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Pal Joey is a 1957 film, loosely adapted from the musical play of the same name; it stars Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth

Rita Hayworth , was an American actress who attained fame during the 1940s not only as one of the era's top musical stars, but also as the era's defining sex symbol, most notably in the 1946 film Gilda....
 (top billed), Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra

Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an United States singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became a solo artist with great success in the early to mid-1940s, being the idol of the "bobby soxers"....
, and Kim Novak
Kim Novak

Kim Novak is an United States actor who was one of her nation's most popular movie stars in the late 1950s. She is best known for her performance in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo ....
. The director is George Sidney
George Sidney

George Sidney was a Jewish United States film director and film producer who worked primarily at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer....
 and the choreographer is Hermes Pan
Hermes Pan (choreographer)

Hermes Pan was an American dancer and choreographer, principally celebrated as Fred Astaire's choreographic collaborator on the famous 1930s musical film starring Astaire and Ginger Rogers....
. Considered by many critics as the definitive Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra

Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an United States singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became a solo artist with great success in the early to mid-1940s, being the idol of the "bobby soxers"....
 vehicle, Sinatra won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

The Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951 in film....
 for his role as Joey Evans.

Pal Joey is also one of Frank Sinatra's few post-From Here to Eternity
From Here to Eternity

From Here to Eternity is a 1953 in film Academy Award winning drama film based on the From Here to Eternity by James Jones . It deals with the troubles of soldiers stationed on Hawaii in the months leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor....
 movies in which he did not receive top-billing, Sinatra deciding himself to allow Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth

Rita Hayworth , was an American actress who attained fame during the 1940s not only as one of the era's top musical stars, but also as the era's defining sex symbol, most notably in the 1946 film Gilda....
 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.


setting is San Francisco; Joey Evans is a second-rate singer, a heel known for his womanizing ways, but charming and funny.






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Pal Joey is a 1957 film, loosely adapted from the musical play of the same name; it stars Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth

Rita Hayworth , was an American actress who attained fame during the 1940s not only as one of the era's top musical stars, but also as the era's defining sex symbol, most notably in the 1946 film Gilda....
 (top billed), Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra

Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an United States singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became a solo artist with great success in the early to mid-1940s, being the idol of the "bobby soxers"....
, and Kim Novak
Kim Novak

Kim Novak is an United States actor who was one of her nation's most popular movie stars in the late 1950s. She is best known for her performance in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo ....
. The director is George Sidney
George Sidney

George Sidney was a Jewish United States film director and film producer who worked primarily at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer....
 and the choreographer is Hermes Pan
Hermes Pan (choreographer)

Hermes Pan was an American dancer and choreographer, principally celebrated as Fred Astaire's choreographic collaborator on the famous 1930s musical film starring Astaire and Ginger Rogers....
. Considered by many critics as the definitive Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra

Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an United States singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became a solo artist with great success in the early to mid-1940s, being the idol of the "bobby soxers"....
 vehicle, Sinatra won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

The Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951 in film....
 for his role as Joey Evans.

Pal Joey is also one of Frank Sinatra's few post-From Here to Eternity
From Here to Eternity

From Here to Eternity is a 1953 in film Academy Award winning drama film based on the From Here to Eternity by James Jones . It deals with the troubles of soldiers stationed on Hawaii in the months leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor....
 movies in which he did not receive top-billing, Sinatra deciding himself to allow Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth

Rita Hayworth , was an American actress who attained fame during the 1940s not only as one of the era's top musical stars, but also as the era's defining sex symbol, most notably in the 1946 film Gilda....
 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.

Characters

  • Vera Simpson -- Rita Hayworth
    Rita Hayworth

    Rita Hayworth , was an American actress who attained fame during the 1940s not only as one of the era's top musical stars, but also as the era's defining sex symbol, most notably in the 1946 film Gilda....
  • Joey Evans -- Frank Sinatra
    Frank Sinatra

    Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an United States singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became a solo artist with great success in the early to mid-1940s, being the idol of the "bobby soxers"....
  • Linda English -- Kim Novak
    Kim Novak

    Kim Novak is an United States actor who was one of her nation's most popular movie stars in the late 1950s. She is best known for her performance in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo ....
  • Gladys -- Barbara Nichols
    Barbara Nichols

    Barbara Nichols was an actress who was something of a cross between a sex symbol and a character actress often playing brassy comic roles in a number of films in the 1950s and 1960s....
  • Ned Galvin -- Bobby Sherwood
    Bobby Sherwood

    Bobby Sherwood was a bandleader, actor and composer. He appeared in three films including "Pal Joey" in 1957. He was a regular performer on the "Red Buttons Show" on TV in the fifties....


Plot summary

The setting is San Francisco; Joey Evans is a second-rate singer, a heel known for his womanizing ways, 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 their 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.

Notes: 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
Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the Midwestern United States, as well as the List of United States cities by population city in the United States with more than 2.8 million residents....
 to San Francisco, and the stage Joey was a dancer. In the film, Vera Simpson is a widow and a former burlesque
Burlesque

Burlesque is a humorous theatrical entertainment involving parody and sometimes grotesque exaggeration. Prior to Burlesque becoming associated with striptease, it was a form of Parody music in which an opera or piece of classical theatre is adapted in a broad, often risqu? style very different from that for which it was originally known....
 stripper and thus sings the burlesque take-off song "Zip". The lyrics to Vera's song "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" were changed. Linda became a naive chorus girl instead of a naive stenographer. The plot of the film drops a blackmail attempt and two roles prominent on stage were changed: Melba (a reporter) was dropped and Gladys became a minor character.

Song list

Of the original 14 Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart

Rodgers and Hart were an United States songwriter partnership consisting of the composer Richard Rodgers and the lyricist Lorenz Hart ....
 songs, eight remained, but with two as instrumental background, and four songs were added from other shows.

  1. Pal Joey: Main Title
  2. "That Terrific Rainbow" - chorus girls and Linda English
  3. "I Didn't Know What Time It Was
    I Didn't Know What Time It Was

    "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" is a popular music song. The music was written by Richard Rodgers and the lyrics by Lorenz Hart for the musical Too Many Girls ....
    " (introduced in the 1939 musical Too Many Girls
    Too Many Girls

    Too Many Girls may refer to:*Too Many Girls , a 1939 Broadway musical comedy and a 1940 film version*List of The Monkees episodes#Season 1 , 1967 episode of TV show The Monkees...
    ) - Joey Evans
  4. "Do It the Hard Way" - orchestra and chorus girls
  5. "Great Big Town" - Joey Evans and chorus girls
  6. "There's a Small Hotel
    There's a Small Hotel

    "There's a Small Hotel" is a 1936 popular music song composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart originally written for but dropped from the musical "Billy Rose's Jumbo" , then used in On Your Toes , where it was introduced by Ray Bolger and Doris Carson and also interpolated in the film version of Pal Joey with a fine Frank...
    " (introduced in the 1936 musical On Your Toes
    On Your Toes

    On Your Toes is a musical theatre with a book by Richard Rodgers, George Abbott, and Lorenz Hart, music by Rodgers, and lyrics by Hart.While teaching music at Knickerbocker University, Phil "Junior" Donal III tries to persuade Sergei Alexandrovich, the director of the Russian Ballet, to stage the jazz ballet "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue"...
    ) - Joey Evans
  7. "Zip" - Vera Simpson
  8. "I Could Write a Book
    I Could Write a Book

    "I Could Write a Book" is a show tune from the 1940 Rodgers and Hart musical Pal Joey , where it was introduced by Gene Kelly and Leila Ernst....
    " - Joey Evans and Linda English
  9. "The Lady Is a Tramp
    The Lady Is a Tramp

    "The Lady Is a Tramp" is a show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical Babes In Arms. This song is a sophisticated and witty spoof of New York high society and its strict etiquette ....
    " (introduced in the 1937 musical Babes in Arms
    Babes in Arms

    Babes in Arms is a 1937 musical theater production which tells the story of a boy who puts on a show to avoid being sent to a work farm. It has as music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by Rodgers and Hart....
    ) - Joey Evans
  10. "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
    Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

    "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" is a show tune and popular music song from the 1940 in music Rodgers and Hart musical theatre Pal Joey ....
    " - Vera Simpson
  11. "Plant You Now, Dig You Later" - orchestra
  12. "My Funny Valentine
    My Funny Valentine

    For the album by Miles Davis, see My Funny Valentine "My Funny Valentine" is a show tune from the 1937 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart musical Babes in Arms....
    " (introduced in the 1937 musical Babes in Arms) - Linda English
  13. "You Mustn't Kick It Around" - orchestra
  14. Strip Number - "I Could Write a Book" -Linda Evans
  15. Dream Sequence and Finale: "What Do I Care for a Dame"/"Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered"/"I Could Write a Book" - Joey Evans


Critical reception and box office


Opening to positive reviews on October 25th 1957, Pal Joey was an instant success with critics and the general public alike. The Variety
Variety (magazine)

Variety is a weekly entertainment trade newspaper founded in New York in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Hollywood, was founded by Silverman in 1933....
 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'."

The New York Times
The New York Times

The New York Times is an American daily newspaper published in New York City. The largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States, "The Gray Lady"?named for its staid appearance and style?is regarded as a national newspaper of record....
 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."

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

Academy Awards
Academy Awards

The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers....
 

  • Best Art Direction/Set Decoration (Walter Holscher
    Walter Holscher

    Walter Holscher was an American art director. He was nominated for two Academy Awards in the category Academy Award for Best Art Direction. ...
    , William Kiernan
    William Kiernan

    William Kiernan was an American set decorator. He was nominated for six Academy Awards in the category Academy Award for Best Art Direction. ...
    , Louis Diage
    Louis Diage

    Louis Diage was an American set decorator. He was nominated for three Academy Awards in the category Academy Award for Best Art Direction. ...
    ) (nominated)
  • Best Costume Design (nominated)
  • Best Film Editing (nominated)
  • Best Sound, Recording (nominated)


Golden Globes

  • Best Film, Musical or Comedy (nominated)
  • Best Actor, Musical or Comedy (won, Frank Sinatra)


Writers' Guild of America

  • Best Written American Musical (nominated)


See also

Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart

Rodgers and Hart were an United States songwriter partnership consisting of the composer Richard Rodgers and the lyricist Lorenz Hart ....


External links