Sally of the Sawdust (1925)

3 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Poppy Deeds

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Pioneering filmmaker D.W. Griffith rarely veered into comedy, and the universal consensus was that when he did he wasn't very good at it. Sally of the Sawdust (1925), a collaboration with the up-and-coming W.C. Fields, is rather sweeter than it is knee-slappingly hilarious, but Fields is still a lot of fun to watch. Fields was a successful juggler when he won the part of "Poppy" on stage; this film is a rough adaptation of that play. Fields plays Prof. Eustace McGargle, a curmudgeonly cardsharp working with a circus. A woman of good breeding runs away with a circus performer, and she winds up traveling with the circus and pregnant. She also befriends McGargle. So when she and her husband meet their demise, McGargle raises the child as his own. She grows up to be Sally (Carol Dempster), a dancer, who doesn't know about her wealthy, well-to-do grandparents (Erville Alderson and Effie Shannon). When she falls in love with a charming, wealthy bachelor (Alfred Lunt), it starts her on the road of re-discovery. The film really isn't "about" McGargle, but Fields does his best to steal as many scenes as he can. All in all, it's a minor Griffith, but I love it because it's a rare opportunity for him to stretch out and relax.