SALLY OF THE SAWDUST

One of the last films directed by David Wark Griffith, ‘Sally of the Sawdust’ is a clear example of the modernity of this author unanimously considered to be one of the fathers of cinema. Through the story of Sally (Carol Dempster), a young woman who works in a circus, ignoring her origins – her rich and respected grandfather is a strict judge – the director tells a lot about the America of which he was a child. The character of Professor McGargle is played by W.C. Fields, one of the most irreverent comedians who ever lived, unfortunately forgotten today by the majority of the public. ‘Sally of the Sawdust’, the original title, although an atypical film in Griffith’s production, is a fundamental piece in the filmography of the author of ‘Birth of a Nation’ and ‘Intolerance’.