Some musicals are filled with great songs and you cannot help but like them. "It Happened in Brooklyn", oddly, is a film with no great songs and , and, believe it or not, the story is by far the strongest part of the film. This is very unusual for a musical and I found that every time they sang, my attention span wavered--especially with some of the more operatic tunes sung by Kathryn Grayson. She was a lovely actress and I liked her in the film, but I just don't like this style of music. Even good operatic music annoys me...and I am pretty sure I am not alone on this.
The story begins with a private, Danny (Frank Sinatra) at a party but he just isn't in the mood. Instead, he's mooning about being back in Brooklyn--and he's expected to be sent back there soon. However, at the party he makes a friendship with a member of royalty and his son, Jamie (Peter Lawford). Danny offers to show Jamie around if he ever comes to Brooklyn.
Soon, Danny is back in his old stomping ground, though it's funny to watch all the Brooklyners talking about how they hate the place! He's also surprised that finding a place to live and a job isn't nearly as easy as he expected. Fortunately, he finds a nice old acquaintance, Nick (Jimmy Durante) and he invites Danny to live with him.
As for Nick, he's a cute character and takes a special interest in Danny and a teacher at his school, Anne (Grayson). Nick thinks they'll make a nice couple and does his best to get them together. However, when Jamie unexpectedly shows up, it soon becomes apparent that he, too, is smitten with Anne. And, Anne might just be interested in Jamie--even though she and Danny are now dating. How will all this work out? See the film!
The plot is simple but works very well because you really like the characters. They all seem so nice--and that's why it's a shame when it suddenly becomes a three-way romance. Still, since they are all such nice people, they cannot possibly hurt poor Danny...so they do nothing. Again, how will this work out?
By the way, in the scene at the rooftop Italian restaurant, pay attention to the wine that the three folks are drinking with their spaghetti. First, it's a white wine, then it becomes red wine and, finally, it's white again!! Maybe most won't notice this, but I did since I thought 'wow...I wouldn't drink white wine with spaghetti!'--and then it magically changed! I assume this was not intentional....or perhaps it was an inside joke!
The story begins with a private, Danny (Frank Sinatra) at a party but he just isn't in the mood. Instead, he's mooning about being back in Brooklyn--and he's expected to be sent back there soon. However, at the party he makes a friendship with a member of royalty and his son, Jamie (Peter Lawford). Danny offers to show Jamie around if he ever comes to Brooklyn.
Soon, Danny is back in his old stomping ground, though it's funny to watch all the Brooklyners talking about how they hate the place! He's also surprised that finding a place to live and a job isn't nearly as easy as he expected. Fortunately, he finds a nice old acquaintance, Nick (Jimmy Durante) and he invites Danny to live with him.
As for Nick, he's a cute character and takes a special interest in Danny and a teacher at his school, Anne (Grayson). Nick thinks they'll make a nice couple and does his best to get them together. However, when Jamie unexpectedly shows up, it soon becomes apparent that he, too, is smitten with Anne. And, Anne might just be interested in Jamie--even though she and Danny are now dating. How will all this work out? See the film!
The plot is simple but works very well because you really like the characters. They all seem so nice--and that's why it's a shame when it suddenly becomes a three-way romance. Still, since they are all such nice people, they cannot possibly hurt poor Danny...so they do nothing. Again, how will this work out?
By the way, in the scene at the rooftop Italian restaurant, pay attention to the wine that the three folks are drinking with their spaghetti. First, it's a white wine, then it becomes red wine and, finally, it's white again!! Maybe most won't notice this, but I did since I thought 'wow...I wouldn't drink white wine with spaghetti!'--and then it magically changed! I assume this was not intentional....or perhaps it was an inside joke!