Ep. 9 - On the Town
Adam and Nate start their tour of musical parodies on The Simpsons with On the Town (1949), known for being the first movie musical shot on location and better known as the inspiration for Bart and Milhouse’s Broadway-style Squishee bender in “Boy-Scoutz ‘n the Hood” (S5E8). Join Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and a third guy as they take New York City by storm!
Also in this episode:
An ode to New York on screen, including “The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson” (S9E1)
Gene Kelly’s on-set pranks on Frank Sinatra
How old is Sinatra in this, anyway? (Or, why did they make that one Muppet out of leather?)
Some refreshingly simple cinematography and editing that puts dancing first
Find out why Louis B. Mayer called this musical “smutty and communistic”
Next time, Adam and Nate check out My Fair Lady (1964) with Simpsons writer and co-executive producer Michael Price!
Every Reference to On the Town on The Simpsons
By our count in The Simpsons Movie Reference Database, On the Town has only been directly referenced in 1 episode of the first 13 seasons of The Simpsons in a full scene parody. The only reference appears in “Boy-Scoutz 'n the Hood” (S5E8) from 1993, 44 years after the release of the movie.
Scene Parodies
“Boy Scoutz ‘n the Hood” (S5E8): When Bart and Milhouse go on an all-syrup Squishee bender, they sing “Springfield, Springfield,” a parody of this movie’s opening number, “New York, New York.” But the Simpsons version uses the original lyrics from the stage show, calling Springfield “a helluva town,” instead of “a wonderful town” like in the movie.
Later in “Springfield, Springfield,” when the boys visit a statue of Jedediah Springfield during a sight-seeing montage, a pan down from a skyscraper mimics a similar shot of Rockefeller Center in On the Town. (The skyscraper was never seen again… Spoo-ooky!)
NEW • “Simpson Tide” (S9E19): In the musical number set to the Village People song “In the Navy,” Homer, Moe, and Barney perform a coordinated dance in the sailor uniforms from this movie. The mops also echo another famous Gene Kelly dance scene in Thousands Cheer (1943), where Kelly dances with a broom. (Unconfirmed)
Extra Credit
Looking for more like this or an interesting double feature? Here are our recommendations.
From Adam: Singin’ in the Rain (1952), The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) & La La Land (2016)
From Nate: White Christmas (1954), West Side Story (1961) & In the Heights (2021)
Further Reading & Viewing
Catalog Entry: “On the Town (1949),“ AFI Catalog.
Video: Mostlydaydreaming, “Gene Kelly talks On the Town,” YouTube, Mar 4, 2019.
Video: Deen, “Busby Berkeley - Kaleidoscopic Dance”, YouTube, Apr 23, 2018.
Article: Charlie Smith, “Gene Kelly played ‘nasty tricks’ on Frank Sinatra: ‘He was a pain in the neck!‘” Express, May 16, 2022.
Article: “Was ‘On the Town’ the First Film Musical Shot on Location?” PopMatters, Oct. 6, 2016.
Article: Kelli Marshall, “Monsters, Skirts, and Eastern Sequences in MGM's ‘On the Town’,” Gene Kelly Fans, Nov. 12, 2018.
Article: “The Sinatra Centennial Blogathon: Frank Sinatra & Gene Kelly,” Back to Golden Days, Dec. 12, 2015.
