This 1949 MGM musical came out in April of 1949, a mere eight months before than "On the Town", which was a much better film. Not having seen it, we took the opportunity when it showed on a classic cable channel recently. Although we were not disappointed, this musical was not in the same league of other great productions of the studio, something hard to imagine by the talented people involved in the making of the movie.
This was the second of the three films that Frank Sinatra made with Gene Kelly. Mr. Sinatra played the naive Dennis Ryan, a ball player of the Wolves, recently bequeathed to K.C. Higgins, who turned out to be a lady. Gene Kelly appeared as Eddie O'Brian, a more mature player that acts as the guide of the less experienced Dennis. Jules Mushkin is also reunited with his two partners as the affable Nat Goldberg. The other female lead is Betty Garrett, who shows what she was capable of doing in a film. There is also Edward Arnold, one of the best character actors of that era, playing a gambler.
There are songs and dance routines, as befitting a movie of this genre, but aside from the title song, none of the others heard on the picture stays with the viewer after it is over. It is surprising that the musical was directed by a master choreographer, Busby Berkeley, who only provides with one big production number that takes place in the clambake.
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a pleasant movie to sit through, but it is not an inspired piece of filmmaking.
This was the second of the three films that Frank Sinatra made with Gene Kelly. Mr. Sinatra played the naive Dennis Ryan, a ball player of the Wolves, recently bequeathed to K.C. Higgins, who turned out to be a lady. Gene Kelly appeared as Eddie O'Brian, a more mature player that acts as the guide of the less experienced Dennis. Jules Mushkin is also reunited with his two partners as the affable Nat Goldberg. The other female lead is Betty Garrett, who shows what she was capable of doing in a film. There is also Edward Arnold, one of the best character actors of that era, playing a gambler.
There are songs and dance routines, as befitting a movie of this genre, but aside from the title song, none of the others heard on the picture stays with the viewer after it is over. It is surprising that the musical was directed by a master choreographer, Busby Berkeley, who only provides with one big production number that takes place in the clambake.
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a pleasant movie to sit through, but it is not an inspired piece of filmmaking.