- Kay Johnson, Dynamite, 1929. Assistant director Mitchell Leisen made screen tests for Cecil B DeMille’s first all sound movie – on December 18, 1928. For the leading lady he filmed Sally Blane, Dorothy Burgess, Carmelia Geraghty, Leila Hyams, Merna Kennedy – and heartily recommended the fast-rising Carole Lombard. To no avail. CB played safe with theatre actors: Charles Bickford opposite Johnson’s debut. Bickford called the script a mess of corn with terrible dialogue. True enough – it flopped.
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Helen Vinson, I Am a Fugiitive from a Chain Gang, 1931. Sally always said the greatest sorrow of her career was losing Paul Muni’s fiancee in the Warner Bros classic. Her three sisters also had acting careers to a greater or lesser extent: Georgina Young, Polly Ann Young and, of course, Loretta Young. Sally retired in the 50s after 102 screen roles – the last three being on The Loretta Young Show.
- Helen Mack, The Milky Way, 1935. When the Jack Oakie vehicle, with Gertrude Michael and Edward Everett Horton, suddenly became a Harold Lloyd vehicle, Blane was firstg choice to take over Mae… then, Mack showed up. And off, Adolphe Menjou subbed for EEH. Ten years on and it was Danny Kaye vehicle called The Kid from Brooklyn.
Birth year: 1910Death year: 1997Other name: Casting Calls: 3