Singin' and Dancing Back in Time.: PAL JOEY (1957)

Monday, January 18, 2010

PAL JOEY (1957)

Pal Joey (1957) film, loosely based from the musical play of the same name. Cast: Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra, and Kim Novak. Kim Novak's singing voice was dubbed by Trudy Erwin. Director: George Sidney. Choreographer: Hermes Pan. Sinatra won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. Pal Joey also earned four Academy Award nominations and two Golden Globe nominations.

Night club singer, Joey, is thrown out of town, for being caught with the mayor's underage daughter. When Joey arrives in San Fransisco, he sees a poster of his friend, band leader Ned, at the Barbary Coast Club. When the club's entrainment fails to show, Joey jumps onstage to perform. Later, Ned invites Joey and Linda English, to perform with the band at a charity event sponsored by Vera Simpson. Joey recognizes Vera as a former stripper, and embarrasses her by introducing her on stage. Then has her perform one of her dance routines to raise money for charity. Later that night, Ned and Joey walk Linda to her apartment, there Joey notices a room for rent sign in the window. The next morning, Linda is not happy to hear Joey knocking on her bathroom door.

As time goes on, Joey dates most of the club's girls. Only Gladys and Linda have been immune to his womanizing ways.. Linda tricks him into buying a small dog, named "Snuffy."

Wanting to get even with Joey for embarrassing her, Vera comes to the club. As Joey begins to sing, Vera walks out without paying her bill and Mike fires him. Sure of himself, Joey strikes a deal with Mike, if Joey can convince Vera to return to the club by Saturday, he can keep his job with a raise.. Joey goes to see Vera at her mansion and tells her that he has been fired because of her and intends to leave town. Back at the apartment Linda tells Joey that she will miss him and Snuffy. At closing time that night, Vera walks to the club, Joey sings an insulting song to her. They leave together and drive up to her yacht. There, Joey shares with her his dream to have his own club. When Joey suggests that Vera become his partner in "Chez Joey," they seal the deal with a kiss. In love with Linda, will Joey give up his dream to save his integrity?

Pal Joey, is one of my favorite musicals. A wonderful collection of songs and lots of glamorous star power.

Soundtracks:

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"There's A Small Hotel"
Music by Richard Rodgers
Words by Lorenz Hart
Performed by Frank Sinatra

"I Could Write A Book"
Music by Richard Rodgers
Words by Lorenz Hart
Performed by Frank Sinatra and Kim Novak (dubbed by Trudy Erwin)

"The Lady is a Tramp"
Music by Richard Rodgers
Words by Lorenz Hart
Performed by Frank Sinatra

"My Funny Valentine"
Music by Richard Rodgers
Words by Lorenz Hart
Performed by Kim Novak (dubbed by Trudy Erwin)

"Zip"
Music by Richard Rodgers
Words by Lorenz Hart
Performed by Rita Hayworth (dubbed by Jo Ann Greer)

"What Do I Care For a Dame"
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Lorenz Hart
Performed by Frank Sinatra

"A Great Big Town"
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Lorenz Hart

"I Did't Know What Time It Was
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Lorenz Hart
Performed by Frank Sinatra

"That Terrific Rainbow"
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Lorenz Hart
Performed by Barbara Nichols, Kim Novak (dubbed by Trudy Erwin) and chorus girls

"Bewitched"
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Lorenz Hart
Performed by Rita Hayworth (dubbed by Jo Ann Greer)
Also performed by Frank Sinatra

"Do It the Hard Way"
Music by Richard Rodgers
Instrumental only

"Plant You Now, Dig You Later"
Music by Richard Rodgers
Instrumental only

"Take Him"
Music by Richard Rodgers
Instrumental only

"Happy Hunting Horn"
Music by Richard Rodgers
Instrumental only

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Bob Fosse

Was a musical theater choreographer and director, screenwriter and film director. He won an eight Tony Awards for choreography, as well as one for direction. He was nominated for an Academy Award four times, winning for his direction of Cabaret. He was identified with his third wife, Gwen Verdon. She was both the dancer/collaborator who he choreographed much of his work and, together with dancer/choreographer Ann Reinking, a guardian of the Fosse legacy after his death. Fosse is considered to be one the most influential coreographers of the 20th Century.

Esther Williams.

JANE POWELL

After rising to fame as a singer in her home state of Oregon, Powell was signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer while still in her teens. Once there, the studio utilized her vocal, dancing and acting talents, casting her in such musicals as Royal Wedding, with Fred Astaire, A Date with Judy, with friend Elizabeth Taylor and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, with Howard Keel. In the late 1950s, her film career slowed, only to be replaced with a busy theater and television career.Click picture to enter websight.

Jeanette MacDonald

Singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (Love Me Tonight, The Merry Widow) and Nelson Eddy (Naughty Marietta, Rose-Marie, and Maytime). During the 1930s and 1940s she starred in 29 feature films, four nominated for Best Picture Oscars (The Love Parade, One Hour With You, Naughty Marietta and San Francisco), and recorded extensively, earning three gold records. She later appeared in grand opera, concerts, radio, and television. MacDonald was one of most influential sopranos of the 20th century. Click picture to view fan website.

Joan Crawford.

Click picture to view website. Joan Crawford, born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre. Starting as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway, Crawford was signed to a motion picture contract by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1925. Initially frustrated by the size and quality of her parts, Crawford began a campaign of self-publicity and became nationally known as a flapper by the end of the 1920s. In the 1930s, Crawford's fame rivaled MGM colleagues Norma Shearer and Greta Garbo. Crawford often played hardworking young women who find romance and financial success. These "rags-to-riches" stories were well-received by Depression-era audiences and were popular with women. Crawford became one of Hollywood's most prominent movie stars and one of the highest paid women in the United States, but her films began losing money and by the end of the 1930s

Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Richard Rodgers (1902 – 1979) and Oscar Hammerstein II (1895 – 1960) the songwriting duo, on our musical page. They created many popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age. With Rodgers composing the music and Hammerstein writing the lyrics, five of their shows, Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound of Music. They won thirty-four Tony Awards, fifteen Academy Awards, the Pulitzer Prize, and two Grammys. Click picture to read movie reviews.

Cab Calloway

Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the United States' most popular African American big bands from the start of the 1930s through the late 1940s. Calloway's band featured performers including trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Leon "Chu" Berry, New Orleans guitar ace Danny Barker, and bassist Milt Hinton. Calloway continued to perform until his death in 1994 at the age of 86 .Click picture to view official website.

Monday, January 18, 2010

PAL JOEY (1957)

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