The 1953 musical Fred Astair musical "The Band Wagon" depicts an unsuccessful attempt to stage a Broadway Musical based upon Faust. However, in 1955 George Abbott did exactly that, successfully, with "Damn Yankee". This, the subsequent movie version, replicates that Broadway hit. In this case, one thing that the producer did right was to retain the original stars of the stage version, Gwen Verdon and Ray Walston, both of whom stole the show on stage and do so again on screen.
The story involves a middle-aged die-hard fan of a losing baseball team who sells his soul to the Devil for the chance to win the pennant for his beloved Washington Senators (a real baseball team in the 1950s, although they no longer exist today).
Most of all, "Damn Yankees" provides an opportunity to see the great Gwen Verdon in her prime. Although Gwen Verdon was a major star on the Broadway stage for many years, she rarely appeared in motion pictures and this is one of the few instances where she can be seen, including a memorable number with Bob Fosse, her future husband and one of Broadway's greatest choreographers and directors. For that alone, "Damn Yankees" is definitely worth a look.
The story involves a middle-aged die-hard fan of a losing baseball team who sells his soul to the Devil for the chance to win the pennant for his beloved Washington Senators (a real baseball team in the 1950s, although they no longer exist today).
Most of all, "Damn Yankees" provides an opportunity to see the great Gwen Verdon in her prime. Although Gwen Verdon was a major star on the Broadway stage for many years, she rarely appeared in motion pictures and this is one of the few instances where she can be seen, including a memorable number with Bob Fosse, her future husband and one of Broadway's greatest choreographers and directors. For that alone, "Damn Yankees" is definitely worth a look.