This musical, the first collaboration between Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, has a cute set-up – two sailors are out on leave for three nights and head to Hollywood to find some girls. Kelly’s Joe is known as the “Sea Wolf” because of his skills with the dames, and shy Clarence (Sinatra) tags along to see if he can for once get a girl and not spend his entire leave in the library. Their plans are quickly derailed when they are picked up by the police to help bring a runaway boy (Dean Stockwell – how cute!) home to his Aunt Susie – who turns out to be a singer making ends meet by working as an extra.

The movie goes along quite nicely for the first half of it. However, at 2 hours and 20 minutes, it is too long. These are really talented people and the film showcases them each well, including the piano player Iturbi, but as it progresses it relies more and more on showcasing them individually instead of collaboratively which gives the film a fragmented feel. Probably best remembered for the animation sequence when Gene Kelly dances with Jerry from Tom and Jerry (although I must admit I like the Family Guy version with Stewie better), the film has lots of sweet moments and memorable routines.

This film features the weirdest live action animated sequence I’ve ever seen… And Tom and Jerry make an appearance too.