Pal Joey

The John O'Hara/Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart Broadway musical Pal Joey created quite a stir during its original theatrical run in 1940. Here we had a heel of a hero who sleeps with a wealthy older woman in order to realize his dream of owning his own nightclub, and who breaks the heart of the girl ...more

It took Pal Joey 17 years to get from Broadway to Hollywood, largely because the original source material was a little too racy for filming in 1940. The film still softens the story and characters a bit, but it maintains the tart, snappy flow of the dialogue. Indeed, Dorothy Kingsley's screenplay adds even more of that flip, smooth arrogance to the dialogue, even if structurally it's slightly weak. George Sidney directs in sleek style that perfectly complements the movie's star, Frank Sinatra. ...more