• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Casa Bouquet

let your joy bloom

  • Home
  • About
  • Culture
  • Home-making
  • Education
  • Travel
  • Style
  • Series
You are here: Home / Culture / Lisa’s Home Bijou: Pal Joey

Lisa’s Home Bijou: Pal Joey

February 22, 2016 by Lisa Grable 4 Comments

Film Festival: The City by the Bay

THE DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE in elevation between San Francisco‘s Barbary Coast and Nob Hill has long been symbolic of the distances between the social classes in that city. In 1957’s Pal Joey, we join Frank Sinatra in his attempt to make the climb from the Coast up the Hill.The Barbary Coast had clubs and cabarets appealing to people from all walks of life, providing opportunities for entertainers new in town. Nob Hill (some say the name is derived from “Nabob”) had the mansions, fancy hotels and restaurants for those who acquired wealth and social standing.Frank Sinatra tries to work his way from San Francisco's Barbary Coast to Nob Hill while romancing Kim Novak and Rita Hayworth. Lisa's Home Bijou: Pal Joey (1957)

Pal Joey takes us backstage into the life of a small-time crooner who makes a career drifting through the martini lounges of California. We first meet Joey Evans (Frank Sinatra) as the police drop him off at a train bound for San Francisco. He’s been caught buying a drink for an underage girl in his hotel room. Once he arrives in the City, Joey wanders up and down the streets of the Barbary Coast looking for a singing job. It doesn’t look very promising; most of the clubs feature girlie shows. Finally, he spots a marquee for Ned Galvin and his Galvinizers, a name he recognizes.girl-show

Inside the club, the floor show is in progress. The girls come on stage singing “I’m a Red Hot Mama.” Being a ladies man, Joey likes the look of all the girls, but he particularly notices a cool blond, Linda English (Kim Novak.) The emcee is missing from the club, so Joey jumps on stage to fill in, taking this opportunity to sing “I Didn’t Know What Time it Was.” After the song, he promises the owner that his many fans will help fill the club. Joey gets hired on the spot as the new emcee.red-hot-mama

After hours, as the show staff eats dinner in the club kitchen, a customer calls asking to hire the entertainers for a Nob Hill soiree. The event is a dinner dance and auction to benefit the Children’s Hospital, held at the home of Mrs. Prentice Simpson (Rita Hayworth.) At the event, Joey entertains the dancing guests by singing “There’s a Small Hotel.” During the song, Joey and the hostess become very aware of each other. Once the song ends, Mrs. Prentice Simpson takes the mic and starts the auction, ultimately raising $17,500. Joey takes the mic from her to up the ante. He reveals to the society crowd that their hostess is none other than the former Vera Vanessa, a high-class stripper. Joey offers up Vera herself for auction, to do her act for the crowd. Sold for $5000! All in the name of charity, Vera does her old act, “Zip,” which electrifies her guests.

Frank Sinatra tries to work his way from San Francisco's Barbary Coast to Nob Hill while romancing Kim Novak and Rita Hayworth. Lisa's Home Bijou: Pal Joey (1957)
rita-zip

The Barbary Coast Club gang rides home on a cable car at dawn. Ned gives Joey $20 to find a place to stay. He finagles a boarding-house room next door to Linda’s. Later at work, the owner asks Joey when the big fan following he talked about at his audition will be arriving. Joey sings “How to Make Two Lovers of Friends” and grabs Linda out of the chorus line to make a romantic act out of the song. However, his scheme with Linda in real life is to act indifferent and dismissive towards her to get past her suspicions of him. kim-bath

Suddenly, Vera arrives at the club trailing a large party. Joey promises the owner that the club will soon be strictly “carriage trade.” Joey sits at Vera’s table and floats an idea for his own intimate club. She suggests the name “Chez Joey.” Quickly bored, Vera and her friends leave as suddenly as they came. The owner fires Joey, but agrees to hire him back on the condition that Vera and her high-rent friends come back to the club by Saturday.

Joey says his goodbyes to all the gang at the club, boasting that he’s off to the big time at the El Morocco in New York. Vera, alone, knocks on the club’s door. They reopen just for her, and the band goes back on stage to accompany Joey as he sings “The Lady is a Tramp,” a not-so-subtle dig at Vera.lady-tramp

“Won’t have a dice game with any barons and earls
Won’t go up to Harlem dressed in ermine and pearls
Won’t dish the dirt with all the other girls
That is why the lady is a tramp!”

Vera is offended at first, then amused. She takes Joey to her yacht, berthed at the Marina. He talks up the Chez Joey idea with her. He makes a deal that he will give himself to her in exchange for her patronage. The next morning she wakes up very happy and in love. She sings “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered” dressed in a knockout gold lace, satin, and mink negligee, designed by Jean Louis. Fashion-lovers will not want to miss this creation!bewitched

Joey finds himself torn by the triangle he has created. On one side, Vera holds the financial key to changing his life. She is the means to his own club on Nob Hill, to the finest clothes and jewelry, and to hobnob with the nabobs. On the other side, Linda holds the key to his long-buried generous nature and the possibility of true romance. With the help of more Rodgers and Hart tunes (“My Funny Valentine” and “What Do I Care for a Dame?”), Joey works out his destiny.

Fans of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart will notice that this film features songs from several of the duo’s musicals. Pal Joey was produced on Broadway in 1940 and was considered too racy to film in its original form. The play was based on fictional letters from a dancer written by John O’Hara for the New Yorker. Gene Kelly became a star as the original Joey. With the lead transformed to a singer for the film, Frank Sinatra does a very good acting job, making this unsavory character sympathetic and even likeable. His rendition of “The Lady is a Tramp” is a tour-de-force. Also worth seeing is the dream sequence, with Rita and Kim dancing around Frank in black sequined catsuits.dream-catsuits

Pal Joey has great music with an atypical musical comedy plot. It’s a real treat to see these three great stars acting together. Pal Joey offers a dramatic look at the San Francisco of the 1950s — and the very human desire to move up from Barbary Coast to Nob Hill.ferry-sf

Related links

  • http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050815/
    • Pal Joey at IMDb
  • http://www.sinatra.com
    • Frank Sinatra official website
  • http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/83611%7C131048/Rita-Hayworth/
    • Rita Hayworth page at Turner Classic Movies
  • http://www.kimnovakartist.com/about-kim-novak/#.VqKxZDbZpoE
    • Kim Novak bio from her official website
  • http://www.rnh.com/bio/168/Rodgers-%26-Hart
    • Rodgers and Hart from Rodgers and Hammerstein site
  • http://www.sfgate.com/neighborhoods/sf/nobhill/
    • Nob Hill from SF Gate
  • http://www.barbarycoasttrail.org
    • Barbary Coast Trail walking tour

This is an update of a review that appeared originally in RETRO magazine, Nancy Eaton, editor.

Affiliate links:  if you make a purchase using these links, I’ll receive a small compensation towards maintaining this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Share this post:
error
fb-share-icon
Tweet
fb-share-icon

Filed Under: Culture, Movies Tagged With: 1957, classic films, Frank Sinatra, Kim Novak, Lisa's Home Bijou, musical, Pal Joey, rat pack caper, Rita Hayworth, Rodgers and Hart, San Francisco

Previous Post: « 6 skin dryness products
Next Post: Sweets of Hawaii »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marilyn Lesniak

    October 2, 2019 at 7:44 pm

    Thank you for sharing at #ThursdayFavoriteThings. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too!

    Reply
  2. marilyn1998

    September 28, 2019 at 12:59 pm

    Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too!

    Reply
  3. Lori Hill

    February 22, 2018 at 10:39 pm

    So much fun! Thank you for sharing at #blogginggrandmotherslinkparty

    Reply
    • Lisa Grable

      February 23, 2018 at 6:17 am

      Hey Lori, Thanks for reading! You can’t beat Frank Sinatra, Kim Novak, and Rita Hayworth!

      Reply

What are your thoughts? Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hey, I’m Lisa

Lisa Grable, Casa BouquetI’m an educator, grandmother, classic movie fan, sewer and crafter, and I love Hawaii. Read more about me …

Subscribe for email updates

Don't miss a post! Receive an email when new posts are published. Get freebies!

Please follow & like us :)

Facebook
Facebook
fb-share-icon
Pinterest
Pinterest
fb-share-icon
Instagram
Follow by Email
RSS

Amazon

Zoom hula classes from Kanoe Miller

kanoe miller hula Oct. 2022Kanoe Miller teaches 5 week hula sessions on Zoom. Kanoe dances at the Hale Kulani in Waikiki and began her hula studies with Maiki Aiu Lake. Call or email to register. Times listed are Hawaii Standard.

More in Lisa’s Home Bijou

vintage movie theater sign

Recent Posts

joy of giving giveaway hostesses Nov 2022

Joy of Giving giveaway 11.12.22 – 12.15.22

back to school giveaway 08.27.22 - 09.27.22

Back to school giveaway 08.27.22 – 09.27.22

summer cash giveaway

Summer Cash Giveaway 07.23 – 08.23.2022

College preparation at the end of high school includes planning, tips, and checklists. Entrance tests, applications, financial aid, and more!

6 tips for college preparation – applying, FAFSA

Posts by Category

Casa Bouquet parties

Over the Moon

Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Party
Wonderful Wednesday
Thursday Favorite Things

Featured series

Casa Bouquet pie recipes series.
College planning posts for middle and high school students. Download free checklist, cost calculation, and career interest worksheets. Resource links!

Copyright © 2022 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework · Design by Stephanie Jones

 

Loading Comments...