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The Pajama Game (film)

The Pajama Game is a 1957 American musical film based on the 1954 stage musical of the same name, itself based on the 1953 novel 7½ Cents by Richard Pike Bissell. The film was produced and directed by George Abbott and Stanley Donen, with most Broadway cast members repeating their roles in the movie with the notable exception of star Doris Day. The choreography is by Bob Fosse, who also staged the dances for the Broadway production.

This article is about the 1957 film. For other uses, see The Pajama Game (disambiguation).

The Pajama Game

George Abbott
Richard Bissell

novel by Richard Bissell

George Abbott
Stanley Donen

Warner Bros.

  • August 29, 1957 (1957-08-29)

101 minutes

United States

English

$2.5 million (US rentals)[1]

Production[edit]

The principal cast of the Broadway musical repeated their roles for the movie, with the exception of Janis Paige, whose role is played by Doris Day; and Stanley Prager, whose role is played by Jack Straw.


As recounted in 2016 by Paige, the studio desired to use as many members of the Broadway cast as possible. But one of the leads had to be a movie star. She said that the male lead, played by Raitt, was originally offered to Frank Sinatra. Had he accepted the role, Paige said, she would have played the part that was given to Doris Day.[2]


In this film, the calendar behind Sid Sorokin's desk while he sings "Hey There" shows July 1954.

Hey There

2006: – Nominated[6]

AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals

The film has a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[3]


At the time of its release, it received a favorable review by Bosley Crowther of The New York Times. He compared the film favorably to the Broadway stage version, and said the film is "as good as it was on the stage, which was quite good enough for many thousand happy customers over a period of a couple of years. It is fresh, funny, lively and tuneful. Indeed, in certain respects—such as when they all go on the factory picnic—it is even more lively than it was on the stage."[4]


The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

List of American films of 1957

The Pajama Game (album)

at IMDb

The Pajama Game

at Rotten Tomatoes

The Pajama Game