Sally, Irene and Mary (1938)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

William A. Seiter

Writers:

Eddie Dowling (play)
Don Ettlinger (story)

Release Date:

4 March 1938 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

Manicurists Sally, Irene and Mary hope to be Broadway entertainers. When Mary inherits an old ferry boat, they turn it into a successful supper club.

Plot Keywords:

Entertainer | Manicurist | Broadway | Greenwich Village New York | Cigarette Girl

Cast

Alice Faye	...	Sally Day
Tony Martin	...	Tommy Reynolds
Fred Allen	...	Gabriel 'Gabby' Green
Jimmy Durante	...	Jefferson Twitchel
Gregory Ratoff	...	Baron Alex Zorka
Joan Davis	...	Irene Keene
Marjorie Weaver	...	Mary Stevens
Gypsy Rose Lee	...	Joyce Taylor (as Louise Hovick)
Eddie Collins	...	Ship's Captain
Barnett Parker	...	Oscar
J. Edward Bromberg	...	Pawnbroker
Raymond Scott	...	Orchestra Leader (as Raymond Scott Quintet)
Andrew Tombes	...	Judge
Rita Brian	...	Member of Vocal Specialty Trio (as The Brian Sisters)
Jane Brian	...	Member of Vocal Specialty Trio (as The Brian Sisters)

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

"Think Twice" (music by Walter Bullock, lyrics by Harold Spina), sung by Alice Faye, was cut from the film.

Movie Connections:

Version of Sally, Irene and Mary (1925)

Soundtrack:

Sweet As A Song

Steamboat/Nightclub

In her loan out film to Paramount Alice Faye was part of a trio that included Frances Langford and Patsy Kelly. Obviously Darryl Zanuck liked what was done with his number one female star because he cast her again as part of a trio of hopefuls in Sally, Irene, and Mary.

Faye was Sally and the other two were Joan Davis as Irene and Marjorie Weaver as Mary. They're doing time as manicurists hoping to get that elusive big break. They've got a manager in Fred Allen who's playing a couple of angles to get them that, some of them not too ethical.

At a supper club where he's gotten them work as cigarette girls, Allen hears Tony Martin, but also there who hears him is rich divorcée Louise Hovick, better known later on as Gypsy Rose Lee. Allen knew her back when and gets her to back a show with Martin and the girls.

In the meantime Alice is being pursued by a panting Gregory Ratoff, another millionaire. So she and Tony essentially sell themselves in order to get a nightclub open on an old steamboat that Weaver inherits.

It's a nice backstage musical and Alice and Tony who were married at the time are in fine voice. Darryl Zanuck paid two teams of songwriters for the score, Walter Bullock and Jack Spina, and Mack Gordon and Harry Revel who were Faye's regular writers.

Jimmy Durante is in this one too in a small supporting role that I don't think fully utilized his unique talents.

What I liked about the film most was the interesting way both Faye and Martin got out of their obligations to their devoted admirers and be united with each other which of course you knew would happen. But in Sally, Irene, and Mary it's all in the how.

Best song for Tony is Sweeter Than A Song and Alice has a good number in This Is Where I Came In. And the finale at the nightclub has a good trio number Who Stole The Jam.

Another good one for Alice Faye and Tony Martin got a big boost in his career from this film. A nice bit of viewing.