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| name = Pal Joey
| name = Pal Joey
| image = Poster - Pal Joey 01.jpg
| image = Poster - Pal Joey 01.jpg
| image_size =
| border =
| border =
| alt =
| alt =
| caption = Theatrical poster
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[George Sidney]]
| director = [[George Sidney]]
| producer = [[Fred Kohlmar]]
| writer =
| screenplay = [[Dorothy Kingsley]]
| screenplay = [[Dorothy Kingsley]]
| story =
| based_on = {{based on|''[[Pal Joey (musical)|Pal Joey]]''<br>1940 play<br />''[[Pal Joey (novel)|Pal Joey]]''<br>1940 novel|[[John O'Hara]]}}
| based_on = {{based on|''[[Pal Joey (musical)|Pal Joey]]''<br>1940 play<br />''[[Pal Joey (novel)|Pal Joey]]''<br>1940 novel|[[John O'Hara]]}}
| narrator =
| producer = [[Fred Kohlmar]]
| starring = [[Rita Hayworth]]<br />[[Frank Sinatra]]<br />[[Kim Novak]]
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Rita Hayworth]]
* [[Frank Sinatra]]
* [[Kim Novak]]
}}
| cinematography = Harold Lipstein
| cinematography = Harold Lipstein
| editing = [[Viola Lawrence]]<br />[[Jerome Thoms]]
| editing = {{Plainlist|
* [[Viola Lawrence]]
* [[Jerome Thoms]]
}}
| color_process = [[Technicolor]]
| color_process = [[Technicolor]]
| studio = Essex Productions<br>George Sidney Productions
| studio = {{Plainlist|
* Essex Productions
* George Sidney Productions
}}
| distributor = [[Columbia Pictures]]
| distributor = [[Columbia Pictures]]
| released = {{Film date|1957|10|25|}}
| released = {{Film date|1957|10|25|United States}}
| runtime = 109 minutes
| runtime = 109 minutes
| country = United States
| country = United States
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}}
}}


'''''Pal Joey''''' is a 1957 American [[musical film]], loosely adapted from the [[Rodgers and Hart]] [[Pal Joey (musical)|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 Stevens.<ref>{{cite web|title=Internet Movie Database|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050815/trivia?ref_=tt_trv_trv|website=imdb.com|access-date=January 26, 2018}}</ref> [[George Sidney]] directed, with the [[choreography]] managed by [[Hermes Pan (choreographer)|Hermes Pan]]. [[Nelson Riddle]] handled the musical arrangements 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 a 1957 American [[Musical film|musical]] [[comedy film]] directed by [[George Sidney]], loosely adapted from the [[Rodgers and Hart]] [[Pal Joey (musical)|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]]'' (1952) and ''[[Miss Sadie Thompson]]'' (1953). Novak's singing voice was dubbed by Trudy Stevens.<ref>{{cite web|title=Internet Movie Database|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050815/trivia?ref_=tt_trv_trv|website=imdb.com|access-date=January 26, 2018}}</ref> The choreography was managed by [[Hermes Pan (choreographer)|Hermes Pan]]. [[Nelson Riddle]] handled the musical arrangements 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]]".


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. Along with its strong box-office success, ''Pal Joey'' earned four [[Academy Award]] nominations and one [[Golden Globe]] nomination.
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. Along with its strong box-office success, ''Pal Joey'' earned four [[Academy Award]] nominations and one [[Golden Globe Award]] nomination.
''Pal Joey'' is one of Sinatra's few post-''[[From Here to Eternity]]'' movies in which he did not receive top billing, which surprisingly went to Hayworth. Sinatra was, by this time, a bigger star, and his title role was predominant. When asked about the billing, Sinatra replied "Ladies first." He was quoted as saying that, as it was a Columbia film, Hayworth should have top billing because "For years, she WAS Columbia Pictures" and that with regard to being billed "between" Hayworth and Novak: "That's a sandwich I don't mind being stuck in the middle of." As Columbia’s biggest star, Hayworth had been top-billed in every film since ''[[Cover Girl (film)|Cover Girl]]'' in 1944, but her tenure was to end in 1959 with Gary Cooper in ''[[They Came to Cordura]].''
''Pal Joey'' is one of Sinatra's few post-''[[From Here to Eternity]]'' films in which he did not receive top billing, which surprisingly went to Hayworth. Sinatra was, by this time, a bigger star, and his title role was predominant. When asked about the billing, Sinatra replied, "Ladies first." He was quoted as saying that, as it was a Columbia film, Hayworth should have top billing because "For years, she ''was'' Columbia Pictures" and that with regard to being billed "between" Hayworth and Novak: "That's a sandwich I don't mind being stuck in the middle of." As Columbia's biggest star, Hayworth had been top-billed in every film since ''[[Cover Girl (film)|Cover Girl]]'' in 1944, but her tenure was to end in 1959 with Gary Cooper in ''[[They Came to Cordura]]''.


Sinatra's earnings from the film paid for his ultra-stylish new home in Palm Springs. He was so delighted that he also built a restaurant there dedicated to the film, named Pal Joey's. <ref>Sinatra in Palm Springs (film, 2018)</ref>
Sinatra's earnings from the film paid for his new home in Palm Springs. He was so delighted that he also built a restaurant there dedicated to the film, named Pal Joey's.<ref>Sinatra in Palm Springs (film, 2018)</ref>


==Plot==
==Plot==
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* [[Barbara Nichols]] as Gladys
* [[Barbara Nichols]] as Gladys
* [[Bobby Sherwood]] as Ned Galvin
* [[Bobby Sherwood]] as Ned Galvin
* [[Judy Dan]] as Hat Check Girl (uncredited)
* [[Judy Dan]] as hat check girl (uncredited)
* [[Hank Henry]] as Mike Miggins
* [[Hank Henry]] as Mike Miggins


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==Soundtrack==
==Soundtrack==
Some of 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 a mono-only outtake from Sinatra's 1957 album ''[[A Swingin' Affair!]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1956_-_SinglesEtc28.html |title=Non-Album Tracks, 1956 |publisher=11fifty.com |date=1956-11-26 |access-date=2016-04-30}}</ref> while three others ("There's a Small Hotel," "Bewitched," and "I Could Write a Book") were recorded in mono only at [[Capitol Studios]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1957_-_SinglesEtc33.html |title=1957 - SinglesEtc33 |publisher=11fifty.com |access-date=2016-04-30}}</ref> "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" appeared in an odd hybrid: The first half of the song was recorded at Columbia Pictures but differs from the version used in the film, while the second half is the same as used in the film, also recorded at Columbia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1957_-_SinglesEtc32.html |title=Non-Album Tracks, 1957 |publisher=11fifty.com |access-date=2016-04-30}}</ref> "What Do I Care for a Dame" is the film version, as recorded at Columbia. The Sinatra songs as they appear in the film as well as those performed by Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak (both were dubbed), Jo Ann Greer (Hayworth) and Trudi Erwin (Novak) were recorded at Columbia Pictures studios in true stereo.
Some of 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 a mono-only outtake from Sinatra's 1957 album ''[[A Swingin' Affair!]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1956_-_SinglesEtc28.html |title=Non-Album Tracks, 1956 |publisher=11fifty.com |date=November 26, 1956 |access-date=April 30, 2016}}</ref> while three others ("There's a Small Hotel", "Bewitched", and "I Could Write a Book") were recorded in mono only at [[Capitol Studios]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1957_-_SinglesEtc33.html |title=1957 - SinglesEtc33 |publisher=11fifty.com |access-date=April 30, 2016}}</ref> "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" appeared in an odd hybrid: The first half of the song was recorded at Columbia Pictures but differs from the version used in the film, while the second half is the same as used in the film, also recorded at Columbia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1957_-_SinglesEtc32.html |title=Non-Album Tracks, 1957 |publisher=11fifty.com |access-date=April 30, 2016}}</ref> "What Do I Care for a Dame" is the film version, as recorded at Columbia. The Sinatra songs as they appear in the film as well as those performed by Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak (both were dubbed), Jo Ann Greer (Hayworth) and Trudi Erwin (Novak) were recorded at Columbia Pictures studios in true stereo.


===Chart positions===
===Chart positions===
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!Peak<br>position
!Peak<br>position
|-
|-
|align="left"|[[UK Albums Chart]]<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.officialcharts.com/search/albums/Pal%20Joey |title=The Official Charts Company - Original Soundtrack - Pal Joey |work=[[Official Charts Company]] |access-date=26 May 2011}}</ref>
|align="left"|[[UK Albums Chart]]<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.officialcharts.com/search/albums/Pal%20Joey |title=The Official Charts Company - Original Soundtrack - Pal Joey |work=[[Official Charts Company]] |access-date=May 26, 2011}}</ref>
|align="left"|1958
|align="left"|1958
|align="left"|1
|align="left"|1
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{{S-end}}
{{S-end}}


[[File:Pal Joey trailer1957.ogv|thumbtime=273|thumb|Trailer for the film.]]
[[File:Pal Joey trailer1957.ogv|thumbtime=273|thumb|Trailer for the film]]


==Critical reception and box office==
==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. ''Variety'' stated "''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'."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117793836.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0|title=Pal Joey - Variety|date=1 January 1957|work=Variety|access-date=13 September 2014}}</ref>
Opening to positive reviews on October 25, 1957, ''Pal Joey'' was an instant success with critics and the general public alike. ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' stated, "''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'."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117793836.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0|title=Pal Joey - Variety|date=January 1, 1957|work=Variety|access-date=September 13, 2014}}</ref>


''The New York Times'' stated "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."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=990CE0DD1030E03ABC4051DFB667838C649EDE&scp=3&sq=%22Pal%20Joey%22&st=cse|title=Movie Review - Pal Joey - Screen: 'Pal Joey' Back on Broadway; Sinatra Is Starred in Film of Hit Show - NYTimes.com|access-date=13 September 2014}}</ref>
''[[The New York Times]]'' stated, "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."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=990CE0DD1030E03ABC4051DFB667838C649EDE&scp=3&sq=%22Pal%20Joey%22&st=cse|title=Movie Review - Pal Joey - Screen: 'Pal Joey' Back on Broadway; Sinatra Is Starred in Film of Hit Show - NYTimes.com|access-date=September 13, 2014}}</ref>


With theatrical rentals of $4.7 million in the United States and Canada, ''Pal Joey'' was ranked by ''Variety'' as one of the 10 highest-earning films of 1957.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Top Grosses of 1957|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=8 January 1958|page=30}}</ref> It earned rentals of $7 million worldwide.<ref name=wall/>
With theatrical rentals of $4.7 million in the United States and Canada, ''Pal Joey'' was ranked by ''Variety'' as one of the 10 highest-earning films of 1957.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Top Grosses of 1957|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=January 8, 1958|page=30}}</ref> It earned rentals of $7 million worldwide.<ref name=wall/>


==Awards and honors==
==Awards and nominations==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
:''Wins in bold''
|-
⚫
[[Academy Awards]]<ref name="Oscars1958">{{cite web|url=http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1428315560646 |title=1957 (30th) |access-date=April 6, 2015|work=oscars.org}}</ref><ref name="NY Times">{{cite web |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/37124/Pal-Joey/details |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018100552/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/37124/Pal-Joey/details |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 18, 2012 |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=[[The New York Times]] |publisher=[[Baseline (database)|Baseline]] & [[All Movie Guide]] |date=2012 |title=NY Times: Pal Joey |access-date=December 23, 2008}}</ref>
! scope="col"| Award

! scope="col"| Year
⚫
* Best Art Direction/Set Decoration: [[Walter Holscher]], [[William Kiernan]] and [[Louis Diage]]
! scope="col"| Category
⚫
* Best Costume Design: [[Jean Louis]]
! scope="col"| Recipient(s)
⚫
* Best Film Editing: [[Viola Lawrence]] and [[Jerome Thoms]]
! scope="col"| Result
* Best Sound, Recording: Columbia Studio Sound Department, [[John P. Livadary]], Sound Director
|-

⚫
! scope="row" rowspan="4"| [[30th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]<ref name="Oscars1958">{{cite web|url=http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1428315560646 |title=1957 (30th) |access-date=April 6, 2015|work=oscars.org}}</ref><ref name="NY Times">{{cite web |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/37124/Pal-Joey/details |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018100552/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/37124/Pal-Joey/details |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 18, 2012 |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=[[The New York Times]] |year=2012 |title=NY Times: Pal Joey |access-date=December 23, 2008}}</ref>
[[Golden Globes]]
| rowspan="10"| 1958

| [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction]]
* Best Film, Musical or Comedy
⚫
| [[Walter Holscher]], [[William Kiernan]] and [[Louis Diage]]
* Best Actor, Musical or Comedy: Frank Sinatra
| {{nom}}

|-
⚫
[[Writers Guild of America]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]]

⚫
| [[Jean Louis]]
⚫
* Best Written American Musical
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing|Best Film Editing]]
⚫
| [[Viola Lawrence]] and [[Jerome Thoms]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Sound|Best Sound Recording]]
| [[John P. Livadary]]
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2"| [[15th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy|Best Film – Comedy or Musical]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy|Best Actor – Comedy or Musical]]
| [[Frank Sinatra]]
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="3"| [[Laurel Awards]]
| colspan="2"| Top Musical
| {{won}}
|-
| Top Male Musical Performance
| Frank Sinatra
| {{won}}
|-
| Top Music Director
| [[Morris Stoloff]]
| {{nom}}
|-
⚫
! scope="row"| [[Writers Guild of America]]
⚫
| colspan="2"| Best Written American Musical
| {{nom}}
|}


'''Other honors'''
'''Other honors'''
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The film is recognized by [[American Film Institute]] in these lists:
The film is recognized by [[American Film Institute]] in these lists:
* 2004: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs]]:
* 2004: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs]]:
** "[[My Funny Valentine#History|My Funny Valentine]]" – Nominated<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/songs400.pdf |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs Nominees |access-date=2016-08-13}}</ref>
** "[[My Funny Valentine#History|My Funny Valentine]]" – Nominated<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/songs400.pdf |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs Nominees |access-date=August 13, 2016}}</ref>
* 2006: [[AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals]] – Nominated<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/musicals_ballot.pdf |title= AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals Nominees |access-date=2016-08-13}}</ref>
* 2006: [[AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals]] – Nominated<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/musicals_ballot.pdf |title= AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals Nominees |access-date=August 13, 2016}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of American films of 1957]]


==References==
==References==
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==Further reading==
==Further reading==
* {{cite book|title=George Sidney:a Bio-Bibliography|last=Monder|first=Eric|year=1994|publisher=Greenwood Press|isbn=9780313284571}}
* {{cite book|title=George Sidney: A Bio-Bibliography|last=Monder|first=Eric|year=1994|publisher=Greenwood Press|isbn=978-0-3132-8457-1}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Pal Joey}}
{{Commons category|Pal Joey}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0050815|title=Pal Joey}}
* {{IMDb title|0050815|Pal Joey}}
* {{tcmdb title|id=86146|title=Pal Joey}}
* {{AllMovie title|37124}}
* {{amg movie|37124}}
* {{AFI film|id=52317|title=Pal Joey}}
* {{AFI film|id=52317|title=Pal Joey}}
* {{TCMDb title|id=86146|title=Pal Joey}}


{{George Sidney}}
{{George Sidney}}
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[[Category:1957 films]]
[[Category:1957 films]]
[[Category:1957 musical comedy films]]
[[Category:1957 musical comedy films]]
⚫
[[Category:American musical comedy films]]
[[Category:American films]]
[[Category:American films]]
⚫
[[Category:American musical comedy films]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films]]
[[Category:English-language films]]
[[Category:English-language films]]
Line 163: Line 200:
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe winning performance]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe winning performance]]
[[Category:Films set in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Films set in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Films shot in California]]
[[Category:Films shot in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Films shot in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Films set in the San Francisco Bay Area]]

Revision as of 19:30, 29 August 2021

Pal Joey
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGeorge Sidney
Screenplay byDorothy Kingsley
Based onPal Joey
1940 play
Pal Joey
1940 novel
by John O'Hara
Produced byFred Kohlmar
Starring
CinematographyHarold Lipstein
Edited by
Color processTechnicolor
Production
companies
  • Essex Productions
  • George Sidney Productions
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • October 25, 1957 (1957-10-25) (United States)
Running time
109 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3 million[1]
Box office$7 million (rentals)[1]

Pal Joey is a 1957 American musical comedy film directed by George Sidney, loosely adapted from the Rodgers and Hart 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 (1952) and Miss Sadie Thompson (1953). Novak's singing voice was dubbed by Trudy Stevens.[2] The choreography was managed by Hermes Pan. Nelson Riddle handled the musical arrangements 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".

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. Along with its strong box-office success, Pal Joey earned four Academy Award nominations and one Golden Globe Award nomination.

Pal Joey is one of Sinatra's few post-From Here to Eternity films in which he did not receive top billing, which surprisingly went to Hayworth. Sinatra was, by this time, a bigger star, and his title role was predominant. When asked about the billing, Sinatra replied, "Ladies first." He was quoted as saying that, as it was a Columbia film, Hayworth should have top billing because "For years, she was Columbia Pictures" and that with regard to being billed "between" Hayworth and Novak: "That's a sandwich I don't mind being stuck in the middle of." As Columbia's biggest star, Hayworth had been top-billed in every film since Cover Girl in 1944, but her tenure was to end in 1959 with Gary Cooper in They Came to Cordura.

Sinatra's earnings from the film paid for his new home in Palm Springs. He was so delighted that he also built a restaurant there dedicated to the film, named Pal Joey's.[3]

Plot

Linda English (Kim Novak)

The setting is San Francisco; Joey Evans (Frank Sinatra) is a second-rate singer, a heel known for his womanizing ways (calling women "mice"), but charming and funny. When Joey meets Linda English (Kim Novak), a naive chorus girl, he has stirrings of real feelings. However, that does not stop him from romancing a former flame and ex-stripper (Joey says, "She used to be 'Vera Vanessa the undresser...with the Vanishing Veils'"), now society matron Vera Prentice-Simpson (Rita Hayworth), a wealthy, willful, and lonely widow, in order to convince her to finance 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. however, 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 for Sacramento, Linda runs after him, offering to go wherever he is headed. After half-hearted refusals, Joey gives in, and they walk away together.

Cast

Left to right: Hayworth, Sinatra, and Novak in a film still

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 an anti-hero. Joey is also older in this version—on stage he was played by 28-year old Gene Kelly; here, 42-year old Sinatra takes the reins.

The film varies from the stage musical in several other key points: the setting was changed from Chicago to San Francisco, and 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. Also in the film, Vera Prentice-Simpson is a wealthy widow and former stripper (billed as Vanessa the Undresser) and thus gets to sing the 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.[4]

  1. Pal Joey: Main Title
  2. "That Terrific Rainbow" - chorus girls and Linda English
  3. "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" (introduced in the 1939 musical Too Many Girls) - 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" (introduced in the 1936 musical On Your Toes) - Joey Evans
  7. "Zip" - Vera Simpson
  8. "I Could Write a Book" - Joey Evans and Linda English
  9. "The Lady Is a Tramp" (introduced in the 1937 musical Babes in Arms) - Joey Evans
  10. "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" - Vera Simpson
  11. "Plant You Now, Dig You Later" - orchestra
  12. "My Funny Valentine" (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 English
  15. Dream Sequence and Finale: "What Do I Care for a Dame"/"Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered"/"I Could Write a Book" - Joey Evans

Soundtrack

Some of 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 a mono-only outtake from Sinatra's 1957 album A Swingin' Affair!,[5] while three others ("There's a Small Hotel", "Bewitched", and "I Could Write a Book") were recorded in mono only at Capitol Studios.[6] "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" appeared in an odd hybrid: The first half of the song was recorded at Columbia Pictures but differs from the version used in the film, while the second half is the same as used in the film, also recorded at Columbia.[7] "What Do I Care for a Dame" is the film version, as recorded at Columbia. The Sinatra songs as they appear in the film as well as those performed by Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak (both were dubbed), Jo Ann Greer (Hayworth) and Trudi Erwin (Novak) were recorded at Columbia Pictures studios in true stereo.

Chart positions

Chart Year Peak
position
UK Albums Chart[8] 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
Trailer for the film

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. Variety stated, "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'."[9]

The New York Times stated, "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."[10]

With theatrical rentals of $4.7 million in the United States and Canada, Pal Joey was ranked by Variety as one of the 10 highest-earning films of 1957.[11] It earned rentals of $7 million worldwide.[1]

Awards and nominations

Award Year Category Recipient(s) Result
Academy Awards[12][13] 1958 Best Art Direction Walter Holscher, William Kiernan and Louis Diage Nominated
Best Costume Design Jean Louis Nominated
Best Film Editing Viola Lawrence and Jerome Thoms Nominated
Best Sound Recording John P. Livadary Nominated
Golden Globe Awards Best Film – Comedy or Musical Nominated
Best Actor – Comedy or Musical Frank Sinatra Nominated
Laurel Awards Top Musical Won
Top Male Musical Performance Frank Sinatra Won
Top Music Director Morris Stoloff Nominated
Writers Guild of America Best Written American Musical Nominated

Other honors

The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

References

  1. ^ a b c "Wall St. Researchers' Cheery Tone". Variety. November 7, 1962. p. 7.
  2. ^ "Internet Movie Database". imdb.com. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  3. ^ Sinatra in Palm Springs (film, 2018)
  4. ^ Hollywood Musicals Year By Year, Green, Stanley, Revised and Updated, Schmidt, Elaine, 2nd Edition, 1999, ISBN 0-634-00765-3, p. 214.
  5. ^ "Non-Album Tracks, 1956". 11fifty.com. November 26, 1956. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  6. ^ "1957 - SinglesEtc33". 11fifty.com. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  7. ^ "Non-Album Tracks, 1957". 11fifty.com. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  8. ^ "The Official Charts Company - Original Soundtrack - Pal Joey". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  9. ^ "Pal Joey - Variety". Variety. January 1, 1957. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
  10. ^ "Movie Review - Pal Joey - Screen: 'Pal Joey' Back on Broadway; Sinatra Is Starred in Film of Hit Show - NYTimes.com". Retrieved September 13, 2014.
  11. ^ "Top Grosses of 1957". Variety. January 8, 1958. p. 30.
  12. ^ "1957 (30th)". oscars.org. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
  13. ^ "NY Times: Pal Joey". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2012. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2008.
  14. ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  15. ^ "AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved August 13, 2016.

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pal Joey.
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