How Frank Sinatra transformed a cynical stage anti-hero into a charming 1957 film success

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The 1957 musical Pal Joey turned a biting stage play into a box-office hit, largely by softening its protagonist. While the original Joey Evans was a cynical anti-hero, Frank Sinatra’s version became a likable, bouncy character. The film’s success was so profound that Sinatra even opened a restaurant named after it.

The transition from stage to screen involved significant creative shifts. Originally a 1940 Broadway musical featuring a 28-year-old Gene Kelly as a dancer, the film cast a 42-year-old Frank Sinatra in a role that moved the setting from Chicago to San Francisco. Screenwriter Dorothy Kingsley and assistant Lilian Burns fought to secure Sinatra for the part, despite his well-known feud with studio head Harry Cohn. The final product diverged sharply from the stage version: the film removed a blackmail subplot, cut the character of Melba, and transformed the ending from a lonely conclusion into a happy resolution.

Production was a unique affair, with director George Sidney accommodating Sinatra’s preference for working from the afternoon until early morning. The film’s musical landscape was also heavily curated, featuring arrangements by Nelson Riddle. While the film utilized Rodgers and Hart standards like 'The Lady Is a Tramp', the soundtrack was complex; Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak were both dubbed, by Jo Ann Greer and Trudy Stevens respectively. Interestingly, some soundtrack album recordings differed from the versions actually heard in the film, which were recorded in true stereo at Columbia Pictures studios.

Upon its October 25, 1957 release, the film was a commercial triumph, earning $4.7 million in theatrical rentals across the United States and Canada and $7 million worldwide. It was ranked among the 10 highest-earning films of 1957. Critics praised Sinatra’s performance, with The New York Times noting that he carried the show. Today, the film maintains an 89% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, recognized for its slick, song-driven appeal, even as it traded the original stage play's sharp, cynical bite for a more palatable, charismatic narrative.

Behind the scenes, the film’s billing reflected the shifting power dynamics of Hollywood. Despite Sinatra being the bigger star, he deferred top billing to Rita Hayworth, who had been the face of Columbia Pictures since 1944. Sinatra famously quipped that he did not mind being 'stuck in the middle' of a sandwich between Hayworth and Kim Novak. This professional success was personal for Sinatra, who used his earnings to purchase a home in Palm Springs, cementing the film's legacy in his own life.

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