Watching On The Town, I’ve seen it several times. Can’t help but wonder when it became the norm to look directly at the camera during the musical dance numbers. In the “backstage musicals” we watched from the 30’s it made some sense, because they were supposed to be on stage, oriented towards the stage. I can’t help it, but I don’t like this change to playing to the camera. I know I’m a Fred Astaire fanatic, but Fred and Ginger looked at each other, which made it more romantic, almost like you were intruding on their private moment.
In some of the MGM musicals of this time and the 50’s -