Pal Joey
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Movie Reviews of Pal Joey
Movie Review: Pal Joey
Summary: 5 Stars
An absolutely terrific Sinatra classic. He is the perfect "Joey". Kim Novak & Rita Hayworth are just beautiful!
Wish the play in NYC had been this good!!!!!!
Movie Review: Pal Joey
Summary: 5 Stars
Of course the movie is fine, that why I ordered it.
Service from Amazon was great as usuall
Movie Review: the ultimate Sinatra musical
Summary: 4 Stars
As other reviewers have noted, Frank Sinatra was at the top of his form when he starred in PAL JOEY, the film version of the celebrated Rodgers and Hart musical (originally staged on Broadway in 1940 starring Gene Kelly).
Based around the cynical short stories of John O'Hara, PAL JOEY is the story of womanising nightclub entertainer Joey Evans (Sinatra) and his various affairs, most notably with Mrs Simpson (Rita Hayworth), a widowed millionairess trying to escape her past as a stripper; and Linda English (Kim Novak), a naive showgirl whose heart is stolen by the caddish Joey.
The main reason why PAL JOEY works so well is the delicious score, which includes "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered", "I Could Write a Book", "Zip", and "That Terrific Rainbow". Orchestrated by Sinatra's frequent musical collaborator Nelson Riddle, the film version of PAL JOEY also interpolates several more Rodgers & Hart standards into the score ("My Funny Valentine", "There's a Small Hotel", "The Lady is a Tramp").
Rita Hayworth (in what turned out to be the final movie under her Columbia contract) exudes lots of steamy, repressed sensuality with her performance as the widowed society dame taken in by Joey's charms; and in a rare musical role, Kim Novak dazzles. Frank Sinatra, with trademark raincoat and jaunty hat, is his charming best as lady-killer Joey. Look out for talented Barbara Nichols among the showgirls.
The DVD for PAL JOEY sadly doesn't have much in the way of bonus materials, just a trailer and some talent profiles for it's main stars and director George Sidney. Still, for musical fans this is quite the treat. (Single-sided, single-layer disc).
Movie Review: California Cold and Damp? Who Knew?
Summary: 4 Stars
I've been trying to catch up on my old musicals lately. It's a genre I didn't quite grow up with and have always been a little ambivalent about. Never could get a handle of those "walking down the street and bursting into song" musicals. But PAL JOEY is not of that particular mold. Most of the songs are "natural," in the sense that Joey is a nightclub singer. Rita Hayworth's number, "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" is the only number that doesn't take place in a club setting, but then again people in love have been known to sing to themselves in their boudoirs, so that's OK too.Most of the reviews for this film stress the fact that the original Broadway play was considerably darker, and the main character much more of a louse than the cheeky nice guy Sinatra plays here. Given the era (the late 50s), this is hardly surprising, and it's easy to guess how the edgier theatrical version actually played, even if you don't know the "book."
Sinatra is fine as the cheerful heel Joey. Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak are lovely and sexy as rivals for Joey's affections. Character actors like Barbara Nichols and Hank Henry milk their smallish roles for all they're worth. Director George Sidney was a veteran of several classic musicals, including SHOW BOAT, TIL THE CLOUDS ROLL BY and THE HARVEY GIRLS, so he's on familiar turf here, and it shows.
The Rodgers and Hart score is great, but the numbers are not as many as you might hope. Still there's "My Funny Valentine," the aforementioned "Bewitched...," and, the highlight, Sinatra's definitive take "The Lady Is a Tramp." Well, worth 111 minutes of your time.
Movie Review: Sinatra at his best
Summary: 4 Stars
I suppose much can be said about this movie's lack of faithfulness to the stage play. A hardened Joey, a more callous Joey, an essentially darker Joey... these things are worth exploring and would be interesting to see. Also, if the cut songs are as good as the ones included, then we have indeed lost much, for the numbers in the film are uniformly excellent. With that said, there is nothing wrong in having the cynic in us take a back burner for once, and watching a pretty decent feel-food movie with a fabulous cast, superb performances, and really excellent music.
Perhaps the one downer in the film is Kim Novak who, even though she does a respectable job in "My Funny Valentine", still manages to irk. Reminiscent of a female Keanu Reeves (she was great in "Vertigo" for a reason: She just had to act doe-eyed and aloof. Perfect!) she is pretty annoying here. Oh, and lest we forget, the dream sequence is also burdensome, but it was almost a rite of passage before the ending of a whole lot of musicals, so we'll tolerate it here.
As for the great aspects of the film, there are many: Rita Hayworth is excellent, with "Zip" as her defining moment in the film. Sinatra, of course, is simply fantastic, and elevates the "Lady is the Tramp" sequence to new heights of artistry.
Buy it for Sinatra, fall in love with Rita Hayworth, and tolerate Kim Novak.