Anchor's Away (U.S., 1945)


Figure 1.--"Anchors Away" is one of those great MGM color musicals. This one is a vehiche for Frank Sinatra's singing and Gene Kelley's dancing. The two appear both together as well as individually. It was Sinatra's first big film role. Dean Stockwell plays an adorable curly headed mopet nammed Donald.

"Anchors Away" is one of those great MGM color musicals. This one is a vehiche for Frank Sinatra's singing and Gene Kelley's dancing. The two appear both together as well as individually. Kelly has a charming dance number with a little Mexican girl. The film begins on an aircraft carrier. It is about two sailors who get a 3-day leave. Kelly playing Joe heads off for a date with Lola. A very young Sinatra playing Clarance is unsure about girls--leading to some well done comic tension. Sinatra was quite a lady's man, even at this young age. The shy, innocent role, hoewever, proved so popular at the box ffice that this was how MGM insisted on casting him. Quite a difference from his subsequent film roles. It was Sinatra's first big film role. Dean Stockwell plays an adorable curly headed mopet nammed Donald. I'm not sure how old he was when the film was shot. The dates suggest about 7-8 years old, but he looks more like 6-7 years old. It was Dean's first film and he charmed movie viewers. I the film, he is being raised by his orphan aunt. He wants to join the Navy and runs away. He won't tell the police where he lives, so the police pull Kelly off the street to convince Donald to tell wher he lives. This of course is how Kelly and Sinatr meet Aunt Susan. It also messes up Kelly's date with Lola. Dean gives a wonderful performance in this light-hearted film. His expressions and lines seem so natural and spotaneous--there is no sence that he is acting, rare in a child star. He appears mostly in pajamas, but also a blue sailor suit with long pants. At school he is the only boy waring a sailor suit. Most of the boys wear suspender long pants. One boy wears suspender shorts. At the end he also wears a white sailor suit. The film was notable for being the fist major motion picture which combined live action and animation--it is a Tom and Jerry dance scene imagined by Donald when Kelley visits his school.








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Created: August 7, 2003
Last updated: August 7, 2003