Pal Joey

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Pal Joey

Released Oct 25, 1957

1h 51m

Musical

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Popcornmeter

78%

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9 Reviews

60%

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2,500+ Ratings

Joey Evans (Frank Sinatra) is a philandering San Francisco-based singer with big dreams of starting his own night club, Chez Joey, but chasing women keeps him even more occupied. Despite making a meaningful connection with lovely chorus girl Linda English (Kim Novak), it doesn't stop him from seducing the wealthy widow, and ex-burlesque dancer, Vera Simpson (Rita Hayworth), who he hopes will bankroll his club. Ultimately, Joey has to decide who -- and what -- he most wants in life.

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Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Flawed, but see it for Rita.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 3, 2003

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Clyde Gilmour

Maclean's Magazine

...Frank Sinatra's confident and amusing performance as singer and actor makes the picture worth seeing. The music, by Rodgers & Hart, is also beguiling.

Jan 8, 2020

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Gerald Peary

Arts Fuse

In Pal Joey, Rita Hayworth makes an indelible impression as a screen siren, as sexy as in her '40s heyday, winning the audience's favor.

Aug 21, 2018

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Due to restrictions of the Production Code, George Sidney's musical of John O'Hara's outre 1940 stage show is compromised, but there some good songs and visual pleasure in watchning Columbia's stars Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak (though they're dubbed).

Rated: B-

Feb 14, 2011

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

The film goes up in flames when its '50s morality rears its ugly head.

Rated: C+

Jun 15, 2009

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Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Sinatra is fantastic.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 19, 2005

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Alain E

I never expected to like this. I collect LPs and have 3-4 versions of the soundtrack. Never listened to it or watched the movie in 35 years. Big mistake. This is an excellent fairy tale for adults, with the constraints of the code that didn’t allow any nudity. Sinatra, Hayworth and Novak are all excellent, as well as the guy who plays the nightclub manager. And a cute little doggie. Very well photographed as well. If someone approaches this as a realistic representation of the nightclub or music business, they are watching the wrong movie.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/30/24

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Alec B

Like a lot of musical adaptations of the mid 20th century, the filmmakers attempted to completely rewrite the source material but ended up with something barely coherent.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/08/24

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David F

It was enjoyable for the musical numbers but the plot about a crooner who tries to open a nightclub in San Francisco wasn't that interesting.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

12/31/23

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Sam K

Marvelous Sinatra, great Rodgers and Hart songs The "Lady is a Tramp" scene with Rita Hayworth is iconic. Rita Hayworth and Kim Novack are gorgeous. Haworth got top billing, then Sinatra, then Novack - unsusual as Sinatra was a superstar. he said "I don't mind being in the middle of that sandwich". The movie is flawed by the tacky "dream sequence" and sanitized ending walking into the sunset, but still a must see. Enjoy!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

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Audience Member

I watched this movie, because I thought Frank Sinatra was great in Guys and Dolls, and I heard about it while reading a book on musicals. Unfortunately, the plot was very predictable, and Sinatra's attempt to play a slimeball musician was awkward at best. Both Kim Novak and Rita Hayworth were given one-note characters that would be better suited to a pulp fiction story than a movie. However, even with the bad material, Rita Hayworth shined above all the other characters. The music was good, but otherwise this is definitely a very blasé musical that is not true to its source material.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

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Liam D

It all relies on your opinions of Frank Sinatra if you love him this is the movie for you if not they are some more musicals out there

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/15/21

Full Review

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George Sidney

Director

Rita Hayworth

Vera Simpson

Frank Sinatra

Joey Evans

Kim Novak

Linda English

Barbara Nichols

Gladys

Bobby Sherwood

Ned Galvin

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Synopsis

Joey Evans (Frank Sinatra) is a philandering San Francisco-based singer with big dreams of starting his own night club, Chez Joey, but chasing women keeps him even more occupied. Despite making a meaningful connection with lovely chorus girl Linda English (Kim Novak), it doesn't stop him from seducing the wealthy widow, and ex-burlesque dancer, Vera Simpson (Rita Hayworth), who he hopes will bankroll his club. Ultimately, Joey has to decide who -- and what -- he most wants in life.

Director: George Sidney
Producer: Fred Kohlmar
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Columbia
Genre: Musical
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 25, 1957, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2010
Runtime: 1h 51m

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