Take Me Out To The Ball Game (1949)

Set in 1908, when a baseball team finds out its new owner is a woman (Esther Williams), two of its players (Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly) have different reactions. Sinatra gets a crush on her but Kelly finds her irritating. This uninspired musical was directed by Busby Berkeley without much enthusiasm. Given the material (based on an idea by Kelly and Stanley Donen) he was given, one can hardly blame him. Musically, it's a rather dull affair with only two numbers that stand out, a cute duet It's Fate Baby, It's Fate sung by Betty Garrett and Sinatra and the rousing Strictly U.S.A. performed by the cast. Sinatra and Garrett work well together but there's zero chemistry between Kelly (particularly charmless here) and Williams. According to Williams, Kelly hated working with her and their one romantic dance number, Baby Doll, was cut because the strapping Williams made Kelly look smaller. Williams' swimming is limited to one brief scene. With Jules Munshin and Edward Arnold.