Pal Joey [DVD] [1957]

PAL JOEY [1957] [The Limited Edition Series] [Blu-ray] [US Import] Frank Sinatra Sings and Falls in Love with Kim Novak!‘Pal Joey’ is a 1957 American musical 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 Rita 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.Frank Sinatra stars as John O’Hara’s caddish crooner in this 1957 film version of the Book by John O'Hara, the music by Richard Rodgers and the lyrics by Lorenz Hart for the hit musical ‘Pal Joey.’ A fresh, very fresh arrival on the San Francisco nightclub scene, the amoral and ambitious Joey soon finds himself entangled with two “mice”: the rapacious stripper-turned-society dame Vera [Rita Hayworth] and the good-girl chorine Linda [Kim Novak]. Handsomely directed by George Sidney, the film features a double handful of Rodgers and Hart’s greatest tunes, including “Zip,” “My Funny Valentine,” “The Lady Is a Tramp,” and “I Could Write a Book.”"Some guys have a system with horses, and I got a system with dames. It's a snap. You treat a dame like a lady, and you treat a lady like a dame." Says Joey Evans [Frank Sinatra] on the subject of romance.FILM FACT: Academy Awards® Nominated: Best Art Direction/Set Decoration for Walter Holscher, William Kiernan, Louis Diage. Nominated: Best Costume Design. Best Film Editing. Best Sound and Recording for John P. Livadary. Golden Globes® Awards Won: Best Actor, Musical or Comedy for Frank Sinatra. Nominated: Best Film, Musical or Comedy. Writers Guild of America Nominated: Best Written American Musical. Gene Kelly had starred as Joey Evans on Broadway in Pal Joey. When Columbia Pictures head Harry Cohn bought the rights for the motion picture, he wanted Gene Kelly, who was contracted to MGM. Cohn saw Rita Hayworth as Linda English. Billy Wilder expressed interest in ‘Pal Joey’ as a picture for Marlon Brando ("Pal" Joey Evans), Mae West (Vera Prentice-Simpson) and Rita Hayworth (Linda "The Mouse" English), Columbia Pictures passed. Pal Joey would be the last film with Rita Hayworth at Columbia Studios after a long career. Columbia began to give the star treatment to Kim Novak, after her success in ‘Picnic’ and ‘Pal Joey.’Cast: Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra, Kim Novak, Barbara Nichols, Bobby Sherwood, Hank Henry, Elizabeth Patterson, Leon Alton (uncredited), Isabel Analla (uncredited), Robert Anderson (uncredited), Maurice Argent (uncredited), Tol Avery (uncredited), Rita Barrett (uncredited), Eddie Bartell (uncredited), Barry Bernard (uncredited), Sue Boomer (uncredited), Paul Cesari (uncredited), George Chan (uncredited), Barrie Chase (uncredited), Nellie Gee Ching (uncredited), Jane Chung (uncredited), Jean Corbett (uncredited), Giselle D'Arc (uncredited), Judy Dan (uncredited), Trudy Erwin (singing voice) (uncredited), Allen Gin (uncredited), Everett Glass (uncredited), Connie Graham (uncredited), Jo Ann Greer (singing voice) (uncredited), Bobbie Jean Henson (uncredited), Pat Lynn (uncredited), Raymond A. McWalters (uncredited), Jean Nakaba (uncredited), Ilsa Ostroffsky (uncredited), Hermes Pan (uncredited), Edith Powell (uncredited), Howard Sigrist (uncredited), Snuffy (Dog) (uncredited), Frank Wilcox (uncredited), Frank Wilimarth (uncredited), Andrew Wong (uncredited), Lessie Lynne Wong (uncredited) and Barbara Yung (uncredited)Director: George SidneyScreenplay: Dorothy Kingsley and John O'Hara (from the musical play book)Composers: Richard Rogers, Lorenz Hart, Nelson Riddle, Morris Stoloff (supervision) and George Duning (arrangements)Cinematography: Harold LipsteinVideo Resolution: 1080p [Technicolor]Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1Audio: English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and Isolated Music: 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio MonoSubtitles: English SDHRunning Time: 111 minutesRegion: All RegionsNumber of discs: 1Studio: Columbia Pictures / Twilight Time [Exclusive]Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: Seventeen years after its premiere on Broadway in 1940, ‘Pal Joey’ [1957] finally made its way to the silver screen after numerous attempts by Columbia studio boss Harry Cohn to cast and produce it. Along the way, the central character, Joey Evans, evolved from an irredeemable, womanising heel that preys on chorus girls to a likable nightclub crooner torn between his love for a struggling singer and a chance to further his career with a rich, predatory club owner. The stage musical starred Gene Kelly and was based on a series of short stories by author John O'Hara.‘Pal Joey’ initially sprang to life as a series of New Yorker short stories by John O'Hara, which were then stitched together as a novel, one which consisted entirely of letters supposedly written by Joey to his friend Ted. Joey was a down on his luck nightclub entertainer who had a somewhat cracked moral compass, but who was a likable guy nonetheless. John O'Hara himself brought the material to Rodgers and Hart and suggested a musical adaptation, offering to write the book (libretto) himself. The musical version saw Joey (played in the original Broadway version by a newcomer named Gene Kelly) on the make with a wealthy socialite, one he feels can set him up in business with his own nightclub, while he simultaneously woos a more innocent girl. Joey is a cad, a user who's constantly scheming to latch on to that next rung on the ladder of success, and as such he bears a certain similarity to another anti-hero whose story was musicalized some two decades later.This is a colourful and brash musical entertainment, lifted miles above it’s kind of turgid elements due to the star power of its lead trio, as well as some knock your socks off arrangements by Sinatra's leading collaborator of that time, Nelson Riddle. Even though Frank Sinatra, Novak and Hayworth are all immensely winning in their roles, the music here is undoubtedly one of the chief allures of this film, and Nelson Riddle's inventive reimagining of these Rodgers and Hart classics are elegant showpieces not just for Frank Sinatra's mature vocalising, but for the art of orchestration itself (actual orchestration duties fell to Arthur Morton). (Neither Rita Hayworth nor Kim Novak did their own singing, not to state the obvious.) This may not be the "real" Pal Joey in any sense of the word, but it still remains one of Frank Sinatra's best screen outings. Frank Sinatra certainly could have played the character as originally written (albeit probably without the demanding dance elements), but even toned down here for this "kinder, gentler" approach, he manages to convey a bit of Joey's smarm lying just beneath the charming surface. The happy ending of the film contrasts with that of the stage musical, where Joey is left alone at the end.Frank Sinatra was gracious enough to allow Rita Hayworth to take top billing over him on the marquee in honour of her long-standing relationship with the studio. Despite the fact that she didn't do her own singing (she was dubbed by Jo Ann Greer), her co-star Kim Novak didn't sing either (Kim Novak was dubbed by Trudi Erwin). Of course, the songs were always the best part about Pal Joey and the film version kept ten songs by Rodgers and Hart from the original musical score and added four new ones, also by Rodgers and Hart. The new additions were "My Funny Valentine," "There's a Small Hotel," "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," and "The Lady is a Tramp" which is given the definite treatment by Frank Sinatra with a killer Nelson Riddle arrangement.It's no secret that ‘Pal Joey’ was cleaned up considerably for the screen after the Production Code office demanded numerous changes, but it survived the sanitation process and even made off with four Oscar® nominations: Best Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, and Best Art Direction. It also marks the end of Rita Hayworth's long relationship with Columbia Pictures.In the biography, “If This Was Happiness” (Sphere Books Limited), writer Barbara Leaming observed that "it was common knowledge that Harry Cohn had anointed Kim Novak to replace Rita Hayworth at Columbia and shortly thereafter, the creation of Kim Novak as Columbia's next 'big star' was widely thought to be Harry Cohn's revenge on Rita Hayworth, so that putting the two actresses together made the press and public expect fireworks. Still, according to George Sidney, on the set 'there was no friction between Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak.' Although Rita Hayworth did lament that she was actually younger than Frank Sinatra, she was really just anxious to fulfil her final obligations to the studio as quickly and as smoothly as possible."Blu-ray Video Quality – ‘Pal Joey’ is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Twilight Time with a 1080p transfer in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. As has been mentioned before in other Twilight Time reviews, the niche label is at the mercy of the studios from which they license these titles, and this Columbia Pictures release, while incredibly colourful and vivid looking. There's nothing bad here, certainly nothing to be overly concerned about, but a lot of this film is just slightly gauzy, something increased exponentially in the optical, including (obviously) the credits sequence as well as the big fantasy sequence that caps the film. The pluses far outweigh the negatives here, with some incredibly lushly saturated colour, and excellent fine detail which brings out every nuance in the stunning Jean Louis costumes.Blu-ray Audio Quality – The ‘Pal Joey’ soundtrack is offered in two mixes, English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and an Isolated Music: 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Mono. Fidelity here is quite good, but it must also be stated for the record that some of the dubbed singing sounds noticeably boxier than the bulk of the soundtrack and listen especially to the women in the opening "Rainbow" production number for a very good example. The 5.1 mix isn't overly immersive, but the music is opened up rather nicely in this mix, and occasionally some ambient environmental sound effects will dot the surrounds, adding a bit of spaciousness to the proceedings. The music sounds spectacular for the most part, and Sinatra's voice is magnificent, reproduced with its entire slightly aged lustre.Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:Special Feature: Kim Novak Backstage Documentary [9:28] This is a really interesting, albeit way too brief special feature, where we visit Kim Novak at her Oregon hideaway, where she reminisces about costume designer Jean Louis, as well as how the pressures of Hollywood actually helped her to continue working on her painting, something Kim Novak is still involved with. Kim Novak comes off as very charming and very down to earth, with absolutely no illusions or delusions of being a "big star."Special Feature: Isolated Score Track: Presented in mono via a splendid sounding 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio mix. (Some online sites reported the isolated score as being released here in stereo, but I've confirmed with Twilight Time, and my own ears, that this is in mono.)Original Theatrical Trailer [1957] [4:59] This is a Frank Sinatra hosted longer than usual trailer. It sports pretty ragged looking video but is fun to watch nonetheless.BONUS: Special Booklet: Here we have a beautiful designed 8 page booklet with extensive liner notes by Julie Kirgo and film art packaged with the Blu-ray disc.Finally, ‘Pal Joey’ is it seems to me another superb example of the old studio system firing on all cylinders and the whole package of music design, art direction, costuming, choreography, and film editing, plus many Oscar-nominated for ‘Pal Joey’ and all functioning seamlessly. With an incredible star package headed by Frank Sinatra on the screen, it is terrific entertainment that's hard to beat, especially for all you "young 'uns" out there who are only familiar with Rodgers and Hammerstein; you have a veritable universe of fantastic music to discover in the pairing of Rodgers and Hart. There's no finer film to start than this beautiful colourful musical. Frank Sinatra could have easily pulled off a less likable character. But this 1957 musical is brash, well-staged, and features three big "movie star" performances from Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak. With good quality video and audio, and a really appealing, if sadly a short documentary, this release comes with highest praise indeed. So all in all, I am proud and honoured to have this in my classic musical film in my Blu-ray Collection. Highly Recommended!Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film FanLe Cinema ParadisoWARE, United Kingdom

This is a review of the 2018 Region 2 DVD from Sony Pictures. It appears to be no more than a repackaged reissue of the 2009 disc in the ‘Columbia Classics’ series. Nevertheless, it provides a good quality reproduction of the film. It plays in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, and mono, but the sound is nice and clear, and the picture quality clean and well coloured.The story of Joey Evans has a fairly long history. In the late 1930s, John O’Hara, a celebrated American short story writer, produced a series of short stories, in letter form, for the ‘New Yorker’ magazine. They documented the amorous adventures of a second-rate nightclub entertainer, working in Chicago. The letters revealed that Joey, whilst he appeared very likeable, was actually a manipulative and venal scumbag, totally lacking a moral compass. In 1940, O’Hara turned the episodic letters into a novel, and the same year, himself transformed the book into a musical comedy for the stage.The music for the new Broadway production was by Richard Rodgers, and Gene Kelly was the original, sleazy, Joey. The show ran for 10 months though it opened to mixed reviews. It was revived in 1952, to considerable acclaim, and so in 1957, this film version was made. Frank Sinatra took the role of Joey, with Kim Novak as Linda, the young female lead, and Rita Hayworth topping the bill, as Vera, the older female lead. Sinatra was very generous. Now a huge star, he could have insisted on top spot, but famously replied “Ladies first”, and also "For years, she [ie Hayworth] WAS Columbia Pictures.”Some significant changes are made for the film. Firstly, the action takes place in San Francisco, a very photogenic city, with the Golden Gate Bridge, views of and from Nob Hill, and the iconic trolley buses on the switchback roads down to the Bay. It is handsomely filmed. Secondly, whilst the stage show had Joey as a dancer (Gene Kelly’s milieu after all), the film turned him into a singer, who also successfully MCs shows. Of the 14 stage numbers, 8 were kept, but other songs from other shows were added. Two songs by Rodgers, and Lorenz Hart (the same lyricist) from ‘Babes In Arms’(1937) are especially important: ‘Joey’s ‘The Lady is a Tramp’ (which became a Sinatra anthem) and Linda’s ‘My Funny Valentine’.But the most important change is to Joey. Joey remains a charmer, who uses everyone around him ~ to get a job, borrow money, get his laundry done. He is also still an inveterate womaniser, who sees any woman as fair game. But Sinatra’s Joey appears to have a heart and a conscience, and a sense of decency buried deep inside, which makes his actions easier to understand, and identify with.Sinatra is excellent, a genuinely likeable rogue, Novak is great, and Hayworth too ~ she is a surprisingly sad character. We really enjoyed meeting Joey and his pals ~ a tuneful, entertaining way to spend an evening.

As a movie with great Rodgers & Hart Songs it is great. Rita Hayworth, Kim Novak and Frank Sinatra are in top form with Frank getting the majority of songs, all very well captured on film with him at his peak. The cast was assembled at Columbia Studios after plans to do the movie version with Marlon Brando and Mae West or Frank Sinatra and Marlene Dietrich fell trough. The film is helped by beautiful San Francisco locations and very good production values.Only if you know the legendary Broadway musical, the film is based on, you are in for a disappointment. Part of the story was changed and nearly all book songs are cut. Some other timeless Rodgers & Hart Songs are interpolated for Frank to sing in a stage setting. But the story is no longer told in song and dance per se. Also some lyrics were censored for the movie like in the Zip song.None of stage productions have been captured on film, so that is the only movie we have, so in that context I can still highly recommend this movie. But if you want to hear the full original score get one of the many excellent cast albums like the 1950 Studio cast, the 1980 London Cast or the quite recent Encores cast.