I hadn't realised how fabulous Rita Hayworth is in PAL JOEY, which I saw as a kid in 1957 and only saw bits of since, it was not on my radar as a top musical -- of course the stage show was so much better, including that London 1980s production with Sian Phillips mesmerising in Rita's role of the wealthy ex showgirl Mrs Simpson, whom Sinatra's Joey sets his sights on to fund his new nightclub ... until Kim Novak gets in the way ...
Rita of course will always be GILDA ... but she is perfect here too and plays Mrs Simpson with a nice teasing quality - love her shower scene!. The film at least captures One-Take-Frank at his 1950s zenith, while Kim in lavender as the vulnerable showgirl looks edible 1957 was a great year for musicals: FUNNY FACE, LES GIRLS, THE PAJAMA GAME, SILK STOCKINGS etc, PAL JOEY while fun is not quite as good.
John Kobal wrote a terrific book on Rita: "The Time, The Place and The Woman".
John Kobal wrote a terrific book on Rita: "The Time, The Place and The Woman".
No comments:
Post a Comment