One of the most charming and easily enjoyable B musicals I have seen, "Shipyard Sally" may not have memorable songs or big dance numbers, but it slowly bowled me over with its playful whimsicality and quirky allure of its innocent cast.
Gracie Fields is superb as the title heroine - the earthy, vivacious saloon singer determined to fight for the reopening of the shipyard where her customers work. The saloon, located in Clydebank, is owned by her father Major Fitzgerald (a marvelously droll Sydney Howard), who is also her partner. Sally travels to London, with a petition of thousands of unemployed workers, to meet Lord Randall (Morton Selten), the head of the Shipyard business. As she leaves Clydebank, she sings "Wish Me Luck as You Wave Me Goodbye". Since she can't meet him right away, Sally first impersonates as a man and then assumes the identity of another singer Linda Marsh (Tucker Maguire) to meet Randall at a private ball where Sally sings and dances before a group of aristocratic guests.
I saw "Shipyard Sally" one late night on TV by accident and I loved it. I never heard of it before but it quickly became one of my fave musicals. See it if you can.
Gracie Fields is superb as the title heroine - the earthy, vivacious saloon singer determined to fight for the reopening of the shipyard where her customers work. The saloon, located in Clydebank, is owned by her father Major Fitzgerald (a marvelously droll Sydney Howard), who is also her partner. Sally travels to London, with a petition of thousands of unemployed workers, to meet Lord Randall (Morton Selten), the head of the Shipyard business. As she leaves Clydebank, she sings "Wish Me Luck as You Wave Me Goodbye". Since she can't meet him right away, Sally first impersonates as a man and then assumes the identity of another singer Linda Marsh (Tucker Maguire) to meet Randall at a private ball where Sally sings and dances before a group of aristocratic guests.
I saw "Shipyard Sally" one late night on TV by accident and I loved it. I never heard of it before but it quickly became one of my fave musicals. See it if you can.