Sally

Originally filmed in 2-strip Technicolor, this film now survives as a mainly black and white print with some colour footage intact. This rags to riches story (Sally starts from an orphanage and ends up with her own show on Broadway) stars Marilyn Miller - little seen and perhaps only known to film buffs because of Judy Garland's impersonation of her in 'Till The Clouds Roll By'. Miller was a beautiful and talented artist, as 'Sally' proves.

Supporting her is a very young Joe E Brown (best known as Captain Andy in the third film version of Show Boat) who is a lot of fun, and Alexander Gray, who like many other leading men of the early talkies is a bit of a stuffed shirt. You'll also spot the Keystone Kops' Ford Sterling as 'Pops'.

'Sally' is a hugely enjoyable early talkie. The colour sequence is lovely and bright - it is a pity that we lose the impact from the rest of the film. The songs are good and Miss Miller is a treat to watch. Try to catch this when it next airs on TCM.

While dreaming of a Broadway musical career, bubbly blonde dancer Marilyn Miller (as Sally Bowling Green) works as a New York waitress. One busy day, Ms. Miller becomes love-stricken with handsome passer-by Alexander Gray (as Blair Farrell). Likewise interested and obviously well-heeled, Mr. Gray is unfortunately engaged to another woman. Nevertheless, they begin a courtship. Miller tells Gray about her lowly orphan past and high aspirations. Gray tells Miller to "look for the silver lining." Miller is also encouraged by wise-cracking waiter Joe E. Brown (as Connie). Later, Miller's impersonation of a Russian diva helps put her on the road to stardom...

Produced by Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., the Cinderella-like "Sally" (1920-1922) was a huge Broadway success for Miller. With this show, plus her high-profile 1922 marriage to Hollywood royalty (Mary's brother Jack Pickford), Miller was a big star before she ever made a motion picture. Reportedly, the Pickfords did not get Miller in the movies earlier because they felt her skills were not flattered by the silent movie medium; this is evident. "Sally" (also a re-make of the hit 1925 "silent" version starring Colleen Moore) was a top-line production, in full Technicolor. Gray sounds great as Miller's leading man and Brown is a best supporting actor - even without kissing T. Roy Barnes...

Unless more is found, only a rough black-and-white print of "Sally" survives. The only color portion available has most of Miller's "Wild Rose" dance and a small portion of Mr. Brown's subsequent scene. These brief color minutes indicate the whole work was visually quite appealing. However, the staging and plot are not spectacular. Miller's dancing is a highlight. Probably, she would have been a bigger musical movie star in the 1940s. Her great comic "pas de deux" with Brown makes one long for other Miller dance team-ups. Jerome Kern's music is most memorable. "Look for the Silver Lining" became a #1 million-selling hit song in 1921, and a standard thereafter.

****** Sally (12/23/29) John Francis Dillon ~ Marilyn Miller, Alexander Gray, Joe E. Brown, T. Roy Barnes

Marilyn Miller was the most famous Broadway musical star of the early part of the last century - too bad for most of us she died so young. She made three motion pictures in the late 20's/early 30's which survive and can give us an indication of what made her such an acclaimed talent.

In 1929 she made "Sally" for First National (forerunner of Warner Bros.) in which she recreated one of her stage triumphs. It is good and with some competent back-up supporting actors, but I would say it is an incomplete document if one is trying to 'discover' Marilyn Miller. The story is familiar, about a waitress looking for her big show biz break with a romantic side-story, and she shows her star appeal as a passable singer, a better actress and an even better dancer. She is pretty in a familiar sort of way, but she wins you over with her vivacious, cheerful demeanor.

The website rating is about right, and you get the feeling that being captured on film in an unremarkable story doesn't do her justice. I haven't seen her other films but I am reasonably certain that they do not capture the full impact of this legendary performer, either. I guess we'll just have to rely on historical sources and those three films.

Print and sound are horrible. Marilyn Miller is charismatic. Her horse-like dance number at a stable is awesome. Sunny was a Broadway hit, with a run of 517 shows, but they took out most of the musical numbers for the film, as movie musicals had become unpopular in the late 1920s.

This is the second of three films starring Miller, who was a huge star on Broadway in the 1920s as Ziegfeld Follies' lead actress. Miller only lived to be 37.

This film desperately needs to be restored. It could be a pretty good film. Although the story is pedestrian, some of the scenes are funny, although much of the humor is buried in poor sound quality. The film features early Vitaphone audio, which synchronized record albums with film. This can make restoration a particular challenge. The records were fragile and were only meant to be played a few times before they were replaced. If the discs are gone, what's left is whatever dub was made onto film long ago.

Sally, with Marilyn Miller, was the first movie shown at the Chatham Capitol Theatre in Chatham, Ontario Canada - on April 11, 1930. It was originally shown in color, however all the color sequences have been lost. It only survives in Black & White.

Sally appears to be a bit dated, as we make our way through this new millennium, but serves as a tribute to the beauty and youth of Marilyn Miller. Miller is a fantastic dancer and gives the role 100%.

The film is hard to find, but worth watching if you locate it. Thanks to MGM/UA and Turner for finding the merit to release it on laser disc back in 1993.