The Pajama Game (1957)

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:

The original Broadway production of "The Pajama Game" opened at the St. James Theater in New York on May 13, 1954, ran for 1,063 performances and won the 1955 Tony Award for the Best Musical. Shirley MacLaine was in the ensemble and was an understudy to Carol Haney. Miss MacLaine did go on for Miss Haney at least once during the Broadway run, allowing her to perform the popular songs "Steam Heat" and "Hernando's Hideaway". John Raitt, Carol Haney, Eddie Foy Jr., Reta Shaw, Thelma Pelish, Ralph Dunn, Ralph W. Chambers, Mary Stanton and Buzz Miller were in the original cast and recreated their roles in the movie version.

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:

Katie 'Babe' Williams, Grievance Committee: Married life is lots of fun / Two can sleep as cheap as one

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Hey There

One word sums it up: "Ole!"

Even with three numbers from the Broadway production missing, and even with some lyrics sanitized for middle-America, "The Pajama Game" remains one of the most successful stage-to-screen transitions. Except for Doris Day stepping in for Janis Paige, all the principals of the Broadway production are also aboard. You can compare for yourself Day's performance to Paige's (if you can get your hands on the original cast recording) but it's not hard to understand the producers' choice to go with at least one movie box office name. In old man Hasler's words, it's a "COMPROMISE!"

"The Pajama Game" is (with one unfortunate exception) unapologetically stagy. And why apologize? By keeping the feel of a stage production the movie preserves the flavor of the performances. Reta Shaw and Eddie Foy Jr. team up for a winning soft shoe routine in "I'll Never Be Jealous Again." "Racing With the Clock" benefits from dolly shots that open up the number without closing out the visual ironies.

The unfortunate exception is "Once a Year Day," which takes to the not-so-great outdoors to destroy a once-great production number. The legendary Bob Fosse choreography is badly served by a multiplicity of camera angles that actually dilute the dancing. Oh, well.

Luckily, there is "Steam Heat," completely undiluted, offering Fosse as one of the dancers.

I am now about to make myself feel very old by saying (oh, dear): They don't make 'em like this anymore. But, you see, they can't because Broadway doesn't make 'em like this anymore except in revival. Wait, let me sing it:

"The nostalgia game/ is the game I'm in/ And I'm proud to be/ in the nostalgia game/ I love it..."

And I love this movie. Don't miss it if you can.