Pal Joey (1957)
This is a vehicle for Frank Sinatra to sing. And that's all we need, in a way. The movie has a plot, and two stellar actresses who are neither quite at their best (the overrated Kim Novak and the restrained Rita Hayworth). And it has some nice full Technicolor filming in and around San Francisco which is its own attraction.
But Sinatra rules nearly every scene. He has his regular guy persona, perfected years ago for lots of musicals and even some dramas, with the slight tweak that he's a bit full of himself. Except we know it's an act just to survive. He meets chorus girl Novak and likes her rather a lot, and he meets high society and ex-showgirl stripper Hayworth and likes her rather less, but they seem to have some hot flashes anyway. And he needs her money to make it big in town.
That's the plot, as the two women vie for his attention. Meanwhile a new nightclub featuring, yes, singing and dancing, is opening and so that becomes the center of all the swirling. It's all predictably held back from anything realistic, of course. I mean, Sinatra is this guy who's totally broke and desperate, but he doesn't really show it. (He says it.) When he swoops on stage at the first opportunity it's all in that fantasy world of possibilities that are what make musicals musicals. Those of you who are tempted to say, "Oh, come on!" you need to let go and just find the flow. Get used to the idea that it's a kind of parallel universe, slightly false and dreamlike on purpose. The improbable is meant to be just that because it's more fun that way!
Meanwhile there's Sinatra the singer. He goes through a whole list of numbers, some of them rather famous, and he hums and sings bits of other great songs. These include "My Funny Valentine" which Novak performs in full on stage, and "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered" which Hayworth performs to herself in her spacious bedroom. Both of the women's vocals are dubbed in by other vocalists, however.
And yes, there are some really famous songs here. The composers are none other than Rogers and Hart, coming from their 1940 Broadway play of the same name (and originally starring Gene Kelly). Most of the songs originated there, but four, including "The Lady is a Tramp" and "My Funny Valentine" came from a 1937 musical "Babes in Arms," also by Rogers and Hart.
The "charts" are by the great Nelson Riddle, who arranged Sinatra's most classic albums of the 1950s. Everything is in pitch perfect form here, and if you want a dose of pure Sinatra, the actor and singer, this is the place to start. Don't expect too much of a movie, but don't worry, either, because it's all solid and very enjoyable. And a dream you can really inhabit.
This is a vehicle for Frank Sinatra to sing. And that's all we need, in a way. The movie has a plot, and two stellar actresses who are neither quite at their best (the overrated Kim Novak and the restrained Rita Hayworth). And it has some nice full Technicolor filming in and around San Francisco which is its own attraction.
But Sinatra rules nearly every scene. He has his regular guy persona, perfected years ago for lots of musicals and even some dramas, with the slight tweak that he's a bit full of himself. Except we know it's an act just to survive. He meets chorus girl Novak and likes her rather a lot, and he meets high society and ex-showgirl stripper Hayworth and likes her rather less, but they seem to have some hot flashes anyway. And he needs her money to make it big in town.
That's the plot, as the two women vie for his attention. Meanwhile a new nightclub featuring, yes, singing and dancing, is opening and so that becomes the center of all the swirling. It's all predictably held back from anything realistic, of course. I mean, Sinatra is this guy who's totally broke and desperate, but he doesn't really show it. (He says it.) When he swoops on stage at the first opportunity it's all in that fantasy world of possibilities that are what make musicals musicals. Those of you who are tempted to say, "Oh, come on!" you need to let go and just find the flow. Get used to the idea that it's a kind of parallel universe, slightly false and dreamlike on purpose. The improbable is meant to be just that because it's more fun that way!
Meanwhile there's Sinatra the singer. He goes through a whole list of numbers, some of them rather famous, and he hums and sings bits of other great songs. These include "My Funny Valentine" which Novak performs in full on stage, and "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered" which Hayworth performs to herself in her spacious bedroom. Both of the women's vocals are dubbed in by other vocalists, however.
And yes, there are some really famous songs here. The composers are none other than Rogers and Hart, coming from their 1940 Broadway play of the same name (and originally starring Gene Kelly). Most of the songs originated there, but four, including "The Lady is a Tramp" and "My Funny Valentine" came from a 1937 musical "Babes in Arms," also by Rogers and Hart.
The "charts" are by the great Nelson Riddle, who arranged Sinatra's most classic albums of the 1950s. Everything is in pitch perfect form here, and if you want a dose of pure Sinatra, the actor and singer, this is the place to start. Don't expect too much of a movie, but don't worry, either, because it's all solid and very enjoyable. And a dream you can really inhabit.