4 Film Favorites: Gene Kelly - On The Town / For Me And My Gal / Invitation To The Dance / Summer Stock

"On The Town": New York, New York, it's a wonderful town - especially when sailors Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin have a 24-hour shore leave to see the sights - and when those sights include Ann Miller, Betty Garrett and Vera-Ellen. Co-Directed by Kelly and Stanley Donen, based on the Broadway hit and set to an Academy Award(R) winning adaptation score, "On the Town" changed the landscape of movie musicals, opening filmmakers' eyes to what could be done on location. "For Me And My Gal": After a late-night cup of coffee, vaudevillians Jo Hayden and Harry Palmer sit at a piano and work a song. Moments later, Jo realizes she's found exactly what she wasn't looking for: a partner. And with Judy Garland as Jo and Gene Kelly as Harry, the partnership isn't just ideal. It's a film fan's dream come true. "Invitation To The Dance": Kelly brings his remarkable talents as star, director and choreographer to this glittering gala of music, dance and pantomime - and the result is a lush, one-of-a-kind musical flight of fancy. The film has three episodes, each with its own distinct period and mood. In "Circus", a clown (Kelly) in a small carnival troupe is hopelessly in love with the show's high-wire walker. "Ring Around The Rosy" is a satiric tale about a bracelet which travels from the wrist of one fickle lover to another. "Sinbad The Sailor" blends live action and animation as Kelly dances his way into an Arabian Nights world after rubbing Aladdin's Lamp. "Summer Stock": Lift that bale, carry that tune. A theatrical troupe earns its keep in exchange for mounting a show in Judy Garland's barn. Includes Judy's joyful "Get Happy" and Gene Kelly's amazing "newspaper" dance.