Sally Of The Sawdust

Sally Of The Sawdust
by D.W. Griffith

Sally Of The Sawdust
List Price: $24.95
Our Price: $22.49
You Save: $2.46 (10%)
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy Used: from $11.83 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases


(Click here)
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada

DVD Cover Information

Actor: Carol Dempster, W.C. Fields
Director: D.W. Griffith
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Black & White, DVD-Video, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Silent
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 113 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-11-18
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: KINO INTERNATIONAL

Movie Reviews of Sally Of The Sawdust

Movie Review: score by Donald Sosin !!
Summary: 4 Stars

This Kino edition comes with a score by Donald Sosin ! That's reason enough to pre-order, even if you've seen the film, or even if you own it -- even if you think the film itself is a bit incoherent. It's got some good Fields moments in it, and Dempster in a dream of a gown, and some very melodramatic Griffith titles.
The scoring by Sosin alone makes this a must-have.

Summary of Sally Of The Sawdust

FROM A 35mm ARCHIVE PRINT

In a fascinating departure from the austere moral drama in which he specialized, D.W. Griffith demonstrates his talent for warm-hearted comedy with SALLY OF THE SAWDUST. Fresh from the Ziegfeld Follies, W.C. Fields made his second screen appearance as Professor Eustace McGargle, a lovably disreputable confidence man who becomes the unlikely guardian of an orphaned circus waif (Carol Dempster). Intending to return Sally to her grandparents, McGargle learns that her wealthy and esteemed grandfather (Erville Alderson) is a stern judge who harbors a deep contempt for shysters and show people. Faster than a sucker can say three-card monte, McGargle finds himself wanted by the police and chased by bootleggers, while trying to protect his cherished Sally, who has won the affection of a slumming socialite (Alfred Lunt). SALLY provided Griffith ingenue Carol Dempster (whose work for the director is generally overshadowed by that of her predecessors, Mary Pickford and Lillian Gish) with a delightful role: the spry, innocent and hot-tempered dancing girl wholly devoted to her criminal Poppy. At the same time, it showcases the comic juggling and dry wit that would make a legend of W.C. Fields (who remade the film in 1936 under the title of the original play, Poppy. )

- Filmed introduction by Orson Welles

- Theatrical trailer

- Image gallery
Although D.W. Griffith was best known for directing serious epics with a social conscience, the master of silent cinema was no slouch when it came to heartwarming comedies. Griffith's 1925 feature Sally of the Sawdust is further distinguished by its starring role for comedian W.C. Fields, reprising a role he originated on stage in Dorothy Donnelly's play Poppy. Fields had been firmly established in vaudeville as a gifted comedian and juggler, and those skills are readily apparent in this sweet-natured story about a young circus waif named Sally (latter-day Griffith ingenue Carol Dempster). Sally's mother was rejected by her wealthy father for marrying into show business, then died during childbirth, leaving Sally to be raised by lovable circus performer and con artist J. Eustace McGargle (Fields). Destiny eventually brings Sally back to the luxurious home of her grandparents, who remain unaware that she is family. Legal hassles erupt when McGargle is accused of fraud, and matters are further complicated when a local socialite falls for Sally's considerable charms. Only the truth of Sally's lineage can save her and McGargle from jail, and Griffith milks this amusing melodrama for all it's worth. Propelled by a wonderful piano score adapted from the film's original 1925 cue sheets and performed by Philip Carli, this delightful silent has been faithfully preserved and remains highly entertaining. It's fascinating as W.C. Fields's first screen success (he later remade this film as Poppy in 1936), and the little-known Dempster proves to be a charming comedienne in her own right. The DVD transfer is remarkably pristine, retaining the tinting of the film's original release. --Jeff Shannon

Classics DVD Video

DVD Video
Movies most talked about in Classics DVD Video
Casablanca ImageCasablanca
BOGART,HUMPHREY; Release date: 2000-02-15; DVD
Best price: $3.10
Price in other shops: $19.98
Alice in Wonderland (Masterpiece Edition) ImageAlice in Wonderland (Masterpiece Edition)
Release date: 2004-01-27; DVD
Best price: $11.49
Price in other shops: $29.99
To Kill a Mockingbird (Collector's Edition) ImageTo Kill a Mockingbird (Collector's Edition)
Universal; Release date: 1998-04-29; DVD
Best price: $9.49
Price in other shops: $19.98
Mary Poppins (45th Anniversary Special Edition) ImageMary Poppins (45th Anniversary Special Edition)
Release date: 2009-01-27; DVD
Best price: $14.99
Price in other shops: $29.99
Peter Pan (2-Disc Platinum Edition) ImagePeter Pan (2-Disc Platinum Edition)
DRISCOLL,BOBBY; Release date: 2007-03-06; DVD
Best price: $12.75
Price in other shops: $29.99
Sleeping Beauty (Two-Disc Platinum Edition) ImageSleeping Beauty (Two-Disc Platinum Edition)
Buena Vista Home Video; Release date: 2008-10-07; DVD
Best price: $6.94
Price in other shops: $29.99
The Ten Commandments (50th Anniversary Collection) ImageThe Ten Commandments (50th Anniversary Collection)
Paramount; Release date: 2006-03-21; DVD
Best price: $14.75
Price in other shops: $24.99
The Sound of Music (Two-Disc 40th Anniversary Special Edition) ImageThe Sound of Music (Two-Disc 40th Anniversary Special Edition)
ANDREWS,JULIE; Release date: 2005-11-15; DVD
Best price: $13.44
Price in other shops: $26.98
Stanley Kubrick - Warner Home Video Directors Series ImageStanley Kubrick - Warner Home Video Directors Series
Warner Brothers; Release date: 2008-01-22; DVD
Best price: $24.71
Price in other shops: $79.98
Pinocchio (Two-Disc 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition) ImagePinocchio (Two-Disc 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition)
Release date: 2009-03-10; DVD
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops: $29.99
Similar DVD Movies
La Roue ImageLa Roue
Release date: 2008-05-06; DVD
Best price: $29.76
Price in other shops: $39.95
W.C. Fields: 6 Short Films (Criterion Collection Spine #79) ImageW.C. Fields: 6 Short Films (Criterion Collection Spine #79)
Image Entertainment; Release date: 2000-08-22; DVD
Best price: $19.12
Price in other shops: $29.95
The Three Stooges Collection, Vol. 5: 1946-1948 ImageThe Three Stooges Collection, Vol. 5: 1946-1948
SONY PICTURES HOME ENT; Release date: 2009-03-17; DVD
Best price: $14.49
Price in other shops: $24.96
Pre-Code Hollywood Collection (The Cheat / Merrily We Go to Hell / Hot Saturday / Torch Singer / Murder at the Vanities / Search for Beauty) ImagePre-Code Hollywood Collection (The Cheat / Merrily We Go to Hell / Hot Saturday / Torch Singer / Murder at the Vanities / Search for Beauty)
Universal; Release date: 2009-04-07; DVD
Best price: $36.22
Price in other shops: $49.98
Way Down East (1920) ImageWay Down East (1920)
Release date: 2008-11-18; DVD
Best price: $13.84
Price in other shops: $24.95
The Big Broadcast of 1938 / College Swing Double Feature ImageThe Big Broadcast of 1938 / College Swing Double Feature
Universal; Release date: 2002-03-05; DVD
Best price: $6.44
Price in other shops: $14.98
Tillie and Gus ImageTillie and Gus
DVD
Best price: $44.99
The Avenging Conscience ImageThe Avenging Conscience
Release date: 2008-11-18; DVD
Best price: $13.93
Price in other shops: $24.95
W.C. Fields Comedy Collection (The Bank Dick / My Little Chickadee / You Can't Cheat an Honest Man / It's a Gift / International House) ImageW.C. Fields Comedy Collection (The Bank Dick / My Little Chickadee / You Can't Cheat an Honest Man / It's a Gift / International House)
Universal; Release date: 2004-11-09; DVD
Best price: $40.49
Price in other shops: $59.98
W.C. Fields Comedy Collection, Vol. 2 (The Man on the Flying Trapeze / Never Give A Sucker An Even Break / You're Telling Me! / The Old Fashioned Way / Poppy) ImageW.C. Fields Comedy Collection, Vol. 2 (The Man on the Flying Trapeze / Never Give A Sucker An Even Break / You're Telling Me! / The Old Fashioned Way / Poppy)
Universal; Release date: 2007-03-20; DVD
Best price: $37.74
Price in other shops: $59.98
Compare prices and read customer reviews for more than one million DVD titles.
Oscar 2005 Winners