Pal Joey

Great cast and story line.

Great movie

The recent Broadway revival of Pal Joey is a stark contrast to the film version which drastically overhauled the story and song list, mostly for the better. Frank Sinatra plays Joey as a cad with a heart of gold, who you know will do the right thing in the end. Getting to that point, you have to put up with Frank's 1950-ish hipster persona, which by todays standards produces quite a few cringes in his attitude towards women. Getting past that, the movie has widely added several great Rodgers and Hart songs from their other musicals, including one of Frank's signature numbers, "The Lady is a Tramp." The music alone makes it worthwhile to watch.The location has been moved to San Francisco, and the location footage is another pleasant change from the play's dreary Chicago setting. The characters have also been altered, becoming less caustic on the one side, as with Joey, and even sweeter on the other side, as with Kim Novak. Having seen the Broadway version, and concluding that the greatest fault of the show was the inability to like the main characters, the changes here work for the best.I don't know if Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak did their own singing, but since most of the songs are performed by the incomparable Sinatra, you are sure to be humming several of the tunes for days afterwards.

This film is worth watching over and over again, if only to see Sinatra's rendition of "The Lady is a Tramp", which he sings with riveting style and musical finesse.Based on a book and play by John O'Hara, it boasts some snappy dialogue and a fabulous Rodgers and Hart score, with songs like "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered", "I Could Write a Book", "What do I Care for a Dame ?", "Plant You Now, Dig You Later", "Happy Hunting Horn" and "That Terrific Rainbow". Rita Hayworth does a sumptuous "Zip" (I love the way she uses her lavish Jean Louis gown in the number), and Kim Novak is absolutely stunning singing "My Funny Valentine". Novak was one of the loveliest and most underrated stars to ever grace the silver screen, and this was her second film with Sinatra, having done the dramatic "The Man with the Golden Arm" two years earlier.The film only received some Oscar nominations (Art/Set Direction, Costume Design, Editing, Sound), but Sinatra did pick up a 1958 Golden Globe Best Actor/Musical-Comedy for his part as Joey, the womanizing, fast talking, con-man singer, who goes from town to town, leaving debts and broken hearts behind; Sinatra makes the most of the part, and one cannot imagine anyone else that could have played Joey to such perfection.Terrific direction by George Sidney and choreography by Hermes Pan complement this trio of great stars and splendid music, with the backdrop of San Francisco and Harold Lipstein's cinematography.Total running time is 109 minutes.

This is the best CD by Della Rees great sound quality it's recommended

You either love Frank or you hate him, that's all there is to it. Take the Frank factor out and this is still a great flick. Kim Novak is gorgeous to look at and plays the role of a good girl trying to make it in the rough world in a very charming way. Rita Hayworth is just lovely as the poor girl made good turned sugar momma. The music carries the story along in a way that you just don't see anymore.I'm not a fan of theatre and so I don't speak to the reviews of fans of the Broadway musical other than to say that they tend to go the route of the book people who never let films be just a film.If you hate Frank, skip it. If you want to watch a great old film with two gorgeous, curvy women to boot, then pop this one in, poor a drink, and enjoy. I do.

I love old musicals and am very aware things were different back in the 50's as far as how men regarded women, etc....but that said, this was shockingly the most misogynistic, sexist, piece of garbage I have ever seen, even for the 1950's. Seems like most every line out of Sinatra's mouth was hateful towards women or saw them only as a sex object. I am shocked Rita Hayworth was in this. She was only in her late 30's yet played the "older woman" wealthy widow benefactor to Sinatra's character. A bit demoralizing. I also just will never get the appeal Sinatra had. He was about an 110 pound weakling who was so skinny and homely that I failed to see why these gorgeous women went for him. I normally forgive the silly, predictable premises of these old musicals and love all by Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, and anyone else really. The only plus in this movie was the 1950's scenery of San Francisco. Back when my city was still unspoiled by ugly skyscrapers, homeless encampments, crime etc. Oh, the nighblub was in what is Flood Masion too which is a hoot since that is a very wealthy residential-only neighborhood. I guess they assumed most movie-goers in the '50s were unfamiliar with the real San Francisco.

One of my favorite movies. Thanks for having it available!