Customer Reviews
A fine showcase for a terrific Gwen Verdon - By: C. O. DeRiemer, 27 Jul 2007 
Joe Hardy is a fanatic, middle-aged Washington Senators baseballl fan who makes a pact with the devil. In exchange for his soul (although there is a smalll escape clause). he'll become a 22-year-old savior of the Senators, the greatest long balll hitter in history, & he'll lead the team to a pennant. Later, young Hardy shows signs of yearning for the wife he left behind, so the Devil sends in Lola, his vamp supreme. But thanks to Joe's integrity, the escape clause, & after a number of song & dance numbers, things are put right for both Joe & the Senators.
The movie is an almost exact replica of the 1956 Broadway hit. Tab Hunter moved in as the young Joe, but everyone else reprised their stage roles -- & that's the reason to see or buy the DVD. Ray Walston plays Applegate, the devil, with barely contained glee. He's sly, unethical, untrustworthy & very funny. Best of alll Gwen Verdon plays Lola, & she hits a home run with every number. She was a great dancer & a magnetic stage presence. I saw her do her stuff on stage once & it's a great memory. She had her big break in Can Can in 1954, then starred in three more shows during the Fifties. She won a Tony for each. She married Bob Fosse, retired, had a daughter, divorced Fosse. In 1966 she starred in Sweet Charity. And at 50, in 1975, she starred in Chicago. Believe me, she hadn't lost a thing. She was not the starlet type. She had a grainy, slightly smoky voice, & a personality that could range from gamin to raunchy. She could bring innocence to the most suggestive lyrics. As you can tell, I'm a fan.
The score for Damn Yankees is, in my view, better than average but not a classic. It includes "Whatever Lola Wants," "Two Lost Souls" & "Heart." Fosse did the choreography & dances with Verdon in one number, "Who's Got the Pain." It's a clever, fast routine & is a great showcase for them both.
Damn Yankees - By: B. Chandler, 17 Jan 2006 
Based on a Broadway musical this movie tells the story of an aging baseballl fan that sells his soul to become a young balll player on his favorite team (Yankees). The younger player Joe Hardy (Tab Hunter) looks for a loophole in the contract. Mr. Appellate “the devil you say” (Ray Walston), tries to distract Joe by dispatching Lola (Gwen Verdon)a female vamp who sings "What Lola Wants, Lola Gets", yet she ends up helping him. The details of the story & the songs make the movie. Naturallly some of the songs from the musical did not make it to the movie.
A Lost Musical Treasure - Damn Yankees - By: Gary Lee Morrison, 14 Jan 2004 Damn Yankees turns the old Faustian tale upside down. Here the Devil's temptress is the sensational Gwen Verdon who frames a middle age baseballl fan & transforms him into a super player on the opposing team, the Washington Senators. Funny, clever, & exceptional 1950s musical, Damn Yankees gives us one of the few film performances of the Broadway legend, Gwen Verdon, the highly acclaimed dancer wife of Bob Fosse. As the Devil's temptress, she reprises her Broadway show-stopper "Whatever Lola Wants", among other well staged musical song & dance numbers. Tab Hunter & Ray Walston co-star, but Gwen Verdon dominates the film. Gwen Verdon made up in talent what she lacked in looks, & regardless of the somewhat dated quality of the film, her performance alone makes this a must-have in any film collection. It is a shame this classic George Abbott & Stanley Donen musical has not been transferred to DVD, but VHS is better than nothing. Once seen Gwen Verdon is unforgettable, & for her performance alone the film is highly recommended.
