New York Town

New York Town
Directed by	Charles Vidor
Produced by	Anthony Veiller
Written by	Jo Swerling (story) Lewis Meltzer Preston Sturges (uncredited)
Starring	Fred MacMurray Mary Martin Akim Tamiroff Robert Preston
Music by	Leo Shuken
Cinematography	Charles Edgar Schoenbaum
Editing by	Doane Harrison
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	31 October 1941
Running time	94 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

New York Town is a 1941 romantic comedy film directed by Charles Vidor and starring Fred MacMurray, Mary Martin, Akim Tamiroff and Robert Preston. The film was written by Lewis Meltzer and an uncredited Preston Sturges based on a story by Jo Swerling.

The film is notable for a long opening "single take" shot which establishes the personalities of several New York City apartment residents.^[1]

Plot

Victor Ballard (Fred MacMurray) is a poor but happy-go-lucky New York sidewalk photographer who shares a studio apartment with a painter from Poland, Stefan Janowski (Akim Tamiroff). When Victor shoots a photo of Alexandra Curtis (Mary Martin), he realizes she is desperate and in need of a friend who can guide her through the ways and means of surviving in Manhattan with no money. Alexandra moves in as a third roommate and helps out with Victor's street photography Victoria attempts to help her by getting her hooked up with a rich Park Avenue swell, but Alexandra accidentally meets his handsome son, Paul Bryson Jr. (Robert Preston) instead, and Victor, to his own surprise, becomes jealous. Before Victor and Alexandra come together as a couple, there are (of course) further misunderstandings and fisticuffs and the like.^[1][2]

Cast

• Fred MacMurray as Victor Ballard
• Mary Martin as Alexandra Curtis
• Akim Tamiroff as Stefan Janowski
• Robert Preston as Paul Bryson, Jr.
• Lynne Overman as Sam
• Eric Blore as Vivian
• Fuzzy Knight as Gus Nelson
• Cecil Kellaway as Shipboard Host
• Edward McNamara as Brody
• Oliver Blake as Bender, the lawyer
• Ken Carpenter as Master of Ceremonies
• Sam McDaniel as Henry

Production

New York Town, based on the story, "Night Time" by Jo Swerling, was originally to have been directed by Mitchell Leisen, but when he was assigned to do I Wanted Wings, Charles Vidor was borrowed from Columbia.^[3]

The film was in production from early November to late December 1940.^[4] The original ending of the film featured a parade of the German-American Bund, but this was re-shot.^[3] The film was released on 31 October 1941, a full 10 months after the completion of principal photography.^[5]

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Erickson, Hal Plot synopsis (Allmovie)
2. ^ TCM Full synopsis
3. ^ ^{a b} TCM Notes
4. ^ TCM Overview
5. ^ IMDB Release dates

External links

• New York Town at the Internet Movie Database
• New York Town at the TCM Movie Database
• New York Town at AllRovi