What Lola Wants (1958)
"Damn Yankees!" (original title)

Film adaptation of the George Abbott Broadway musical about a Washington Senators fan who makes a pact with the Devil to help his baseball team win the league pennant.

Directors:

George Abbott, Stanley Donen

Writers:

George Abbott (screenplay), George Abbott (book),

Stars:

Tab Hunter, Gwen Verdon, Ray Walston

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Tab Hunter	...	Joe Hardy
Gwen Verdon	...	Lola
Ray Walston	...	Mr. Applegate
Russ Brown	...	Benny Van Buren
Shannon Bolin	...	Mrs. Meg Boyd
Nathaniel Frey	...	Smokey
James Komack	...	Rocky
Rae Allen	...	Gloria Thorpe
Robert Shafer	...	Joe Boyd
Jean Stapleton	...	Sister Miller
Albert Linville	...	Vernon
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William Adams	...	Yankees team owner
Roy Sievers	...	Joe Hardy - #2 - Washington Senators (archive footage)

Storyline

Film adaptation of the George Abbott Broadway musical about a Washington Senators fan who makes a pact with the Devil to help his baseball team win the league pennant.

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Plot Keywords:

devil | baseball | baseball comissioner | scandal | based on stage musical based on book | 

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Taglines:

It's a picture in a million! Starring that girl in a million, the red-headed darling of the Broadway show, Gwen Verdon!

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Sport

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 March 1959 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Brincadeiras do Diabo

Filming Locations:

Stage 11, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, George Abbott and Stanley Donen Production, A

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first film of Jean Stapleton.

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Goofs

When Joe appears in his first game as a pinch-hitter, he hits a home run on an 0-1 pitch. As he rounds the bases, he is met at home by a few teammates. While shaking their hands, he clearly misses touching home plate.

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Quotes

Meg Boyd: Now, my friends Sister and Doris, they like baseball... but they don't suffer so!

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Connections

Referenced in The Bite (1989)

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Soundtracks

"Shoeless Joe From Hannibal, Mo"
Music by Richard Adler
Lyrics by Jerry Ross
Performed by Rae Allen and Baseball Players

User Reviews

Stagy but entertaining

The smash hit Broadway musical Damn Yankees was transferred to the screen with all but one of its original Broadway cast, its original director, and its original choreographer intact. This has both good and bad consequences. The good is that the great performances of the cast and the dynamic, sexy choreography of a young Bob Fosse are preserved for posterity. Although top billing is given to the one non-Broadway holdover, Tab Hunter, the real star of the film is the incredible Gwen Verdon recreating her spellbinding, Tony-winning turn as Lola. With comic timing, energy, sex appeal and incredible dancing ability to spare, it's impossible to succumb to her charms when she takes the stage... er, screen in her numbers "A Little Brains, A Little Talent," "Who's Got the Pain" (In a delightful pairing with Fosse himself), "Two Lost Souls," and especially the classic "Whatever Lola Wants," and, as another reviewer noted, it's amazing that this didn't lead to a longer and more rewarding movie career. She had a brilliant career for years after on Broadway but it still is a shame that more of her work wasn't preserved. Ray Walston is hammy but devishly (Sorry about the pun) delightful as Applegate, and the supporting cast, including Jean Stapleton, is all fine. Nobody can really sing, but they inject the performances of their songs with such zest, energy and sweet sincerity that it doesn't really matter. The only problem is that, even though George Abbot, the original Broadway director, is paired witht he more cinematically knowledgeable Stanley Donen, everything is very stagey and there isn't much effort to open the action out. But when Verdon is working her magic, it's pretty hard to care, so that seems like a stupid quibble. So kick back, relax and enjoy Damn Yankees. It may not be the most inventive movie musical ever, but it's got a little brians, a little talent, plenty of heart, and Gwen Verdon. Who could ask for anything more?