My Gal Sal

My Gal Sal is a 1942 American musical film distributed by 20th Century Fox and starring Rita Hayworth and Victor Mature. The film is a biopic of 1890s composer and songwriter Paul Dresser and singer Sally Elliot. It was based on a biographical essay, sometimes erroneously referred to as a book, by Dresser's younger brother, novelist Theodore Dreiser (Dreiser was the original family name). Some of the songs portrayed as Dresser's work were actually written by him, but several were created for the film by the Hollywood songwriting team of Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin. Sally Elliott, a musical star meets up with Indiana boy Paul Dresser, a runaway who after a brief stopover with a medicine show arrives in Gay Nineties New York. He composes the title tune for the fair lady and becomes the toast of Tin Pan Alley. Plot Summary Indiana boy Paul Dresser (Victor Mature) runs away from home to become a musician against the wishes of his strict father who is determined Paul will become a minister instead. After being run out of town and left for dead for mistakenly being associated with a conman, he is found by Colonel Truckee - a travelling snake oil salesman - and his medicine show. There, he meets Mae Collins (Carole Landis), who encourages him to join them. During one of his performance, Sally Elliot (Rita Hayworth) laughs at Paul which offends him, and her companion, Fred Haviland (John Sutton) gives him two tickets to her show, which Paul and Mae attend. However, they are kicked out for being too boisterous. Paul decides that night that he's leaving the medicine show for good and bids Mae goodbye.