The Pajama Game

The Pajama Game (1957)

Director: George Abbott, Stanley Donen

Writer: George Abbott (book and screenplay), Richard Bissell

Starring: Doris Day, John Raitt, and a bunch of other people

Synopsis

a musical set around a pajama factory, the people who work there, and their union fight over a 7.5¢ raise. bob fosse choreography

MOster

This is the sort of musical I'd been expecting.  Plenty of big numbers and dancing and singing and harmonies and humor.  The notion of this pajama factory owner pinching on such a small raise seems ridiculous, but $2.80 was a lot of money 60 years ago.  There were some interesting internal things with the superintendent dude uncovering an important secret, but at the end of the day that just played into the standard storyline.

But the standard storyline was fun, and the actors were all above average.  I like how Doris Day is cute--but not hot--and gets the guy because she's also actually smart and independent.  Speaking of "unlike Funny Face," the musical numbers were really cool here with good ensemble work balancing out the duets and plenty of tricksy work on all sides of the camera.  More of the lines were funnier and the comedy was the good kind of risque.  

I had a good time watching this movie.  Again it's not high art or anything, and of course by the end of the day we learn that one plus one does in fact equal two.  But so what?

The Woman

this was way better than any of the 3 or four movies we've watched in the past couple of weeks. it was everything a musical should be which is campy and lots of ensemble and funny supporting cast numbers. the plot was a little fast, but hey, you gotta fit a musical in an hour and a half right? so they fall in love in twenty, and then relationship drama, until everything works out great at the end. yeah for musicals.