Review of My Gal Sal

I managed to obtain a DVD copy of this wonderful Twentieth Century Fox musical that was recorded off the Fox Movie Channel. Rita Hayworth, loaned out from Columbia, is paired with Victor Mature in this wonderful Techincolor extravaganza set in the Gay '90s. Paul Dresser (Mature) is a poor country lad who wants to make it big on the stage with his music. After he meets the comely Mae (Carole Landis, who after the first thirty minutes of the film, vanishes from the scene), he makes his way to a stage production, only to have the gorgeous redhead star Sally Elliot (Hayworth) laugh throughout the entire act. In retaliation, he takes Mae to one of Sally's shows and they return the favor. She then steals one of his songs and uses it in her act. Paul and Sally continually bring out the worst in each other, tempers flaring, cutting up each other's wardrobe, fighting the strong attraction that all this aggression masks. Typically, they finally end up together, despite all the misunderstandings along the way.

I can't understand why this film is not commercially available; it has all the ingredients for a DVD release. As Fox is currently releasing many of its musicals, hopefully this one will follow suit. Hayworth (who looks beautiful throughout, her singing dubbed as usual, but her dance numbers are never dull), was romantically involved with Mature at the time of filming. Their chemistry is good, but not as strong as the electricity she shared with her five-time costar, Glenn Ford. Phil Silvers, in a small part here, would later costar with Hayworth in "Cover Girl" (1944).

This is a throughly enjoyable movie that deserves lavish DVD treatment.