Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Lost Musical Treasure - Damn Yankees, 14 Jan 2004
Damn Yankees turns the old Faustian tale upside down. Here the Devil's temptress is the sensational Gwen Verdon who frames a middle age baseball fan and transforms him into a super player on the opposing team, the Washington Senators. Funny, clever, and exceptional 1950s musical, Damn Yankees gives us one of the few film performances of the Broadway legend, Gwen Verdon, the highly acclaimed dancer wife of Bob Fosse. As the Devil's temptress, she reprises her Broadway show-stopper "Whatever Lola Wants", among other well staged musical song and dance numbers. Tab Hunter and Ray Walston co-star, but Gwen Verdon dominates the film. Gwen Verdon made up in talent what she lacked in looks, and regardless of the somewhat dated quality of the film, her performance alone makes this a must-have in any film collection. It is a shame this classic George Abbott and Stanley Donen musical has not been transferred to DVD, but VHS is better than nothing. Once seen Gwen Verdon is unforgettable, and for her performance alone the film is highly recommended.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fine showcase for a terrific Gwen Verdon, 27 Jul 2007
Joe Hardy is a fanatic, middle-aged Washington Senators baseball fan who makes a pact with the devil. In exchange for his soul (although there is a small escape clause). he'll become a 22-year-old savior of the Senators, the greatest long ball hitter in history, and he'll lead the team to a pennant. Later, young Hardy shows signs of yearning for the wife he left behind, so the Devil sends in Lola, his vamp supreme. But thanks to Joe's integrity, the escape clause, and after a number of song and dance numbers, things are put right for both Joe and the Senators.
The movie is an almost exact replica of the 1956 Broadway hit. Tab Hunter moved in as the young Joe, but everyone else reprised their stage roles -- and that's the reason to see or buy the DVD. Ray Walston plays Applegate, the devil, with barely contained glee. He's sly, unethical, untrustworthy and very funny. Best of all Gwen Verdon plays Lola, and she hits a home run with every number. She was a great dancer and a magnetic stage presence. I saw her do her stuff on stage once and it's a great memory. She had her big break in Can Can in 1954, then starred in three more shows during the Fifties. She won a Tony for each. She married Bob Fosse, retired, had a daughter, divorced Fosse. In 1966 she starred in Sweet Charity. And at 50, in 1975, she starred in Chicago. Believe me, she hadn't lost a thing. She was not the starlet type. She had a grainy, slightly smoky voice, and a personality that could range from gamin to raunchy. She could bring innocence to the most suggestive lyrics. As you can tell, I'm a fan.
The score for Damn Yankees is, in my view, better than average but not a classic. It includes "Whatever Lola Wants," "Two Lost Souls" and "Heart." Fosse did the choreography and dances with Verdon in one number, "Who's Got the Pain." It's a clever, fast routine and is a great showcase for them both.
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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Damn Yankees, 17 Jan 2006
Based on a Broadway musical this movie tells the story of an aging baseball fan that sells his soul to become a young ball player on his favorite team (Yankees). The younger player Joe Hardy (Tab Hunter) looks for a loophole in the contract. Mr. Appellate “the devil you say” (Ray Walston), tries to distract Joe by dispatching Lola (Gwen Verdon)a female vamp who sings "What Lola Wants, Lola Gets", yet she ends up helping him. The details of the story and the songs make the movie. Naturally some of the songs from the musical did not make it to the movie.
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