The Pajama Game (1957)

An Iowa pajama factory worker falls in love with an affable superintendent who had been hired by the factory's boss to help oppose the workers' demand for a pay raise.

Directors:

George Abbott, Stanley Donen

Writers:

George Abbott (screenplay), Richard Bissell (screenplay)

Stars:

Doris Day, John Raitt, Carol Haney

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Doris Day	...	Babe Williams
John Raitt	...	Sid Sorokin
Carol Haney	...	Gladys Hotchkiss
Eddie Foy Jr.	...	Vernon Hines
Reta Shaw	...	Mabel
Barbara Nichols	...	Poopsie
Thelma Pelish	...	Mae
Jack Straw	...	Prez
Ralph Dunn	...	Myron Hasler
Owen Martin	...	Max
Jackie Kelk	...	First Helper
Ralph W. Chambers	...	Charlie (as Ralph Chambers)
Mary Stanton	...	Brenda
Buzz Miller	...	Dancer
Kenneth LeRoy	...	Dancer

Storyline

Employees of the Sleeptite Pajama Factory are looking for a whopping seven-and-a-half cent an hour increase and they won't take no for an answer. Babe Williams is their feisty employee representative but she may have found her match in shop superintendent Sid Sorokin. When the two get together they wind up discussing a whole lot more than job actions!

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Plot Keywords:

factory | based on stage musical | clothing industry | based on novel | workers' rights | 

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Taglines:

Doris Day as 'Babe' and the wonderful cast of the Broadway play!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the main problems in the factory is that the workers want a 7-1/2 cent raise and are willing to go on strike to get it. Nowadays this doesn't seem like much, but the average mill/garment worker in 1954 (when the play was written) made on average about $1.25 an hour, or about $50 a week. The raise would add $3.00 to each paycheck, so the 7-1/2 cents would be about a 16% increase.

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Goofs

Pepsi-Cola machine next to stairway in factory changes: In earlier scene, it is large unobstructed dispenser with lit sign on side; a few days later, when Babe and co-workers are lunching nearby, it is much smaller, with no side lighting and racks for empty bottles on side.

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Quotes

[Union leaders try to think of ways to disrupt the pajama factory]
Brenda: How about if the packers put the size large bottoms with the size small tops?
Prez: Sure. Now, that's what I mean. That's constructive.

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Connections

Referenced in Only Fools and Horses: Tea for Three (1986)

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Soundtracks

Small Talk
Written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross
Performed by Doris Day, John Raitt and Ensemble

User Reviews

A wonderful almost forgotten musical

The 1957 film version of the Broadway musical THE PAJAMA GAME is one of the best translations of a stage musical to the screen ever. The screen version is extremely loyal to its origins, utilizing almost all of the original Broadway cast (except for Janis Paige, who lost the role of Babe to 50's box office powerhouse Doris Day)and keeping most of the original score intact (only one song "Hers Is" was not used in the film and a song written especially for Doris for the film, ended up being cut). This delightfully original musical centers around the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory where the head of the grievance committee (Doris) is trying to negotiate a 7 and a 1/2 cent raise for the factory workers by butting heads with the new factory supervisor (John Raitt, reprising his Broadway role)but eventually falling for him. Musicals were past their prime by the time this one made it to the screen, but it is still beautifully mounted and has some of the greatest songs in musical comedy ("Hey, There", "I'm not at all in love", "There Once was a Man"). Day and Raitt make an engaging screen couple (Day has rarely been so adult or sexy on screen) and the imaginative choreography by the legendary Bob Fosse is a big plus. Carol Haney's "Steam Heat" is classic Fosse and one of the highlights of this wonderful stage musical that inexplicably died at the box office upon release. A great musical that is a must for Day and Fosse fans.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 December 1957 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

The Pajama Game

Filming Locations:

Hollenbeck Park - 415 S. St. Louis Street, Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (WarnerColor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1