Sally of the Sawdust (1925)

Although D.W. Griffith was best known for directing serious epics with a social conscience, the master of silent cinema was no slouch when it came to heartwarming comedies. Griffith's 1925 feature Sally of the Sawdust is further distinguished by its starring role for comedian W.C. Fields, reprising a role he originated on stage in Dorothy Donnelly's play Poppy. Fields had been firmly established in vaudeville as a gifted comedian and juggler, and those skills are readily apparent in this sweet-natured story about a young circus waif named Sally (latter-day Griffith ingenue Carol Dempster). Sally's mother was rejected by her wealthy father for marrying into show business, then died during childbirth, leaving Sally to be raised by lovable circus performer and con artist J. Eustace McGargle (Fields). Destiny eventually brings Sally back to the luxurious home of her grandparents, who remain unaware that she is family. Legal hassles erupt when McGargle is accused of fraud, and matters are further complicated when a local socialite falls for Sally's considerable charms. Only the truth of Sally's lineage can save her and McGargle from jail, and Griffith milks this amusing melodrama for all it's worth. Propelled by a wonderful piano score adapted from the film's original 1925 cue sheets and performed by Philip Carli, this delightful silent has been faithfully preserved and remains highly entertaining. It's fascinating as W.C. Fields's first screen success (he later remade this film as Poppy in 1936), and the little-known Dempster proves to be a charming comedienne in her own right. The DVD transfer is remarkably pristine, retaining the tinting of the film's original release. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

score by Donald Sosin !!

This Kino edition comes with a score by Donald Sosin ! That's reason enough to pre-order, even if you've seen the film, or even if you own it -- even if you think the film itself is a bit incoherent. It's got some good Fields moments in it, and Dempster in a dream of a gown, and some very melodramatic Griffith titles.
The scoring by Sosin alone makes this a must-have. October 15, 2008

Enjoyable light comedy

I thought it would be a bit hard to really get into this film, since I'm not too familiar with the silent work of W.C. Fields. Since he really didn't come into his own until the sound era, it's hard to see him deprived of that essential element in his comedy, his voice. However, this film does seem to be regarded as one of his better silents, and he still manages to be quite entertaining and funny even without being able to use his voice or rely upon other noises. It's also an interesting change of pace to see him in a fatherly role, given his legendary dislike of children (at least on-camera), even if Sally is a young woman and not exactly a true child for the majority of the film.

Judge and Mrs. Foster have a beloved only child, but when she announces her intentions to marry a circus man, her father throws her out of the house and tells her to never come back. Several years later, we see her in the circus on her deathbed, her husband having already died. She entrusts the care of her daughter Sally to Prof. Eustace McGargle, and he takes this trust very seriously. Sally is raised knowing him as both her father and mother, and grows up a free spirit as the circus moves from town to town. The two are very devoted to one another, even when they fall on hard luck and get in trouble with the law. But when the two happen to pass through the town where the Fosters still live, they have more to worry about than the cops being after them for fixing a card game. Judge Foster hates circus folk and entertainers, and in particular has disliked Sally from the very first time he saw her, so McGargle resolves to not tell either of them the true secret of her birth. Sally has however made an impression on Mrs. Foster and a wealthy young man, Peyton Lennox, and they don't appreciate the efforts of Judge Foster and Mr. Lennox to run her out of town and put her on trial for her role in a crooked card game. (It does seem odd that the courtroom would be so filled for such a minor trial, and that Sally should be at risk for being sent to a home for "wayward girls" over that, but a little suspension of disbelief is necessary sometimes to really get into a film.) During Sally's trial, McGargle (who still holds the ultimate trump card, the secret of her birth) is on the run from some crooks, but Sally insists he's going to come through for her as usual.

Overall, it's a fun cute film, even if some of the scenes are a bit repetitive, implausible, and overly melodramatic. It's a bit long for a comedy, so some of the less-essential scenes could have been cut out without the whole product suffering. And I already don't believe in love at first sight, so I found the "romance" between Sally and Peyton rather unbelievable, even moreso than most "love at first sight" stories. I didn't see any real mutual attraction between them, more like some playboy lusting after this new girl and pretty much forcing his affections and attentions on her until she gives in. Much more believable is the father-daughter relationship between Sally and McGargle. Carol Dempster was rather lacking in her acting skills, but she does an adequate job with the material. It's not like she has a demanding role here that would have required more finesse and skill. February 8, 2008

Thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable

Next to "Battle of the Sexes" this charming silent film surely rates as a superb example of legendary director D.W. Griffith's versatility and skill. While probably best remembered for his serious historic and moral epics of earlier years, Griffith kept up with the times and directed a variety of other films in the mid to late 1920s, of which "Sally of the Sawdust" stands out as one of the best. With outstanding stars such as W.C. Fields perfectly cast in the colourful character of Professor McGargle, and Carol Dempster as Sally, who replaced Griffith's earlier `stock' actresses such as Mary Pickford, Lillian Gish and Mae Marsh, this film shines and is entertaining and enjoyable every single minute. Carol Dempster, who only appeared in over a dozen films and mostly under Griffith's direction, plays the part of Sally wonderfully and brings the character and whole story to life as she leaps spritely from scene to scene as the circus orphan who is devoted to her guardian and her `Pop', Professor McGargle. But unknown to her, she has living grandparents who are also unaware of her existence, which makes for considerable emotional suspense and also sentimentality as the plot unwinds. This busy story was in fact a popular stage play called "Poppy" in which W.C. Fields played the same role of Professor McGargle, and whose screen appearance in this film led to further future successful screen roles. Griffith often demonstrated his skill in building suspense and action in his films, and "Sally of the Sawdust" is no exception as Sally waits for her Pop to evade a gang of thieves and finally arrive in court to tell the stern judge - who is in fact Sally's grandfather - who her mother was so that she wouldn't be sent to a home for wayward girls. There are delightful moments of comedy as well as action and drama, all without the intensity and heaviness often characteristic of Griffith's earlier dramatic sagas. Together with very good and clear picture quality and a perfectly suited piano score based on original cue sheets, this Kino Video production is high quality all-round, and shows Griffith and his stars at their best.
April 24, 2007

Poppy is a must see!

The 1936 version, entitled 'Poppy', as was the original play, is a must see, hilarious film! Got to agree with the other reviewer, it contains some classic Fields scenes... how about the croquet game, or the get-away on the mayor's horse... or the scene where Poppy announces that she is indeed the heiress... to which Fields replies, "Well my dear, I'm glad to see you've finally come around"!.. or the toothless guy who spends the entire movies chasing the $5 Fields has bilked him out of in the first 5 minutes!

Please, please, please WHOEVER put the 1936 Poppy on a DVD! June 25, 2001

sally of sawdust

to bad for wc field fans .somebody has rated the remake of this movie named poppy is rated done badly.who ever did this must have no sense of humer.to name a few memerable scenes;the hot dog stand,the shower scene with queeny,the ping pong game.any ?call cjrebels99@aol.com December 26, 2000

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