There are quite a few obvious parallels between Anchors Aweigh and It Happened In Brooklyn. Frank Sinatra opens in both movies possessing few social skills and little presence amongst his peers. The first time that he seems comfortable, commanding attention as well as respect, is when he sings. Katherine Grayson plays the part in both films of the beautiful aspiring opera singer—a yet to be discovered gem for talent scouts and the male population. Sinatra losses the girl once again to the darker and more handsome male co-star (played by Gene Kelly in Anchors Aweigh and Peter Lawford in It Happened In Brooklyn). The end of the movie even ended with Sinatra figuring out that he truly loved a blonde, sassy Brooklyn girl, not Grayson. Saying that the storyline was predictable is an understatement.
Within the first few minutes of the movie when Peter Lawford flashes onto the screen, the audience knows that Frank will inevitably lose the battle for the girl. Next to Lawford, Sinatra seems to possess more confidence and a more dynamic character, but Lawford’s character seemed much like Grayson’s character—both were striking and had a musical gift and dream which they were about to abandon. Unlike in Anchors Aweigh, Sinatra served as the leader of the pack, made the decisions, and seemed more self-aware in It Happened In Brooklyn; however, physically, Frank could not compete with the stature and face of Peter Lawford.
One distinct difference between his role from Anchors Aweigh is that his character has more agency, furthering along the plot. It seems like nothing could have happened without Frank’s involvement in the film. He was discovered and obtained his job at the record store. He helped Lawford’s character have success with composing by getting his music published. He befriended the lonely janitor played by Jimmy Durante and encouraged Durante's character to dream and feel important by introducing the old man to royalty. By introducing Lawford to Grayson, Frank warmed up Grayson’s voice, poising her for greater success in the opera realm, and encouraged Lawford to shrug off his fear of talking to women. Even though he didn’t seem like a masculine or powerful individual in the film, Sinatra seemed to orchestrate nearly everything, even if he was unaware.
One common theme in It Happened In Brooklyn was the deeply rooted belief that with hard work and determination, talent could be discovered and rewarded. The American Dream prevailed. This theme mirrors Sinatra’s progress in show business up until that point. Sinatra’s character comes home to Brooklyn with a optimism and pure love for his past homestead, hinting at Sinatra’s status as son of Italian immigrants. His character had an initial fear of auditioning but is discovered by the owner of the shop and offered an attractive job when merely singing for fun. The undiscovered talent of the teenage pianist soon gains the attention and respect of critics as well as a board which grants scholarships. Not only does the boy get seen, the scholarship board actually amends restrictions on age in order to offer the scholarship and schooling to the boy. The film remains overly optimistic throughout. Even though Sinatra’s character is rejected by the girl, the viewers are led to believe that he will end up with the approachable yet feisty girl from his hometown, making Sinatra seem that much more attainable by his audience. Finally, although Sinatra did not have formal singing training, he was cast alongside Katherine Grayson—obviously touting years of vocal training. The opera duet which they perform in the Italian restaurant highlights the differences in style and training, reminding the audience that Frank had literally made himself, functioning as living proof of the American Dream.
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