My Gal Sal *** (1942, Rita Hayworth, Victor Mature, John Sutton, Carole Landis) – Classic Movie Review 11,255

For all those who love the old tunes, here’s an extremely engaging, bright and breezy musical biopic of Gay Nineties-era songwriter Indiana music-man Paul Dresser, adapted from the story My Brother Paul by Theodore Dreiser from the book Twelve Men, with a slew of ancient hits, a cheery mood and a happy ending.

Director Irving Cummings’s 1942 20th Century Fox Technicolor musical film My Gal Sal stars Victor Mature and Rita Hayworth, who make a winning combination as the 19th-century composer Dresser and the girl he adores, musicals star Sally Elliott, as Paul composes the title tune for her and becomes the toast of Tin Pan Alley.

Hayworth makes a gorgeous leading gal to Mature’s solid leading man and her flashing feet are fully exposed in the big production number ‘On the Gay White Way’ (music by Ralph Rainger, lyrics Leo Robin) performed by Rita Hayworth dubbed by Nan Wynn, Hermes Pan and Chorus. Walter Catlett and James Gleason also score as the Medicine Showman and the music publisher.

The Technicolor photography is a treat, the costumes are sassy and the tunes are most melodious – ‘My Gal Sal’, ‘If You Want Me’, ‘Me and My Fella and a Big Umbrella’. The lavish and entertaining film is topped off with a cheerful tone and a handsome, no-expense-spared production. Although Mature and Hayworth are perhaps a second-choice team, both do surprisingly well.

Richard Day, Joseph C Wright and Thomas Little won an Oscar for Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Color, and Alfred Newman was nominated for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture.

Also in the cast are John Sutton, Carole Landis, James Gleason, Phil Silvers, Walter Catlett, Mona Maris, Frank Orth, Curt Bois, Gregory Gaye, Andrew Tombes, Robert Lowery, Milton Kibbee, Stanley Andrews as Mr Dreiser, Margaret Moffatt as Mrs. Dreiser, Terry Moore as Carrie Dreiser, Libby Taylor as Sally’s maid Ida, John Kelly as John L Sullivan, Iron Eyes Cody as Indian, George Melford as Conductor and the film’s choreographer Hermes Pan who appears as Hayworth’s dance partner in the ‘Gay White Way’ number.

Theodore Dreiser’s biographical essay My Brother Paul is by Dresser’s novelist younger brother (Dreiser was the original family name).

20th Century Fox head Darryl F Zanuck bought the story and tailored it for Alice Faye, who turned it down saying she was tired costume musicals, then Betty Grable turned it down too, believing Fox was over-working her, and then Mae West also turned it down. Zanuck then considered newcomer Carole Landis but her screen test failed to impress, though she ended up playing the second lead of Mae Collins because she had been publicised as starring in the film. Zanuck finally borrowed Rita Hayworth from Harry Cohn, head of Columbia Pictures. It ended up with good reviews and box office, and became one of the most-successful Fox films during 1942.

Some of the songs shown as Dresser’s work are written by him, including the title track, but several are created for the film by the Hollywood songwriting team of Ralph Grainger and Leo Robin. I’SE YOUR HONEY IF YOU WANTS ME, LIZA JANE (written by Paul Dresser) is performed by Victor Mature (voice dubbed by Ben Gage). COME TELL ME WHAT’S YOUR ANSWER, YES OR NO (written by Paul Dresser) is sung and danced by Rita Hayworth (voice of Nan Wynn) and chorus. MR VOLUNTEER (written by Paul Dresser) is sung by Phil Silvers.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,255

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