1938's "Sally, Irene and Mary" joined the legion of show business musicals with impossibly gorgeous starlets trying to make it big on Broadway. Fortunately, beautiful blonde Alice Faye is the perfect headliner, adept at both song and dance, supported by the game Joan Davis, also attractive and as gifted a physical comedienne as the revered Lucille Ball. Rounding out the trio is the forgotten Marjorie Weaver, fewer opportunities to shine, given that the masculine contingent feature the vocals of Tony Martin (then recently wed to Alice Faye), the bombastic Fred Allen, delightful radio comedian who makes one lament that he hadn't given movies more of a try, and vaudeville veteran Jimmy Durante, who contributes one number toward the end to make up for a rather minor role. This author is in agreement with other reviewers in that the comedy is at a higher level than the music, and for Alice Faye fans it's less of a showcase amidst so much top caliber talent. Among the unbilled actors we can spot Lon Chaney at the 11 minute mark, as a policeman using his club to knock out a ranting Gregory Ratoff, who at least settles down after such an impetuous introduction. Chaney, with one line of dialogue, would also do a bit in Alice's next feature, the immensely popular "Alexander's Ragtime Band," nearing the end of his forgettable two years under contract with 20th Century-Fox, 30 titles going virtually unnoticed (1939's "Of Mice and Men" would of course change all that, coupled with "The Wolf Man" at Universal in 1941).
Review of Sally, Irene and Mary
