Visually stunning musical that is a treat in Technicolor. Date of Release: Jan 12, 1930 Studio: First National Director: John Francis Dilllon Screenplay: Waldermar Young Music: Joe Burke, B. G. DeSylva, Al Dubin, Clifford Grey, Jerome Kern Choreographer: Larry Ceballos Leading Actors: Marilyn Miller (Sally), Alexander Gray (Blair Farquar), Joe E. Brown (Connie [The Grand Duke]), T. Roy Barnes (Otis Hooper), Pert Kelton (Rosie, his girlfriend), Ford Sterling ("Pops" Shendorff), Maude Turner Gordon (Mrs. Ten Brock), Nora Lane (Marcia, her daughter), E. J. Ratcliffe (John Farquar, Blair's father), Jack Duffy (The Old Roué), Albertina Rasch Ballet Sally was based on Ziegfeld’s Broadway musical of the same name. The Broadway show opened in 1920 and ran for two years, and marked the height of leading lady Marilyn Miller’s career. Marilyn Miller was a popular Broadway actress who performed in the USA and across Europe. Miller was married and divorced several times, and suffered from chronic sinus issues and alcoholism. Sally was the first of three film appearances for Miller, and she was reportedly paid $100,000 for her film debut. While not the top salary in Hollywood, it was certainly one of the highest. Sally had a limited release in late December 1929 at the Winter Garden Theatre, New York, but did not officially open until January 12, 1930. It played at the Winter Garden until March, when it moved to the Strand. In Los Angeles, the film played at the Warner Bros Theatre in Hollywood. The critics praised the use of Technicolor, describing the visuals as spectacular and gorgeous. The usually restrained Education Screen described it “One of the best productions of its kind to date,” and The New York Times stated it “…the most beautiful picture that has come to the screen.” Variety was less enthusiastic, claiming the film was “old-fashioned” and predicting it wouldn’t last longer than a week. The prediction proved inaccurate, and Sally broke box office records around the country. Sally was one of the earliest First National films to have a nationally coordinated advertising effort. Advertisements focused heavily on Marilyn Miller, the use of Technicolor, and the idea that the movie was bigger than the Broadway production. Among some unusual stunts were free movie tickets to women named Sally, and a tie-in with a bakery that distributed free tickets in loaves of bread. It was common for musicals of this period to include one or two lavish production numbers filmed in Technicolor. In a break from convention, the entirety of Sally was filmed in Technicolor. It is unclear if the full color prints have survived. In 1971, MoMA announced that a full color print had been found, and a screening would take place as part of an American musical film retrospective. For reasons yet unknown, the screening did not take place. After contacting MoMA, I learnt that the print was on loan from United Artists, which is now owned by Warner Bros. While this print may still exist, the Warner Archive DVD release from 2009 only contains one Technicolor scene. Sally was directed by John Francis Dilllon, also known as Jack Dillon, an actor and director of the silent era. The screenplay was written by Waldermar Young, a Mormon screenwriter whose twenty year career spanned both the silent and early talkie eras. Given that most early musicals created by silent film veterans are painful to watch today, and the fact that most of the film is now only available to view in black and white, Sally is a surprise treat. Marilyn Miller is gorgeous, and it is clear she was a terrific stage performer, but her singing and dancing do not read well on screen. While Alexander Gray’s voice comes across as rich and resonant, Miller’s voice is grating. Most songs are played as performances at the club, at the Ten Brock garden party, or on Broadway, however a couple of songs are sung as extensions of the characters’ feelings. Some critics were not enamored with this breaking of musical convention. As Motion Picture News noted, “Right then and there, logic died and musical comedy was crowned king.” The score was written by Joe Burke, B.G. DeSylva, Al Dubin, Clifford Grey, and Jerome Kern. This team of highly accomplished musicians and composers contributed to many of the movie musicals of 1929 including The Show of Shows, Gold Diggers of Broadway, The Hollywood Revue of 1929, Say it With Songs, The Cock-Eyed World, The Vagabond Lover, and Show Boat. Blair (Alexander Gray) sings “Look for the Silver Lining” to comfort the miserable Sally (Marilyn Miller). Gray’s rich baritone voice is incongruous with his sappy character, but the delightful melody and arrangement are a treat. Alexander Gray was a classically trained singer who appeared on Broadway in the Ziegfeld Follies and several musical productions including Rio Rita and The Desert Song. He was reportedly bought onto Sally at Marilyn Miller’s request. Gray also appeared in The Show of Shows (1929), and No, No, Nanette (1930). Later, Blair literally exclaims he “doesn’t have the words to express what I really think of her” and breaks out into the charming tune “Sally.” His party of friends join in with a rich male chorus refrain. A reprise of “Look for the Silver Lining” has a well filmed dance number, but the music and choreography are incongruous. The music is light and floating, while the dancing is energetic and staccato. Sally’s dance at the club, "All I Want To Do, Do, Do Is Dance” is another energetic tap number, however the routine is uninspiring. A comedy routine involving a ladder and Joe E. Brown playing an old man is presumably lifted straight from the Broadway show. It is amusing, but drags on too long. Brown deservedly received good notices for his role in Sally. He started out as an acrobat in vaudeville, and worked as a baseball player, and briefly in business. After returning to show business, he appeared in at least six Broadway productions, and toured extensively around the country. Brown was awarded a Special Tony Award in 1948 for his work in the touring production of Harvey. He appeared in over 70 films including On With the Show (1929) Show Boat (1951), and Some Like it Hot (1959), His biography, Laughter is a Wonderful Thing was published in 1956. “Wild Rose” takes place at the Ten Brock garden, "the biggest party of the year", and is the only number currently available in color. The composition of the shots, the dancing, and music all come together to create a visually radiant scene. The color prints bring the scene to life in a way black and white cannot replicate. The presence of an all-male ensemble, instead of the usual white long-limbed girls is also refreshing! The final number is a reproduction of the Butterfly Ballet from the Broadway show. Even in black and white it is visually stunning, and one can only imagine how it must have looked in color.
The most difficult aspect of Sally is the dialogue. It is stilted and cliched, unaided by use of unchanging straight on mid-shots. Marilyn Miller appeared in two more films, Sunny (1930) and Her Majesty, Love (1931) before her death in 1936 at the age of 37. Sally is currently available on Youtube (sans the Technicolor) and on DVD through the Warner Archive.
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Movie Musical ProjectAn attempt to watch every movie musical in chronological order. For poetry, musings, and other blog posts, check out
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