Chief amongst the joys for me in watching Pal Joey are seeing Rita Hayworth before her beauty took a precipitous fall to age and disease. Kim Novak is another issue. Novak simpering innocence doesn't translate well into a song bird. I can't say I blame Mrs. Simpson for wanting her out of the show. Some of Hayworth's singing is dubbed as are Novak's, same for our funny valentine.
Production design is simple and elegant.
Originally created from the stories of John O'Hara with songs and music by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart for the Broadway stage, Pal Joey made it to the screen under the helm of veteran director George Sidney. Sidney, who guided Judy Garland through the paces in Harvey Girls, knows how to make the most of available talent. The songs are given clean simple editing to deliver maximum impact. Transfer elements are in lovely condition with no evident color fading or instability. The anamorphic picture is sharp with no unsightly edge enhancement.