SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Ameriatch One of the best films i have seen

Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

jhkp Every time I watch Pal Joey, it hooks me by its interesting beginning, but I get bored around the time Joey starts planning his new night spot on Nob Hill with the help of his wealthy, older benefactress, Mrs. Simpson (Rita Hayworth), which messes up his budding relationship with a much younger "mouse," Linda English (Kim Novak).Up to that point, it's been a pretty fun show. Joey wangling his way into a nightclub job, chasing the girls at the club, exchanging barbs with one of the dancers (Barbara Nichols). His cynical friendship with an old friend, the back-and-forth with the club manager, his cute one-on-one with the landlady (Elizabeth Patterson). Etc.It's also been a treat to see Frank take the stage at the club and do one of the best numbers he ever did on screen (even if he's clearly way too talented to be scrounging for jobs as a girlie show MC).If only the breezy, atmospheric tone had continued for another few reels. But it's amazing how lugubrious the film becomes once Joey gets in with society dame Rita and starts getting his nightclub plans realized. And the delightful relationship with Novak bogs down into slush right around the same time.The three central performances are good. Sinatra's is the most three-dimensional and real. He walks a fine line, being able to make a jerk likable and attractive. (It's when we're being asked to love the jerk that the film gets a little messed up). Hayworth, 39 years old, tries and almost succeeds at being a believable cougar. But Sinatra at 38 is too old to be her boy toy. Novak is good in her attempts to do musical comedy and good in her role in general.Former MGM director George Sidney (Holiday In Mexico, Bathing Beauty, Anchors Aweigh, Show Boat, Kiss Me Kate) gets some but not all of it right. A former MGM screenwriter, Dorothy Kingsley, adapted Pal Joey for this version.

TheLittleSongbird Anybody who loves Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth and Richard Rodgers will be in their element here. Sinatra is the standout of the film, Joey was more cynical in the original stage version but Sinatra still brings a caddish persona and does so with great charm and energy. And of course his singing is divine, of the mellow and rich kind- most lovely to listen to- and with great circular breathing technique. Hayworth is not at her best but she is still breathtakingly beautiful, one of the most beautiful actresses on film, and sassy. And the songs are great, Pal Joey like most Richard Rodgers scores is one of those musicals where every song works but Lady is a Tramp is a real standout here. Sinatra, Hayworth and the songs are not the only things to enjoy. Pal Joey also has opulent production values, Hayworth's figure-hugging dresses are to die for, fluid photography, George Sidney's enigmatic and not heavy-handed direction, a witty script, a charming if watered-down story and smart energetic choreography. For this viewer the only things that came across as flaws were the out-of-kilter happy ending and while beautiful Kim Novak's performance is rather pallid. All in all, a very good underrated film. 8/10 Bethany Cox

loveballet12 Date: August.12, 2012 -First Time Watch- Continuing my journey through Frank Sinatra films I watched 'Pal Joey' next. In it Sinatra plays Joey Evans, a lady's man who wants nothing else then to run his own joint. He soon finds himself in the middle of two women, Linda English (Novak) a show girl and Vera Simpson (Hayworth) a wealthy widow. If you ask me, you couldn't go wrong with either women. I'm not a big musical person but I rather enjoyed this one. It didn't have too many musical numbers and the acting was really good. I especially love the scenes between Joey and Linda at the house where they're renting rooms right next to each other. Also a nice touch was the little dog that becomes Joey's after Linda pulls a bad trick on him. I really did like this movie and Frank Sinatra is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors.

treeline1 Joey Evans (Frank Sinatra) is a two-bit night club singer, a womanizer, and cad. He lands in a San Francisco saloon and starts romancing a wealthy older woman (Rita Hayworth) and a sweet chorus girl (Kim Novak).When I saw this movie in 1957 I fell head over heels for Frank and the sophisticated night club scene, but now Frank's Joey seems like a heartless sleaze, the clubs look cheap, and the movie is hopelessly dated. It was made at the height of Frank's ring-a-ding-ding movie popularity but he just seems mean-spirited and selfish and both of his co-stars outweigh him. Rita was made up to look much older than her 39 years, but she's drab and dull, a far cry from her earlier glory days. Kim looks good (without those thick eyebrows from "Vertigo"), but her singing voice is a disaster and she isn't much of a dancer. A beatnik-style dance featuring both ladies is just embarrassing.On the plus side, the songs are terrific. The show is filled with memorable Rogers and Hart tunes such as "The Lady is a Tramp," "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered," "I Could Write a Book," "There's a Small Hotel," and "My Funny Valentine."The movie is glossy and pretty with lavish gowns and furs and picturesque San Francisco as a location, but Joey is an off-putting character and I didn't care about any of the stars. What was once ultra-cool and sophisticated now seems tawdry and pathetic. Good songs, though.