Tonight's Movie: The Pajama Game (1957) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

One of my all-time favorite musicals, THE PAJAMA GAME (1957), has just been released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive, and it's never looked better.

I most recently saw THE PAJAMA GAME at UCLA's Billy Wilder Theater in 2018.  At that time Warner Bros. was working to clear tangled rights issues; I'm not certain whether they only related to theatrical screenings, as a DVD has long been available -- which was reissued by the Warner Archive in 2019 -- but we were told that UCLA had to write checks to 11 different entities in order to show the movie that night!

When I saw the movie then, for the first time in years, I termed it "pure joy," and it certainly is.  I was more than ready to revisit again now, just two and a half years later.  I especially value films which lift the spirits, as we approach nearly a year of being "locked down," and THE PAJAMA GAME is an absolute jolt of sunshine.

THE PAJAMA GAME has a fairly unique setting and story, as pajama factory superintendent Sid (John Raitt) and union rep Babe (Doris Day) find love, which is threatened by an employee strike for a seven and a half cent an hour pay increase.

That's pretty much the entire story, but oh, what fun!  The score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross is one of my all-time favorites, with song after song bringing a big smile to my face: "I'm Not At All In Love," "Hey There," "Hernando's Hideaway," and "Small Talk." Few musical scenes rival "There Once Was a Man" for pure happy...unless it's this musical's "Once a Year Day"!

I love Day and Raitt together; Raitt and a majority of the cast were imported from the Broadway production, with Doris replacing original cast member Janis Paige, who had costarred in Doris's very first movie, ROMANCE ON THE HIGH SEAS (1948).

It's no surprise that Day absolutely nails the role, and I really like her pairing with Raitt. Some critics complain he wasn't movie material, but I think he's terrific.  His "dictaphone duet" during "Hey There" is another high point.

The supporting cast includes Carol Haney, Reta Shaw, Barbara Nichols, and Eddie Foy Jr.

THE PAJAMA GAME was directed by George Abbott and Stanley Donen.  It was filmed by Harry Stradling Sr..  The running time is 101 quick minutes.

A fun note about "Once a Year Day," which was filmed in Hollenbeck Park here in Southern California: Most of the number is carefully shot to avoid the palm trees, which would be out of place in the film's Midwest setting, but if a viewer looks closely they can be spotted here and there.

The colors really pop on the Warner Archive's new Blu-ray; during the opening credits I might have exclaimed "Wow!"  This film has not always been shown in the best-looking prints, and it really looks -- and sounds -- great.

Extras on Warner Archive's Blu-ray are the trailer, a deleted song, and a song selection menu.  

I love this movie so much that I'd also like to suggest readers check out Glenn Erickson's rave review; he begins, "New superlatives are needed to express just how good is this wonderful Americana musical..."  Every paragraph which follows brims with enthusiasm.

THE PAJAMA GAME is most highly recommended.  Smiles guaranteed.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from the WBShop or from any online retailers where Blu-rays are sold. 

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