What we have here is the original Broadway cast with the exceptions of Tab Hunter and Bob Fosse.Hunter is nowhere near as good as Stephen Douglass whom he displaced, but that's Hollywood!It's a miracle that Gwen Verdon was retained. She's terrific! Other than Miss Verdon's casting, however, this film version seems to fall short of the stage musical in many respects.Admittedly, we still have a couple of tuneful songs, plus a few very witty lines, and the sometimes inventive direction of George Abbott and Stanley Donen.Harold Lipstein's Technicolor photography is also a pleasing asset.

First of all, I have to say and this is kind of sad, but I would have watched this movie a lot sooner if I hadn't been under the false impression that it was actually about the NY Yankees. I was greatly relieved to see that it is instead the long defunct Washington Senators who are the focus of the play. Ray Walston is wonderful as the devil, or as he calls himself here Mr. Applegate. Rae Allen also has some nice scenes and songs as an intrusive reporter. But to me there are problems with this film precisely because of it sticking too close to the original play.Gwen Verdon is the major problem for me. She just is not winsome and erotic enough to pull off the famous "Lola" scene on the big screen. I felt kind of embarrassed for her. She has good chemistry with Walston but I didn't sense any sparks flying between her and Tab Hunter at all. I really did enjoy their one big dance scene together though, "Two Lost Souls," that was the highlight of the whole movie for me. Like the previous Donen/Abbott collaboration on "Pajama Game", this film has excellent choreography by Bob Fosse. It seems odd to complain about the presence of the original star in a film, but I just feel that Verdon did not have what it takes to hold down a film. Walston does what he can to basically fill up the space with comedy. The entire picture looks and feels very nice, although you get the feeling that you're looking at recycled sets from a Minnelli movie when they're in Lola's hotel suite. Also whatever potential there was for any kind of drama is thrown away -- in some ways the film is comparable to "Cabin in the Sky" in terms of the supernatural comedy but surprisingly considering one of the show's anthems is "You Gotta Have Heart" this film just has very little of it. Still, it's entertaining and it moves quickly enough. The mediocre nature of this film provides me with still more evidence that Donen was the least important member of the Donen/Kelly partnership.

"Damn Yankees" is old-fashioned entertainment, a bit too talky and literal-minded, but great songs and great dancing never get old. It's worth plodding through the more mundane aspects of this film to relish the classic numbers. "Who's Got The Pain?" has nothing whatsoever to do with the plot, but it proves beyond question that Gwen Verdon is the prime interpreter of the Fosse dance style. "Whatever Lola Wants" is actually rather tame in comparison. The highlight is the smoky, seductive duet "Two Lost Souls," where Verdon lets loose with the greatest of ease. The surprise here is Tab Hunter, who holds his own and handles all the Fosse moves just fine. Jean Stapleton's Sister Miller is an early rehearsal for Edith Bunker. I personally prefer the other George Abbott/Stanley Donen collaboration "The Pajama Game," which is livelier. See them both.

Gwen Verdon was a Broadway legend with long gorgeous legs and an undeniable stage and screen charisma. Her legendary stage career earned her four Tony Awards, thanks in no small part to her long time Svengali and ex-husband Bob Fosse. Sadly, the only time Verdon was allowed to bring a role she created on Broadway to the big screen was in DAMN YANKEES, a sparkling film adaptation of the Richard Ross-Jerry Adler musical about a middle-aged baseball fan named Joe Boyd (Robert Shafer)who sells his soul to the devil for his favorite team, the Washington Senators, to win the pennant. The devil, apparently in desperate need of converts, appears in Joe's living room in the form of a Mr. Applegate (Ray Walston)and changes Joe Boyd into Joe Hardy (Tab Hunter), a young and unbeatable baseball player who helps lead the Senators to the pennant until he starts to get homesick and Applegate sends in his # 1 agent/witch named Lola (Verdon) to distract Joe. The film is well-mounted by Broadway legend George Abbott and Verdon and Ralston effectively reprise their Tony-Award winning stage roles and Fosse is even showcased, dancing in a rare duet with wife Verdon on "Who's Got the Pain?" and trust and believe, seeing Fosse and Verdon dance together is worth the price of admission alone. Other great songs in the score include "Whatever Lola Wants", "Heart","Those Were the Good Old Days", and "Shoeless Joe From Hannibal Mo". Not the greatest musical ever made, but Verdon, Ralston, and Fosse's brilliant choreography make it worth watching and re-watching.