History Theatre / DamnYankees

The plot is a retelling of the classic [[Myth/{{Faust}} Faust legend]] set in 1950s Washington, D.C. It begins with the forty-something, baseball-obsessed Joe Boyd at home one evening, watching his beloved Washington Senators lose to the hated New York Yankees (yet again) on television while ignoring his wife Meg. When she eventually retires and he continues reflecting on the Senators, a mysterious gentleman suddenly appears to him, introducing himself as Applegate. Applegate offers Joe the fulfillment of his dreams: not only to have his favorite Senators win the pennant, but to lead them to the championship himself. Joe agrees, but only after negotiating an "escape clause" giving him the option to change his mind by September 24, near the end of the baseball season. After penning a goodbye note for his wife, Joe leaves his house suddenly twenty years younger.

* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: Applegate clothing usually has a red theme to it. Lola is wears some red and has red hair.

* PepTalkSong: "(You Gotta Have) Heart", performed by Senators manager Van Buren to his team.

-->You've seen the sign that says George Washington once slept here,\\

Guess who was beside him?

-->-- '''"(You Gotta Have) Heart"'''

-->-- '''"Heart"'''

* PepTalkSong: "Heart"

The next day, Washington is leading New York four to three. Applegate, more determined than ever to make Joe lose, uses his powers to turn Joe back into his old self while he is racing to catch a ball in the outfield. Joe miraculously manages to catch the ball, securing victory for the Senators, but as the champions celebrate, Joe Hardy is nowhere to be found. He is, of course, Joe Boyd once more, and free to return to his wife's lonely arms. As Joe and Meg embrace and sing, Applegate appears again, promising Joe forgiveness and offering him a second chance to be a baseball hero, but his pleas fall on deaf ears.

* GeorgeWashingtonSleptHere: It mentions this in Lola's song "A Little Brains--A Little Talent," in a joke that had to be {{Bowdlerise}}d out of the film version:

Well tho' nobody spied him\\

* IAmSong: "A Little Brains, a Little Talent" for Lola

* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Lola eventually falls in love with Joe, but knowing that his heart belongs to his wife, she aids him in helping the Senators win the World Series, keeping both his soul and his wife.

* TheVillainSucksSong: about the titular Yankees, because baseball is SeriousBusiness

* TheDevilIsALoser: Midway through the film, Applegate admits that he doesn't have very many magical powers; "It's mostly just the [[FingerSnapLighter cigarette trick]]," and he's trying to quit smoking. Otherwise, he has to buy his own costumes and do all his own legwork the old-fashioned way. One scene has him calling Lola by payphone and then using his powers to get his coins back. He needs them!

* TheDevilIsALoser: Midway through the film, Applegate admits that he doesn't have very many magical powers; "It's mostly just the [[FingerSnapLighter cigarette trick]]," and he's trying to quit smoking. Otherwise, he has to buy his own costumes and do all the leg work the old-fashioned way. One scene has him calling Lola by payphone and then using his powers to get his coins back. He needs them!

* TheDevilIsALoser: Midway through the film, Applegate admits that he doesn't have very many magical powers. "It's mostly just the [[FingerSnapLighter cigarette trick]]," and he's trying to quit smoking. Otherwise, he has to buy his own costumes and do all the leg work the old-fashioned way. One scene has him calling Lola by payphone and then using his powers to get his coins back. He needs them!

* IntrepidReporter: Gloria Thorpe. When Joe shows up and starts making a huge difference with the Washington Senator, she becomes determined to know who he is and is made suspicious by his lack of a backstory.

''Damn Yankees'' is a 1955 [[TheMusical musical]] with book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop (based on Wallop's novel ''The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant'') and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross (who also wrote ''Theatre/ThePajamaGame'').

The next day, Washington is leading New York four to three. Applegate, more determined than ever to make Joe lose, uses his powers to turn Joe back into his old self while he is racing to catch a ball in the outfield. Joe miraculously manages to catch the ball, securing victory for the Senators, but as the champions celebrate, Joe Hardy is nowhere to be found. He is, of course, Joe Boyd once again, and free to return to his wife's lonely arms. As Joe and Meg embrace and sing, Applegate appears again, promising Joe forgiveness and offering him a second chance to be a baseball hero, but his pleas fall on deaf ears.

The next day, Washington is leading New York four to three. Applegate, more determined than ever to make Joe lose, uses his powers to turn Joe back into his old self while he is racing to catch a ball in the outfield. Joe miraculously manages to catch the ball, securing victory for the Senators, but as the champions celebrate, Joe Hardy is nowhere to be found. He is, of course, Joe Boyd once again, and free to return to his wife's lonely arms. As Joe and Meg embrace and sing, Applegate appears again, promising him forgiveness and offers him a second chance to be a baseball hero, but his pleas fall on deaf ears.

As the hearings drag on through the second-to-last day of the season, Joe comes close to exercising his escape clause and thereby redeeming his soul, when Meg and her friends rush into court and testify that they knew Joe Hardy as a boy in his hometown. Lola, having fallen out of Applegate's favor, comforts the vindicated but dejected Joe, and confides to him that she's as much of a lost soul as he is now.

Adapted into a 1958 Creator/WarnerBros film, directed by George Abbott and Stanley Donen and starring Tab Hunter as Joe Hardy. It differs slightly from the plot of the original Broadway production but keeps choreographer Creator/BobFosse and most of the original cast, including Gwen Verdon as Lola, Creator/RayWalston as Applegate, Robert Shafer as Boyd, Shannon Bolin as Meg, Russ Brown as Van Buren, and Rae Allen as Gloria.

Adapted into a 1958 Creator/WarnerBros film, directed by George Abbott and Stanley Donen and starring Tab Hunter as Joe Hardy. It differs slightly from the plot of the original Broadway production but keeps choreographer Creator/BobFosse and most of the original cast, including Gwen Verdon as Lola, Creator/RayWalston as Applegate, Russ Brown as Van Buren, Robert Shafer as Boyd, Shannon Bolin as Meg, and Rae Allen as Gloria.

Adapted into a 1958 Creator/WarnerBros film, directed by George Abbott and Stanley Donen and starring Tab Hunter as Joe Hardy. It differs slightly from the plot of the original Broadway production but keeps choreographer Creator/BobFosse and most of the original cast, including Gwen Verdon as Lola, Creator/RayWalston as Applegate, Russ Brown as Van Buren, Shannon Bolin as Meg, and Rae Allen as Gloria.

-->-- "Heart"

As the hearings drag on through the second-to-last day of the season, Joe almost comes to exercising his escape clause and thereby redeeming his soul, when Meg and her friends rush into court and testify that they knew Joe Hardy as a boy in his hometown. Lola, having fallen out of Applegate's favor, comforts the vindicated but dejected Joe, and confides to him that she's as much of a lost soul as he is now.

The hapless Senators are still cursing their losing streak when Applegate introduces them to his young protegé Joe Hardy, and persuades them to let him practice. They are astounded by his batting and fielding power. Their manager, Mr. Van Buren, remains mystified about his background, but signs him up anyway. He is dubbed "Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo." by reporter Gloria Thorpe, and his fame and career seem assured.

A 1958 film version, starring Tab Hunter, was produced by Creator/WarnerBros. It varies slightly from the original plot but kept original choreographer Creator/BobFosse and most of the original cast, including Gwen Verdon as Lola, Ray Walston as Applegate and Shannon Bolin as Meg.

''Damn Yankees'' is a 1955 [[TheMusical musical]] with book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop (based on Wallop's novel ''The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant''), and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross (who also wrote ''Theatre/ThePajamaGame'').

[[quoteright:301:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/damn_yankees_1955_2909.jpg]]

''Damn Yankees'' is a 1955 [[TheMusical musical]] written by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, based on Wallop's novel ''The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant'', with music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross (who also wrote ''Theatre/ThePajamaGame'').

The plot is a retelling of the classic [[Myth/{{Faust}} legend of Faust]] set in 1950s Washington, D.C. It begins with the forty-something Joe Boyd at home one evening, watching the Washington Senators lose to the Yankees on television while ignoring his wife Meg. When she eventually retires and he continues reflecting on the Senators, a mysterious gentleman suddenly appears to him, introducing himself as Applegate. Applegate offers Joe the fulfillment of his dreams, not only to have his favorite Senators win the pennant, but to lead them to the championship himself. Joe agrees, but only after negotiating an "escape clause" giving him the option to change his mind by September 24 (near the end of the baseball season). After leaving a note for his wife, he leaves his house suddenly twenty years younger.

The Washington Senators are still cursing their losing streak when Applegate introduces them to his young protegé Joe Hardy, and persuades them to let him practice. They are astounded by his batting and fielding power. Their manager, Mr. Van Buren, remains mystified about his background, but signs him up anyway. He is dubbed "Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo." by reporter Gloria Thorpe, and his fame and career seem assured.

Not content with being a successful baseball player, Joe grows homesick and decides to rent a room at his own house. This infuriates Applegate, who absolutely distrusts domesticity and calls in his top home-wrecker, Lola, to seduce Joe with what she calls "the standard vampire treatment." But Joe prefers the company of his wife, who hardly recognizes him as her lost husband.

The plot is a retelling of the classic [[Myth/{{Faust}} legend of Faust]] set in 1950s Washington, D.C. It begins with the forty-something Joe Boyd at home one evening, watching the Washington Senators lose to the Yankees on television while ignoring his wife Meg. When she eventually retires and he continues reflecting on the Senators, a mysterious gentleman suddenly appears to him, introducing himself as Applegate. Applegate offers Joe the fulfillment of his dreams, not only to have his favorite Senators win the pennant, but to lead them to the championship himself. Joe agrees, but only after negotiating an "escape clause" giving him the option to change his mind by January 24. After leaving a note for his wife, he leaves his house suddenly twenty years younger.

* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Lola eventually falls in love with Joe, but knowing that his heart belongs to his wife, she aids him in helping the Senators win the world series, keeping both his soul and his wife.

* IntrepidReporter: Gloria Thorpe
* LargeHam: Applegate