), both men find themselves falling for the wannabe singer, setting off a series of misadventures that unfold in comedy and song.

Director: George Sidney
Screenwriter: Natalie Marcin, Isobel Lennart
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Genre: Musical
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 14, 1945, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 4, 2008
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Flat (1.37:1)

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