Sally, Irene and Mary

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Movie
Original title Sally, Irene and Mary
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1925
length 58 minutes
Rod
Director Edmund Goulding
script Edmund Goulding
production Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
camera John Arnold
cut Arthur Johns ,
Harold Young
occupation

Sally, Irene and Mary is a 1925 American silent film starring Constance Bennett , Joan Crawford and Sally O'Neil. For Joan Crawford, the film marked the breakthrough from extras in the direction of Leading Lady . The basic constellation of the film, which told the interwoven fates of three friends, set the style for a large number of successors, including the Joan Crawford films Our Dancing Daughters and Our Blushing Brides .

action

The three young girls Sally, Irene and Mary try their luck on Broadway as dancers in the hope of love and a rich man. While Sally, a somewhat naive young Irish woman, still believes in romantic love, Irene has entered into a purely sexual relationship with a married man. Mary, who knows life in all its variations, has become a cynical gold digger. One day, Irene is tired of her old lover and on an impulse she marries an old school friend, only to lose her life in a tragic accident a few hours after the marriage. Deeply struck, Mary decides to give up the glamorous life of a showgirl to find happiness at the side of Jimmy Dugan, a kind plumber. Sally ends up marrying a millionaire.

background

Joan Crawford was discovered as a showgirl under her maiden name Lucille Le Sueur by a talent scout who brokered a seven-month film contract with the newly founded film company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer . Since her arrival in January 1925, she had first landed extra roles through iron discipline and the development of a durable network. Within a few weeks, the studio managers discovered their potential and prompted the actress to adopt the stage name Joan Crawford. A supporting role alongside Jackie Coogan in Old Clothes brought her the attention of aspiring director Edmund Goulding , who eventually hired Crawford to play the tragic Irene in the film adaptation of the hit Broadway show Sally, Irene and Mary .

For Joan Crawford, who had never had any acting classes, filming was very important. She learned the basics of camera work and lighting from cameraman John Arnold in order to always adopt advantageous poses and settings. William Haines , who in the next few years would make as rapid a rise to star as Crawford, became a good friend who gave her further tips and suggestions. Crawford got along less well with the movie's nominal star, Constance Bennett . Bennett was just at the height of her silent film career . Irving Thalberg was very impressed with Bennett and wanted to build her into a big star when Constance Bennett, much like her movie character Sally, ran away with a millionaire whom she eventually married. The decorations for the show interludes were designed by the well-known artist Erté . In 1938 the story was remade with Alice Faye and Tony Martin in the leading roles under the direction of William A. Seiter , but it flopped at the box office.

Decades later, Joan Crawford was proud of her achievement, as she confessed to Roy Newquist:

“I loved Sally, Irene, and Mary - I had a character that I could fully immerse myself in and the chance to work with two great actresses, Constance Bennett and Sally O'Neil, and a very good director, Edmund Goulding. He taught me a lot, as did the cameraman, […] John Arnold. The film showed me that I was doing the right thing and that I would endure. "

Theatrical release

With a production cost of $ 156,000, it was a below-average production by MGM standards. He grossed an average of $ 373,000 in the US. With foreign income of just $ 98,000 and a cumulative total result of $ 471,000, the studio was able to realize a respectable profit of $ 141,000 in the end due to the low investment.

Reviews

The film earned Joan Crawford positive reviews.

New York World magazine found:

"Starring Constance Bennett, Joan Crawford and Sally O'Neil with an experience that usually takes several years more to develop than these three have to show."

Regina Cannon was at least impressed by the actresses in the New York Evening Graphic :

“[The movie] is pretty cheap, filthy rubbish that has been poorly staged. […] Constance Bennett is a seductive Sally and does the best work in the film. Joan Crawford is a lovely Irene and Sally O'Neil as Mary exaggerates every minute. "

literature

  • Roy Newquist (Ed.): Conversations with Joan Crawford . Citadel Press, Secaucus, NJ 1980, ISBN 0-8065-0720-9 .
  • Lawrence J. Quirk : The Complete Films of Joan Crawford . Citadel Press, Secaucus, NJ 1988, ISBN 0-8065-1078-1 .
  • Lawrence J. Quirk, William Schoell: Joan Crawford. The Essential Biography . University Press, Lexington, KY. 2002, ISBN 0-8131-2254-6 .
  • Alexander Walker: Joan Crawford. The Ultimate Star . Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London 1983, ISBN 0-297-78216-9 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ I loved Sally, Irene, and Mary - it gave me a character I could lose myself in and a chance to work with two fine actresses, Constance Bennett and Sally O'Neil, and a very good director, Edmund Goulding. He taught me a lot, and so did the cameraman […] John Arnold. Anyway, that picture told me I was doing the right thing, that I might just last.
  2. ↑ Constance Bennett, Joan Crawford, and Sally O'Neil in the title roles played with a polish to their performances that usually takes more years of experience to acquire than any of the three possess.
  3. ↑ [The film] is pretty cheap, tawdry, sentimental stuff poorly directed. […] Constance Bennett makes an alluring Sally and does the best work in the picture. Joan Crawford is a lovely Irene and Sally O'Neil as Mary is busy overacting every minute.