I never liked Frank Sinatra. Oh, sure, he's great to listen to when he sings. But, IMHO, his singing talent never could make up for the fact that, even in a tux, he was a skinny, unattractive and terribly common-looking little man ("half-pint imitation" describes him to a T). As a woman I never understood why beautiful women like Ava Gardner, etc., fell over like ninepins around him.OK, that's a bit off my chest.Now to the film. I usually like musicals and vintage Hollywood. But this one I had a hard time getting through. I always say that judging films (or anything else) made over 60 years ago by today's standards is stupid, bigoted and pointless. Things were different then and that's all there is to it. If you can't stand it, well, stick to Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston ... er, "comedies"? Having said that, this film is ruined by, among other things, some of the corniest, most cringe-worthy, Ugh!-inducing lines I have ever heard. Even for 1950s Hollywood.Apparently, the original Broadway show was duly sanitized when they converted it to the screen, which proves - once again - that censorship is NEVER a good idea, whether it's on moral or politically correct grounds. So we ended up with a film that can't quite make up its mind whether it wants to be a sleazy comedy with a romantic twist, or a romantic comedy with a sleazy twist. Kim Novak is absolutely gorgeous, but she's just not convincing as an ingénue. Someone here said that Rita Hayworth's role should have been more Norma Desmond-like and I really could not agree more. And I already said what I think of "Sinatra as Mr. Irresistible."All in all, unless you're a Frank Sinatra die-hard, just skip it. There are much better "classics" out there.

Run out of town after being caught with the mayor's underage daughter, womanizing singer Frank Sinatra (as Joey Evans) lands in sinful San Francisco. On the strip club show circuit, Mr. Sinatra lands a job with access to leggy, top-heavy women. First to receive Sinatra's attention is comely chorus girl Kim Novak (as Linda English). Then, arousing ex-stripper Rita Hayworth (as Vera Prentice Simpson) helps sponsor Sinatra's "Chez Joey" nightclub. Their singing voices are played, quite nicely, by Jo Ann Greer (for Ms. Hayworth) and Trudi Erwin (for Ms Novak). The question becomes, which of the two women will win Sinatra's heart, if he has one...Hindsight makes the seams in this stitched-together musical more evident...Originally a stage play about a dishonorable, dancing heel played by Gene Kelly, it was tailor made for Frank Sinatra. As far as the singer is concerned, the role is a perfect fit. You will find much of his persona - though certainly not all of the real Sinatra - in the attitude and mannerisms herein. The part helped provide the man with a character to "play" for the public. The selection of Rogers and Hart tunes is terrific, with Sinatra shining especially well on "The Lady Is a Tramp". Surprisingly, he doesn't sing a couple of standards we hear, although Sinatra's versions are the ones that linger on, long after the "Pal Joey" comes to its unmemorable ending.***** Pal Joey (10/25/57) George Sidney ~ Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth, Kim Novak, Barbara Nichols

When I read up on the original play for "Pal Joey" (1940), I was surprised how much it differed from this 1957 film. In fact, instead of a film version, it's more like the play was used for a starting point and that is all. Some of the songs have been retained but many were omitted and some were included from other plays! In addition, in the play, Joey was a heel from start to finish and his girlfriend was STILL married! Nice guy, huh? And, he was a dancer (Gene Kelly) not a singer. Here, Frank Sinatra sings beautifully in the lead but doesn't dance. And, while he is a womanizer and a bit of a jerk, he has buried deep within some decency--but he does a good job of hiding it through most of the film! Joey is a lounge singer and emcee at a San Francisco nightclub. There, he chases the nice girl, Kim Novak, and when he's just about won her heart, he drops her like a hot potato for a rich widow (Rita Hayworth). At first, Joey seems very happy--he gets to run his own club and is on top of the world. But this dream isn't all it's cracked up to be. What's next? See the film! Whether you like this film's plot or not, it's well worth seeing the picture because of its songs. Sinatra is in his prime and belts out some nice songs like "The Lady is a Tramp" and "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered". And, the lip synced songs by both female leads (Novak and Hayworth) are quite nice as well. As for the story, it's nice but I would wonder what a movie more like the play would have been like. The main character sure would have been a whole lot less likable! As it was, I liked the film and thought it an interesting character study for Sinatra--combining SOME of his real-life persona with Joey's. Well worth seeing and very well made.

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.