Damn Yankees

Thankfully unlike other movies that I remembered seeing years ago this one lived up to expectations with Ray Walston as the Devil stealing the show.

Ray Walston is perfect as the endearingly likable devil, Gwen Virdon is teriffic as Lola the vamp and Tab Hunter is perfectly believable as Joe Hardy. Great dancing, great songs "Gotta have heart," "Whatever Lola Wants" and "Two Lost Souls" great love story and great actual shots of Mickey Mantle and Gil MacDougald in action makes for a winner.

I bought this DVD just because I'm a great baseball fan (hate the Yanks) and music is a very special part of my life. The first time I saw this movie I fell in love with Gwen Verdon who made a flowless and immense job. Do you know why? She owned the whole play. As simple as that!

Pardon the expression, but Damn Yankees is funny as hell, filled with devilish humor and great music! I think I like it better even than Cabaret and Chicago, two other great Fosse musicals. Ray Walston and Gwen Verdon sizzle as the horned one and his temptress. They could have done better than Tab Hunter as Joe, but he does a fine job. The movie was made in 1958 but it doesn't seem dated because it's dealing with universal themes. Watch it and laugh and sing!

Damn Yankees is a peculiar, dated musical which probably was a lot better on stage than in movie version, however there are some cute numbers and engaging performances by wily Ray Walston and a strapping, earnest Tab Hunter.

The real star of the show (check out the Trailer and you'll see how heavily reliant the studio was on her!) is Gwen Verdon and the choreography of her partner, Bob Fosse. Gwen's breathtaking in every moment she has...and this one is worth having in yoru collection if only for having her incredible talent preserved on film in your library! It's too bad more of her magic moments were captured onscreen for posterity. She was truly one in a million!