boblipton Sam Hardy came from New York to London so he could run night clubs without gangsters muscling in on his business. The gangsters followed to muscle in. Then along came Sally in the person of Cicely Courtneidge to audition, for Hardy, only to be promptly tossed out.Promptly getting a job as Hardy's parlor maid, she reinvents herself as a French cabaret star and fascinates Mr. Hardy, who decides to star her.... until the gangsters decide to sabotage everything by kidnapping the chanteuse.The songs in this musical number have not aged well, but they are pretty good for the era, and Miss Courtneidge's mugging and serio-comic Apache dance will please people with a bent for such matters. I was particularly taken by the big production number, "You Ought to See Sally on Sunday." The huge variety of camera angles, including the overheading crane shots, suggest Busby Berkley, but it never loses itself in fantasy, despite the dizzying perspectives. It all clearly takes place within the generous confines of the night club space, even when optical printing offers multiple images. It's a nice variation never pursued in Hollywood.

malcolmgsw A combination of some lively musical numbers with a berkleyesque flair and great art deco sets give this film a high level of entertainment which is usually missing from any film starring Cicely Cpurtneidge.The American director,Tim Whelan,manages to keep her mugging to a minimum.Although using just a night club set he manages to utilise a lot of very imaginative camera angles in staging the numbers.All of the numbers are very tuneful.

writers_reign Okay, it was 1933, what do you want, slick, sophistication or sloppy slapstick. Well, you may want the first but you'll have to settle for the second. In its favor the film boasts four half-decent songs from the pen of Harry Woods and if you like Cicely Courtenidge you'll be in Hawg Heaven. This time around she was working without a net which is another way of saying she was without her usual partner (and also husband) Jack Hulbert, who could always be relied on to provide a shot of urbanity to offset her slapstick. The plot is about as believable as any musical plot in thirties Britain, in other words don't expose it to a strong light lest it disintegrate in front of your eyes. Given the time - the Great Depression - it was probably as good a slice of escapism as anything else.

Spondonman Cicely Courtneidge was married to Jack Hulbert from 1916 - 1978, the year of his death. If there was ever a match made in Heaven that was it - they were true soul-mates. Their effervescent outlooks on life were identical, along with their senses of humour, singing, dancing and acting talents. They both had a "talent to amuse", unfortunately public amusement has turned to the cynically and morally corrupt since their hey-days, meaning the type of humour they displayed in the '30's is now as antiquated to most people as the Battle of Hastings.The copy I taped off UK TV in 1991 was titled "Aunt Sally", the British title. The term doesn't have to mean "empty", just someone or something that is a target for criticisms (or missiles!). Which does make it an apt title, because this and most types of pre-1955 low to middle-brow family entertainment films are easy targets to the modern mockers. However, the film itself is a pretty poor showing for the target CC, most of the laughs coming from the show owner Sam Hardy's downbeat wisecracks, trying to keep ahead of the "American" gangsters pressuring him for protection money. But at least it boasts two of Cicely's most popular numbers, "If I had Napoleon's Hat" but more especially "Riding on a Rainbow" with a big production routine to complement it and a different recording from the commercial 78 release. To my eyes and ears she put in a fantastic performance, with bravura camera-work too. Billy Milton blasts out "You ought to see Sally on Sunday", in a performance that sounds live and with every word beautifully enunciated. And Leslie Holmes' turn with Debroy Somers and his Band was wonderful to behold.So a pleasant outing for Cicely, but if you're also a fan of British Dance Bands like me the film is worth watching - and listening to of course! - for its musical content alone.