It is an adaptation of the Broadway stage musical of the same name produced in 1944 (which itself is an adaptation of the Jerome Robbins ballet, titled Fancy Free, also produced in 1944),[3] although many changes in the script and score were made to the original stage version; for instance, most of Bernstein's score was dropped in favor of new songs by Edens, who felt that the majority of Bernstein's music was too complex and too operatic for film audiences.

It was a product of the Arthur Freed unit at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and is notable for its combination of studio and location filming, the result of Gene Kelly's insistence that some scenes be shot in New York City, including Columbus Circle, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Rockefeller Center.

While riding the subway, Gabey falls in love with and dreams of the woman in the poster of the monthly "Miss Turnstiles", whose name is Ivy Smith.

Along the way they are assisted by, and become romantically involved with, two women: Ozzie with Claire, an anthropologist; and Chip with Hildy, an aggressively amorous taxi driver.

Finally locating Ivy in a dance class, Gabey takes her on an imaginary date to his home town ("Main Street") in a studio in Symphonic Hall.

Gabey is still convinced Ivy is a genuine celebrity, so Hildy and Claire bribe a waiter to make a fuss in order to keep up the ruse.

Kelly and Donen held their ground, and Mayer finally relented and allowed a limited number of days shooting in New York.

The primary problem experienced by the production was dealing with crowds of Frank Sinatra's fans, so some shots were made with the camera located in a station wagon to reduce the public visibility of the shooting.

The site's consensus states: "Overflowing with infectious enthusiasm, On the Town is an exhilarating musical ride across the real streets of New York featuring another graceful performance from Gene Kelly.