Sally Starr initially was called a pocket sized version of Clara Bow but she wasn't much of a threat to anyone - especially the night life, with her "early to bed, early to rise" mantra, "I'm going to make whoopee only when I'm a star" etc, needless to say that didn't happen. Even before "Pardon My Gun" Sally was classified as a fading juvenile.
This movie is a very early example (perhaps the first) of the musical western, none of the numbers being integrated into the very thin plot line which concerns the blossoming love between Mary (Starr) and ranch hand Ted (George Duryea who very soon would change his name to Tom Keene). All the songs are incorporated into a barn dance sequence (about half the film) which is really a showcase for Abe Lyman's Band who, next to Paul Whiteman's Orchestra, were the most popular band of the day and whose "Twelfth Street Rag" number provides solo spots for various musicians as well as Lyman himself on the drums.
Very bright spot in the movie is Mona Ray who as Mary's petite sister Peggy, arrives home from school to move things along. She seems to be a comedienne from the Winnie Lightner school and her funny clowning with horses and lassos in between an exciting horse relay race between Ted and villainous neighbour Cooper (boy, I wonder who will win??) is good. I also loved her jumper which features a football player at the front and a skull and crossbones at the back. Crazy!!! She also gets to sing a throbbing number "Deep Down South" for the barn dance and really belts it out. There is also a spirited tap dance from Ida May Chadwick, Al "Rubberlegs" Norman does his famous eccentric elastic dance (with a few variations) to "Millenburg Joys" no less and a dancer called "Stompie" adds pep to "St. Louis Blues". I'm surprised Sally, who did sing and dance in her few other films, wasn't asked to perform.
For an added extra there is also some fancy roping tricks and stunt riding by a couple of youngsters called the MacFarlane Brothers, probably the most entertaining people in the film.
This movie is a very early example (perhaps the first) of the musical western, none of the numbers being integrated into the very thin plot line which concerns the blossoming love between Mary (Starr) and ranch hand Ted (George Duryea who very soon would change his name to Tom Keene). All the songs are incorporated into a barn dance sequence (about half the film) which is really a showcase for Abe Lyman's Band who, next to Paul Whiteman's Orchestra, were the most popular band of the day and whose "Twelfth Street Rag" number provides solo spots for various musicians as well as Lyman himself on the drums.
Very bright spot in the movie is Mona Ray who as Mary's petite sister Peggy, arrives home from school to move things along. She seems to be a comedienne from the Winnie Lightner school and her funny clowning with horses and lassos in between an exciting horse relay race between Ted and villainous neighbour Cooper (boy, I wonder who will win??) is good. I also loved her jumper which features a football player at the front and a skull and crossbones at the back. Crazy!!! She also gets to sing a throbbing number "Deep Down South" for the barn dance and really belts it out. There is also a spirited tap dance from Ida May Chadwick, Al "Rubberlegs" Norman does his famous eccentric elastic dance (with a few variations) to "Millenburg Joys" no less and a dancer called "Stompie" adds pep to "St. Louis Blues". I'm surprised Sally, who did sing and dance in her few other films, wasn't asked to perform.
For an added extra there is also some fancy roping tricks and stunt riding by a couple of youngsters called the MacFarlane Brothers, probably the most entertaining people in the film.