Damn Yankees (film)
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| Damn Yankees | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | George Abbott Stanley Donen |
| Produced by | George Abbott Stanley Donen Harold Prince (Associate Producer) Robert E. Griffith (Associate Producer) |
| Written by | George Abbott (play) Douglass Wallop (play & novel) |
| Starring | Tab Hunter Gwen Verdon Ray Walston |
| Music by | Richard Adler Jerry Ross |
| Cinematography | Harold Lipstein |
| Editing by | Frank Bracht |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | September 26, 1958 |
| Running time | 111 min. |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Damn Yankees is a 1958 musical film made by Warner Bros., a modern version of the Faust legend set in 1950 involving the New York Yankees baseball team. The film is based on the 1955 Broadway musical of the same name.
The film version was directed by George Abbott, as he did the earlier stage version, with assistance from Stanley Donen. With the exception of Tab Hunter in the role of Joe Hardy (replacing Stephen Douglass), the Broadway principals reprised their stage roles. The film is very similar to the stage version. A notable difference between film and stage versions, however, was Gwen Verdon's performance of the song, “A Little Brains”. For the film version, Verdon’s suggestive hip-movements (as choreographed by Bob Fosse and performed on stage) were considered too risqué for a mainstream American film in 1958, and so, in the film , she simply pauses at these points. Similarly, the film was released in the United Kingdom under the title What Lola Wants, to avoid use of the word "Damn" on posters, hoardings and cinema marquees.
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[edit] Plot synopsis
Joe Boyd, a middle-aged fan of the Washington Senators baseball team, wishes he could help out his hapless team. His wishes suddenly come true when "Mr. Applegate" magically appears, and offers to turn old Joe into a young baseball slugger "Joe Hardy", with the catch that he must give his soul to Applegate and leave his beloved wife Meg. Joe agrees, but with an escape clause: by a certain time he can renounce the deal and return to his wife and former life.
As young Joe becomes a star on the Washington Senators, he misses his wife and wants to return. Applegate has "Lola", another of his "Lost Souls", seduce Joe and convince him to stay with Applegate ("Whatever Lola Wants"). Joe misses the deadline and appears to be lost forever, but Lola helps him. He both helps the Senators beat the New York Yankees and break the spell and return home.
[edit] Cast (principals)
- Joe Hardy -- Tab Hunter
- Lola -- Gwen Verdon
- Mr. Applegate -- Ray Walston
- Benny Van Buren -- Russ Brown
- Joe Boyd -- Robert Shafer
- Mrs. Meg Boyd -- Shannon Bolin
- Sister Miller -- Jean Stapleton
- Gloria Thorpe -- Rae Allen
- Mambo Dancer (uncredited)-- Bob Fosse
- Uncredited in archive footage: Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Bill Skowron, and other New York Yankees baseball players, Art Passarella (umpire)
[edit] Song list
- "Six Months out of Every Year"--Joe Hardy, Meg Boyd and chorus
- "Goodbye Old Girl"--Joe Boyd
- "Heart"--Van Buren, Smokey, Rocky
- "Shoeless Joe"--Gloria
- "Whatever Lola Wants" --Lola
- "A Little Brains"--Lola
- "Those Were the Good Old Days" --Mr. Applegate
- "Who's Got the Pain"--Lola and Mambo dancer (Bob Fosse)
- "Two Lost Souls"--Lola and Joe Hardy
- "There's Something About An Empty Chair (reprise)--Joe Boyd and Meg Boyd
[edit] Awards and nominations
- Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture--Ray Heindorf (nominated)
- BAFTA Film Award
- Most Promising Newcomer -- Gwen Verdon (nominated)
- Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures (nominated)
- Best Motion Picture - Musical (nominated)
- Best Written American Musical--George Abbott (nominated)
