Pal Joey
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Pal Joey
Plot
The John O'Hara/Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart Broadway musical Pal Joey created quite a stir during its original theatrical run in 1940. Here we had a heel of a hero who sleeps with a wealthy older woman in order to realize his dream of owning his own nightclub, and who breaks the heart of the girl who truly loves him when she impedes his plans to get ahead. Blossom Time it wasn't. Due to the seamy nature of the plot and the double- and single-entendre song lyrics (especially the original words for "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered", which you aren't likely to hear on most mainstream recordings of this tune), Pal Joey could not be faithfully filmed back in the 1940s. Even this 1957 version, made at a time when movie censorship was beginning to relax, was extensively sanitized for public consumption. Ambitious singer/dancer Joey (Frank Sinatra) is still something of a louse, but a redeemable one. The relationship between Joey and his older benefactress Vera Simpson (Rita Hayworth, who was actually a few years younger than Sinatra) is one of implication rather than overt statement. And Joey's true love, chorine Linda English (Kim Novak), is as pure as the driven snow, who vehemently expresses distaste at having to perform a striptease. The Rodgers and Hart songs ("I Could Write a Book" the aforementioned "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered") which seemed so cynical and ironic back in 1940, are given the typically lush, luxurious Hollywood treatment (many of the tunes, notably "There's a Small Hotel", were borrowed from other Rodgers and Hart shows, a not uncommon practice of the time). Pal Joey is nice to look at and consummately performed, but don't expect the bite of the original play, or the John O'Hara short stories which preceded them. ~ Hal Erickson, RoviReview
It took Pal Joey 17 years to get from Broadway to Hollywood, largely because the original source material was a little too racy for filming in 1940. The film still softens the story and characters a bit, but it maintains the tart, snappy flow of the dialogue. Indeed, Dorothy Kingsley's screenplay adds even more of that flip, smooth arrogance to the dialogue, even if structurally it's slightly weak. George Sidney directs in sleek style that perfectly complements the movie's star, Frank Sinatra. It's a classic Sinatra performance, detached and casual, which changes the character from the play's loser trying to play out of his league to someone who -- no matter what the script may say -- can take on anyone that comes his way. But as long as he's singing -- especially archetypal Sinatra songs such as "The Lady Is a Tramp" and "I Could Write a Book" -- such changes don't matter. He's matched by gorgeous Rita Hayworth alternating between fire and ice, and, even though dubbed, making "Zip" a riot and "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" steam up the screen. Kim Novak is game, but she doesn't stand much of a chance up against these two. The songs, by Rodgers & Hart, are absolutely first-rate, and they're presented here to their best advantage. Overall, Pal Joey is a stylish and winning musical presented with a great deal of panache. ~ Craig Butler, RoviCast
- Rita Hayworth - Vera Simpson
- Frank Sinatra - Joey Evans
- Kim Novak - Linda English
- Barbara Nichols - Gladys
- Bobby Sherwood - Ned Galvin
- Elizabeth Patterson - Mrs. Casey
- Barry Bernard - Anderson
Credit
Walter Holscher - Art Director, Hermes Pan - Choreography, Jean Louis - Costume Designer, Arthur S. Black, Jr. - First Assistant Director, George Sidney - Director, Viola Lawrence - Editor, Jerome Thoms - Editor, George Duning - Composer (Music Score), Nelson Riddle - Composer (Music Score), Morris W. Stoloff - Musical Direction/Supervision, Ben Lane - Makeup, Harold Lipstein - Cinematographer, Fred Kohlmar - Producer, Louis Diage - Set Designer, William Kiernan - Set Designer, John P. Livadary - Sound/Sound Designer, Dorothy Kingsley - Screenwriter, Lorenz Hart - From Musical by, Richard Rodgers - From Musical by, John O'Hara - From Musical by| Pal Adrienn (2010 Film), Pakners (2003 Film) | |
| Pal O'mine (1924 Film), Palabras Encadenadas (2003 Film) |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Pal Joey (film)
| Pal Joey | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | George Sidney |
| Produced by | Fred Kohlmar |
| Written by | Dorothy Kingsley, screenplay from the play by John O'Hara |
| Starring | Rita Hayworth Frank Sinatra Kim Novak |
| Music by | Richard Rodgers Lorenz Hart Morris Stoloff(supervision) Nelson Riddle George Duning (arrangements) Arthur Morton (orchestrations) |
| Cinematography | Harold Lipstein |
| Editing by | Viola Lawrence Jerome Thoms |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | October 25, 1957 |
| Running time | 109 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $6.7 million (US) (by 1962)[1] |
Pal Joey is a 1957 film, loosely adapted from the musical play of the same name, and starring Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra, and Kim Novak. Jo Ann Greer sang for Hayworth, as she had done previously in Affair in Trinidad and Miss Sadie Thompson. Kim Novak's singing voice was dubbed by Trudy Erwin. The director is George Sidney and the choreographer is Hermes Pan.
Considered by many critics as the definitive Frank Sinatra vehicle, Sinatra won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his role as the wise-cracking, hard-bitten Joey Evans. As to be expected the musical arrangements are particularly fine, with some near-perfect Nelson Riddle charts for the Rodgers and Hart standards "The Lady is a Tramp", "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," "I Could Write a Book" and "There's A Small Hotel."
Pal Joey is also one of Frank Sinatra's few post-From Here to Eternity movies in which he did not receive top-billing, Sinatra deciding himself to allow Rita Hayworth this honor stating, with regards to being billed "between" Hayworth and Novak, "That's a sandwich I don't mind being stuck in the middle of."
Along with being a strong box office success, Pal Joey also earned four Academy Award nominations and two Golden Globe nominations.
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Contents
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Characters
- Vera Simpson — Rita Hayworth
- Joey Evans — Frank Sinatra
- Linda English — Kim Novak
- Gladys — Barbara Nichols
- Ned Galvin — Bobby Sherwood
Plot summary
The setting is San Francisco; Joey Evans is a second-rate singer, a heel known for his womanizing ways (calling women "mice"), but charming and funny. When Joey meets Linda English, a naive chorus girl, he has stirrings of real feelings. However, that does not stop him from romancing a wealthy, willful, and lonely widow Vera Simpson, in order to convince her to finance his dream, "Chez Joey", a night club of his own. Soon Joey is involved with Vera, each using the other for his/her own somewhat selfish purposes. But Joey's feelings for Linda are growing. Ultimately, Vera jealously demands that Joey fire Linda. When Joey refuses ("Nobody owns Joey but Joey"), Vera closes down Chez Joey. Linda visits Vera and agrees to quit in an attempt to keep the club open. Vera then agrees to open the club, and even offers to marry Joey, but Joey rejects Vera. As Joey is leaving, Linda runs after him, offering to go wherever he is headed. After half-hearted refusals, Joey gives in and they walk away together, united.
Notable changes
The happy ending of the film contrasts with that of the stage musical, where Joey is left alone at the end.
The transformation of Joey into a "nice guy" departed from the stage musical, where Joey's character was notable for being the anti-hero.
The film varies from the stage musical in several other key points: the setting was changed from Chicago to San Francisco, while the stage Joey was a dancer. The plot of the film drops a blackmail attempt and two roles prominent on stage were changed: Melba (a reporter) was cut and Gladys became a minor character. Linda became a naive chorus girl instead of an innocent stenographer and some of the lyrics to "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" were changed.
In the film, Vera Simpson is a wealthy widow and a former stripper (billed as "Vanessa the Undresser") and thus gets to sing the classic Hart name-list song "Zip". (As that number required an authentic burlesque drummer to mime the bumps and grinds, the extra playing the drums is disconcertingly switched with a professional musician in a jump cut).
Song list
Of the original 14 Rodgers and Hart songs, eight remained, but with two as instrumental background, and four songs were added from other shows. [2]
- Pal Joey: Main Title
- "That Terrific Rainbow" - chorus girls and Linda English
- "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" (introduced in the 1939 musical Too Many Girls) - Joey Evans
- "Do It the Hard Way" - orchestra and chorus girls
- "Great Big Town" - Joey Evans and chorus girls
- "There's a Small Hotel" (introduced in the 1936 musical On Your Toes) - Joey Evans
- "Zip" - Vera Simpson
- "I Could Write a Book" - Joey Evans and Linda English
- "The Lady Is a Tramp" (introduced in the 1937 musical Babes in Arms) - Joey Evans
- "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" - Vera Simpson
- "Plant You Now, Dig You Later" - orchestra
- "My Funny Valentine" (introduced in the 1937 musical Babes in Arms) - Linda English
- "You Mustn't Kick It Around" - orchestra
- Strip Number - "I Could Write a Book" -Linda Evans
- Dream Sequence and Finale: "What Do I Care for a Dame"/"Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered"/"I Could Write a Book" - Joey Evans
Soundtrack
The recordings on the soundtrack album featuring Sinatra only are not the same songs that appeared in the film. "The Lady Is a Tramp" is an outtake from Sinatra's 1957 album A Swingin' Affair!, while the others were recorded in mono only at Capitol Studios. The Sinatra songs as they appear in the film as well as those "sung" by Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak (both were dubbed) were recorded at Columbia Pictures studios in true stereo.
Chart positions
| Chart | Year | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart[3] | 1958 | 1 |
| Preceded by The King and I by Original Soundtrack The King and I by Original Soundtrack |
UK Albums Chart number-one album 2 February 1958 - 22 March 1958 29 March 1958 - 26 April 1958 |
Succeeded by The King and I by Original Soundtrack The Duke Wore Jeans by Original Soundtrack |
Critical reception and box office
Opening to positive reviews on October 25, 1957, Pal Joey was an instant success with critics and the general public alike. The Variety review summarized: "Pal Joey is a strong, funny entertainment. Dorothy Kingsley's screenplay, from John O'Hara's book, is skillful rewriting, with colorful characters and solid story built around the Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart songs. Total of 14 tunes are intertwined with the plot, 10 of them being reprised from the original. Others by the same team of cleffers are 'I Didn't Know What Time It Was', 'The Lady Is a Tramp', 'There's a Small Hotel' and 'Funny Valentine'."[4]
The New York Times commented, "This is largely Mr. Sinatra's show...he projects a distinctly bouncy likeable personality into an unusual role. And his rendition of the top tunes, notably "The Lady Is a Tramp" and "Small Hotel," gives added lustre to these indestructible standards."[5]
With box office rentals of $4.7 million, Pal Joey was ranked by Variety as one of the ten highest earning films of 1957.
Awards and nominations
- Best Art Direction/Set Decoration (Walter Holscher, William Kiernan, Louis Diage) (nominated)
- Best Costume Design (nominated)
- Best Film Editing (nominated)
- Best Sound, Recording (nominated) (John P. Livadary)
- Best Film, Musical or Comedy (nominated)
- Best Actor, Musical or Comedy (won, Frank Sinatra)
- Best Written American Musical (nominated)
See also
References
- ^ 'Variety Top Film Grosses for 1957' Film Data for 1957 accessed 4 May 2012
- ^ Hollywood Musicals Year By Year, Green, Stanley, Revised and Updated, Schmidt, Elaine, 2nd Edition, 1999, ISBN 0-634-00765-3, p. 214.
- ^ "Chart Stats - Original Soundtrack - Pal Joey". chartstats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/release.php?release=35831. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
- ^ [1] Variety review, January 1, 1957
- ^ Weiler, A.H."Pal Joey Back on Broadway; Sinatra Is Starred in Film of Hit Show", New York Times, October 28, 1957
- ^ "The 30th Academy Awards (1958) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/legacy/ceremony/30th-winners.html. Retrieved 2011-08-21.
- ^ "NY Times: Pal Joey". NY Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/37124/Pal-Joey/details. Retrieved 2008-12-23.
External links
- Pal Joey at the Internet Movie Database
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