HotToastyRag The Pajama Game has some really cute songs, but most people who aren't musical aficionados haven't even heard of it. The major problem with it is the actual story; it's not at all interesting. A new foreman in a factory doesn't want to give his workers a raise so they go on strike. If there weren't any songs, it would be a terrible movie.Thankfully, there are songs, and there are Doris Day and John Raitt to sing them! Almost all of the songs are engrossing, so you'll probably find yourself forgetting there's a non-singing story in-between the numbers. Doris is adorable when she sings "I'm Not At All In Love", John's voice shines out as he sings "Hey There", and the two of them are dynamite during the romantic duet "There Once Was a Man". I don't own the movie, but I do have the soundtrack, which is very fun to listen to! Even the supporting characters have their own delightful songs, like Carol Haney's "Hernando's Hideaway" and Eddie Foy Jr.'s "I'll Never Be Jealous Again". The Pajama Game is a very cute movie with some funny jokes thrown into the lyrics and great chemistry between the two leads. If you like musicals but haven't seen this one yet, definitely check it out. It's best kept for the spring or summer, since there's a fun scene at the annual fair and everyone frolics in the sunshine.

classicalsteve Most of the film-goers of the early 21st century don't realize probably the biggest film and music star of the 1950's was Doris Day. Doris Day's music albums sold more copies than any other artist's music during the period (even Elvis Presley), and her films were some of the most popular, beating out Marilyn Monroe by leaps and bounds. (It wasn't until after her death that Monroe became the most iconic female movie star of the era, overshadowing Day.) Doris Day was the perpetual Hollywood virgin, the direct antithesis of Marilyn Monroe.The Pajama Game is typical Doris Day musical fair, a film version of the Broadway hit musical. Workers at a clothing factory which produce, you guessed it, sleepwear, are tired of the bad working conditions and low pay. Katherine "Babe" Williams (Doris Day) is one of the factory workers but she's also involved with the union leadership which threatens to strike if working conditions aren't improved and they don't receive a raise to bring them in line with industry standards. Enter Sid Sorokin (John Raitt), the new floor manager. Day and Raitt begin to fall in love (no surprise there), but they're on opposite sides of the dispute: Day on the worker's side and Raitt on the management side.The typical Hollywood "W", a shape representing the up's and down's of a story, forms how the storyline progresses. At first things begin to get better for everyone involved with the arrival of Raitt as a good floor manager. However, when their requests are still not met, Day and her fellow workers begin to pull stunts of sorts to compel the management to agree to their demands. However, Raitt asserts his authority on the worker's floor and Day is forced to take the other side. All the while, the head honcho of the factory, Myron Hasler, has no intention of bending to the will of the factory workers in stereotypical fashion.Overall, the Pajama Game is really designed for the hardcore and fiercely loyal Doris Day fan. The music is a bit corny and the dance sequences go on way too long. Sure, there's nothing offensive about the Pajama Game, as the point it makes about workers and management is not terribly deep. The ending is as you would expect it, although there's a kind of fashion show at the end which is certainly cute. Even by Doris Day standards, this isn't one of her better offerings.

preppy-3 Employees at the Sleeptite Pajama Factory are ready to go on strike if they don't get a raise of (get this) 7 1/2 cents an hour! A new manager (played by John Raitt--Bonnie's dad) is hired to cool things down and falls in love with one of the employees (Doris Day). But will the salary dispute tear them apart?The plot is OK and some of the dated aspects are amusing--the 7 1/2 cent raise and a company picnic that offers free beer! The songs are great (I love "Hernando's Hideaway" and "Hey There"), Raitt and Day can sing beautifully and the production numbers are full of energy and color. The only negatives here are that Raitt and Day have zero sexual chemistry together and Raitt isn't the best actor...but when he sings all is forgiven. For some reason this is pretty unknown but it's a very good 50s musical.

mark.waltz With practically the entire original Broadway cast present, this movie version of the smash hit 1954 Broadway musical is a fun-filled, dance heavy extravaganza that goes to the heart of America and covers topics still dealt with today. Factory workers are demanding a 7 and half cent hour raise and union representatives fight management in order to get it. They are lead by the tough Babe (Doris Day, taking over the role created by her former/future co-star Janis Paige) who falls head over heels for the handsome Sid (John Raitt) who is the new superintendent and doesn't want to waste time on "Small Talk". Jealous floor manager Hinsey (Eddie Foy Jr.) fights his urge to distrust his lady love (Carol Haney), but like all other musical comedy's, love conquers all and issues are wrapped up in a neat manner.From the moment Day cracks, "Love, are you nuts?", you know she's hooked on the masculine Raitt who finally gets to repeat a stage role after being overlooked for "Carousel". More plucky than normal, Day was the obvious choice for "star name" for the female lead, but don't feel sorry for the talented Ms. Paige; The very same year, she got to sing and dance with Fred Astaire in "Silk Stockings", praising the benefits of glorious Technicolor, breathtaking Cinemascope, and stereophonic sound. To show there were no hurt feelings, Paige (who had earlier worked with Day in "Romance on the High Seas") took on a major part a few years later as the flirtatious Broadway star who comes between Day and husband David Niven in "Please Don't Eat the Daisies".This is a fantastic score by Adler and Ross ("Damn Yankees"), and a glorious slew of production numbers will thrill you, from the company picnic ("Once a Year Day") to the very Fosse-esque "Hernando's Hideaway" ("Hey Buddy, this ain't Poopsie!") and finally "Steam Heat" where elements of Fosse's later hit "Chicago" are seen with the dance involving Fosse's trademark hat. A glorious supporting cast shines, particularly Foy and the lovable Reta Shaw in a soft-shoe duet, "I'll Never Be Jealous Again". The wonderful Barbara Nichols also appears to good advantage, as does the portly Thelma Pelish. Haney, in her only major movie role, steals every scene she's in.Most musicals transfer to the screen with the best elements taken out, but with most of the original creative team involved (including legendary Broadway director George Abbott), a love letter to what makes Broadway great was written for audiences to enjoy. While some of the elements are definitely more suited for the 1950's, this is the perfect time capsule piece to show what American culture was best at portraying, and the combination of toughness and innocence in every aspect makes this an absolute pleasure.