Thursday, January 27, 2011

Sally of the Sawdust (1925) Paramount One-Sheet

From Chris Berry

Although technically not a "circus poster" this one-sheet is for filmmaker D.W. Griffith's comedy of 1925 titled "Sally of the Sawdust" This silent movie by the director of "Birth of a Nation" is the first film to star W.C. Fields during the time that he was a headiner on the Ziegfield Follies. In this film Fields plays Prof. Eustace McGargle, a card sharp who, while working the midway, meets a couple who leaves him their young daughter to raise after they die. Griffith's real-life girlfriend -- Carol Dempster -- was cast as "Sally". Unfortunately her acting ability didn't match that of Fields who steals the show. Fields brought the role of McGargle back in 1936 in the movie "Poppy".

Posted by Buckles at 1/27/2011 06:13:00 AM

6 comments:

Harry Kingston said...

My favorite W. C. Field's movie is, It's a gift, where W. C tangles with Baby Leroy and the molasses all over the floor.
The blind man Mr. Muckelroy almost destroys his store and he tries to walk across the street and I think every piece of L A's fire fightining equipment misses him by inches.
And there adventure of them getting to L A is priceless and W. C. gets his orange grove and his Bissonay blue bird oranges. At the end W. C. pours a large glass of gin and squeezes some not much orange juice in the glasss.
If you ever need a good laugh this is the cure as your sides will hurt.
Harry in Texas

27 January, 2011 07:39
Frank Ferrante said...

This film is widely available on DVD through Amazon.com. ~frank

27 January, 2011 08:57
Anonymous said...

Kumquats, where are my kumquats???

I believe it was "Never Give A Sucker An Even Break" or Perhaps "Poppy" that featured Blackaman whose crockodile "ate" Charlie McCarthy.

One WC Fields story goes that he always had a large can of "grapefruit juice" on the set. On one occasion, to try to curb his drinking someone put actual juice in the can. When Fields went to take a slug he almost gagged screaming, "Someone's put grapefruit juice in my grapefruit juice!"

"Little boy, how would you like a stockinged kitten? Yass, a sock in the puss."

Paul Gutheil

27 January, 2011 11:01
Buckles said...

After recovering the money and apprehending the criminal in the Bank Dick, the bank president states to Fields, "As an act of gratitude, I now invest you with this hardy handshake!"
Which became a "Laurel and Hardy" handshake in Blazing Saddles.

27 January, 2011 11:31
Ole Whitey said...

Chris:

Don't you know not to bring up W C Fields' name unless you have time to listen to everyone's favorite story? All delivered in the Fieldsian manner, of course. I can hear Paul all the way here saying, "Kumquats!"

When Rod Steiger made "W C Fields and Me" he had a rule on the set: NO FIELDS IMPRESSIONS !!!

27 January, 2011 12:16
Dick Flint said...

Fields began as a juggler in vaudeville (he's not known to have been with a circus) and because he traveled in Europe, he worked without comedic dialogue for a time but gradually added it. Juggling a century ago included lots of balancing on canes, cue sticks, and brooms, tricks that have since disappeared. Here's his early routine in a scrapbook I recently discovered as recorded by another juggler when Fields was probably in his 20s, just as he was gaining real success as a juggler:

W.C. Fields / The Comedy Juggler.
1 – Segar Cane & Hat
2 – 3 Hats
3 – 4 Rubber Balls. Bouncing.
4 – Segar Box Act
5 – 3 Segar Box Act
6 – Whisk Broom Segar & Hat
7 – High Hat and Cane
Pool Table Finish

Dick Flint
Baltimore

27 January, 2011 13:55

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