Una chica con sal

The plot is silly & preposterous, as is the case most often when it comes to these eye candy extravaganzas, but it is kept alive by the irrepressible charm of Rita Hayworth & Victor Mature, not to mention Fox's customary glowing Technicolor (there are some moments that are not only gorgeous to look at, but also sublimely awe-inspiring and evocative of its Gay 90s milieu).

"My Gal Sal" is basically a nostalgic period musical, about 1890s songwriter Paul Dreiser (Mature) who leaves his country town in Indiana to find a big success on Broadway in New York. He meets and falls in love with a musical performer, a gal named Sally Elliott (Hayworth). They start hating each other at first but soon grow into one another. Their contrived romance is kept afloat by various passable numbers, including the title tune (written by Paul), "On the Big White Way," "The Convict and the Bird", "Liza Jane", and "Mr Volunteer".

Not a classic, but it passes the time. Try to watch it along with Hayworth's other musical of 1942, the gloriously carefree "You Were Never Lovelier" with Fred Astaire.

Amiable musical is loaded with good music and sprightly performances. Originally planned for Betty Grable whose pregnancy prevented her appearance, then Carole Landis who stubbornly refused to change her hair color and was punished by Zanuck by being relegated to a secondary part he then borrowed Rita from Columbia. She was in the midst of her climb to the top having made strides over the previous two years in a succession of spotlight parts and this continued her ascent.

As a biography it's worthless but as a showcase for Rita's talent and beauty it can't be beat. There are one or two occasions where she is so heavily made up and dressed in an unflattering pink that she appears corpse like but otherwise looks sensational in her period costumes and her dancing and singing are marvelous. Mature is fine as the male lead but is overshadowed by Rita.

Not a classic but a bright, pleasant entertainment. A must for Hayworth fans.

"My Gal Sal" is not an unpleasant musical, but it gets a more lavish treatment than it deserves. It's a typically fictionalized musical biopic, with Victor Mature playing Paul Dresser, a popular Midwestern songwriter of the "Gay 90s." (For younger readers, that's what the 1890s were called, though the description had to do with high spirits, not sexuality.) Rita Hayworth is Dresser's love interest and the title character. Several of the songs in the movie were not even the work of Dresser, though the title song is. As the movie notes at the beginning, Dresser, born Dreiser, was the older brother of famed novelist Theodore Dreiser, author of that grim classic "An American Tragedy." The screenplay is supposedly based on Dreiser's reflective essay "My Brother Paul." But if it were, this film would be a bit of a drag: Paul Dresser's fame was fairly brief and he died young, and Theodore Dreiser never wrote anything light. Hollywood was wise enough to make up some harmless stuff, pick a beautiful leading lady and play it all for fun.

MGM musicals dominated the genre. No one could make musicals like they could, although a few studios tried with lesser success, as is the case with this one done by Fox in 1942.

Irving Cummings was a director that tried his hands at directing musicals with mixed results. "My Gal Sal" is the biography of Paul Dresser, an American composer who wrote tuneful, if somewhat bland songs. The screen play is by Theodore Dreiser, a writer on his own right, but who had nothing to add to make this film work better.

This is a musical that has a dated look from the beginning. The situation is preposterous, at best.

Rita Hayworth shines as the red headed Sally Elliott, a singing star of the musical theater of the time. She is responsible for the discovery of young and inexperienced Paul. She likes his songs and doesn't hesitate in stealing one to include in her show. Never did the technicolor loved anyone as it loved Rita Hayworth! She was a beautiful woman who lights up the screen any time we see her.

Victor Mature, as Paul, plays an unworldly Paul Dresser. He is a country boy and it shows. It is through his association with Sally that he gets the kind of sophistication he never had.

In minor roles James Gleason, as Paul's agent is excellent. This character actor graces with his presence dozens of films where he is always in the background. The great Phil Silvers appears briefly in a couple of key scenes. He was a talented actor of the stage and the screen and television that was always a welcome addition to everything he appeared in. Also, Carol Landis is seen in a small role.

See the film as a curiosity piece. The songs are tuneful, if forgettable.

RITA HAYWORTH and VICTOR MATURE make a pleasant co-starring team, although it's hate at first sight, proof positive that true love never does run smooth...at least not in these sort of backstage musicals where the paper-thin plot depends upon the boy-loses-girl-until-final-reel contrivances.

Rita has a temper to match her red hair and when she tears up all of Mature's clothes, he does the same to her. And so it goes. They fuss and feud all over the screen until the last moment--but it's all done with such style and charm that you can't resist it.

Alice Faye was supposed to do Rita's role but she was expecting a baby so Rita signed on. As usual, someone else dubs her singing but her dancing is a sheer delight and the technicolor costumes are showcased in all of the musical numbers.

Given short shrift in the cast is CAROLE LANDIS, with almost nothing to do after a bright start, and handsome JOHN SUTTON has a thankless role as Rita's would be suitor. Too bad Fox could never find a worthy starring role for him.

Fun to watch (if you like musicals) and easy to take.