The Pajama Game (1957)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Directors:

George Abbott
Stanley Donen

Writers:

George Abbott (screenplay) and
Richard Bissell (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

27 January 1958 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

Based on the hit Broadway musical, featuring the choreography of Bob Fosse.

Plot:

Employees of the Sleeptite Pajama Factory are looking for a whopping seven-and-a-half cent an hour increase and they won't take no for an answer...

Plot Keywords:

Job | Factory | Pajamas | Clothing Industry | Labor

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Doris Day	...	Katherine 'Babe' Williams
John Raitt	...	Sid Sorokin
Carol Haney	...	Gladys Hotchkiss
Eddie Foy Jr.	...	Vernon 'Hinesie' Hines
Reta Shaw	...	Mabel
Barbara Nichols	...	Poopsie
Thelma Pelish	...	Mae
Jack Straw	...	Prez
Ralph Dunn	...	Myron Hasler
Owen Martin	...	Max
Jackie Kelk	...	First Helper
Ralph W. Chambers	...	Charlie (as Ralph Chambers)
Mary Stanton	...	Brenda
Buzz Miller	...	Dancer
Kenneth LeRoy	...	Dancer

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Warnercolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

UK:U | Australia:G | USA:Approved (PCA #18393) | Canada:G (video rating) | Finland:S | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Frank Sinatra turned down the lead role in The Pajama Game (1957), which would have paired him up with Janis Paige, who played the role on Broadway. As a result, Paige lost out on playing the part to Doris Day, who was considered a bigger box-office draw.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: When Hines and Mabel are dancing their soft shoe shuffle in the factory during "I'll Never Be Jealous Again", they drop a rag in the aisle between the machines. When they return to the aisle a few moments later, the rag is gone.

Quotes:

Mae: We ain't giving up nothing!
Katie 'Babe' Williams, Grievance Committee: Wait a minute, don't you see? We've won!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Broadway: The American Musical: Tradition: 1957-1979 (#1.5)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

The New Superintendant

A wonderful almost forgotten musical

The 1957 film version of the Broadway musical THE PAJAMA GAME is one of the best translations of a stage musical to the screen ever. The screen version is extremely loyal to its origins, utilizing almost all of the original Broadway cast (except for Janis Paige, who lost the role of Babe to 50's box office powerhouse Doris Day)and keeping most of the original score intact (only one song "Hers Is" was not used in the film and a song written especially for Doris for the film, ended up being cut). This delightfully original musical centers around the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory where the head of the grievance committee (Doris) is trying to negotiate a 7 and a 1/2 cent raise for the factory workers by butting heads with the new factory supervisor (John Raitt, reprising his Broadway role)but eventually falling for him. Musicals were past their prime by the time this one made it to the screen, but it is still beautifully mounted and has some of the greatest songs in musical comedy ("Hey, There", "I'm not at all in love", "There Once was a Man"). Day and Raitt make an engaging screen couple (Day has rarely been so adult or sexy on screen) and the imaginative choreography by the legendary Bob Fosse is a big plus. Carol Haney's "Steam Heat" is classic Fosse and one of the highlights of this wonderful stage musical that inexplicably died at the box office upon release. A great musical that is a must for Day and Fosse fans.