Sally in Our Alley (1931 film)
Sally in Our Alley is a 1931 British romantic comedy drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Gracie Fields, Ian Hunter, and Florence Desmond. It is based on the 1923 West End play The Likes of Her by Charles McEvoy.
| Sally in Our Alley | |
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| Directed by | Maurice Elvey |
| Produced by | Basil Dean |
| Written by | Miles Malleson Archie Pitt Alma Reville |
| Based on | The Likes of Her by Charles McEvoy |
| Starring | Gracie Fields Ian Hunter Florence Desmond Gibb McLaughlin |
| Music by | Ernest Irving |
| Cinematography | Alex Bryce Robert Martin |
| Edited by | Otto Ludwig |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | RKO Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 74 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Production
The film was made at Beaconsfield Studios by Associated Talking Pictures, who relocated to Ealing Studios the following year. It marked the screen debut of Gracie Fields who was an established music hall star. The film incorporated Fields' hugely popular signature song, Sally, itself a reference to Henry Carey's 1725 song, Sally in Our Alley, which had long been a traditional English country dance. The film took £100,000 at the box office,[1] establishing Fields as a national film star.
The film's sets were designed by the art director Norman G. Arnold.
Plot summary
A British soldier (Ian Hunter) goes off to fight in the First World War, with his girlfriend (Gracie Fields) waiting and worried at home. He is soon wounded in battle and crippled. He comes to the conclusion that she would be better off believing that he has been killed so she can get on with her life. She gets the news and is devastated. Several years later she is still grieving for him, but he has now been cured and goes looking for her.
Cast
- Gracie Fields as Sally Winch
- Ian Hunter as George Miles
- Florence Desmond as Florrie Small
- Ivor Barnard as Tod Small
- Fred Groves as Alf Cope
- Gibb McLaughlin as Jim Sears
- Ben Field as Sam Bilson
- Barbara Gott as Mrs Pool
- Renée Macready as Lady Daphne
- Helen Ferrers as Duchess of Wexford
DVD release
This film is currently available in the UK as part of the Gracie Fields collector's edition DVD box set, which in addition to this film includes Looking on the Bright Side (1932), Love, Life and Laughter (1934), Sing As We Go (1934), Look Up and Laugh (1935), Queen of Hearts (1936) and The Show Goes On (1937).
References
- Sweet p.133
Bibliography
- Low, Rachael. Filmmaking in 1930s Britain. George Allen & Unwin, 1985.
- Perry, George. Forever Ealing. Pavilion Books, 1994.
- Sweet, Matthew. Shepperton Babylon: The Lost Worlds of British Cinema. Faber and Faber, 2005.
- Wood, Linda. British Films, 1927-1939. British Film Institute, 1986.