Sunny

1930 "The Star of SALLY...in a bigger...and her loveliest role!"
5.3| 1h18m| en
Details

A showgirl falls for a society boy but has to win over his family.

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Also starring Marilyn Miller

Also starring Joe Donahue

Reviews

Wordiezett So much average
MoPoshy Absolutely brilliant
TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.
Haven Kaycee It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film
Michael_Elliott Sunny (1930) ** (out of 4) The second of three pictures that Broadway star Marilyn Miller would make at First National. This one here has her playing Sunny, a girl working at a circus who sneaks on a boat heading for America so that she can find a better life. Along the way she ends up marrying Tom (Lawrence Gray) but their hopes for a good future are challenged. SUNNY isn't nearly as good as Miller's previous film (SALLY) but fans of the actress will probably still want to watch it and especially when you considering how few movies she made due to her early death. The biggest problem with this film is actually the sound quality. I'm really not sure what happened during the making of this movie but the sound quality is downright awful from start to finish. It doesn't seem to be an issue with the discs today because if it was the case of a movie just having a poor soundtrack then it would be uneven from reel to reel. This film sounds the same from start to finish so this leads me to believe it was something done during production. Every time someone talks it's as if they're standing in a cave to where we get an echo as well as some hiss. This is annoying at first but overtime you just get used to it. Miller is without question the real reason to watch this film as she has a certain charm and energy that was made for the big screen. Gray, on the other hand, comes across pretty bland and boring as does the majority of the supporting cast, although BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN fans will get a look at O.P. Heggie in a role here. SUNNY also features some rather mediocre music and songs, which certainly doesn't help matters.
MartinHafer The Vitaphone/Warner Brothers folks were the foremost studio when it came to sound. Because of that, I was a bit confused when I watched "Sunny" as the sound was really, really bad. It seriously sounded as if the sound was recorded in a telephone booth--and you were outside trying to listen! Fortunately, the version shown on Turner Classic movies IS captioned and I strongly advise you to turn on your television's captioning for this film. You'll need it! "Sunny" stars Marilyn Miller--a very talented Broadway star who only made three early sound films before dying at age 37! The film begins with Miller feeling fed up with life in the circus and she disappears dressed as a man. She then stows away on a ship bound for America--not realizing her father is in pursuit. He is determined that she should marry a rich but dreadfully dull Brit--who Marilyn keeps referring to as 'the fish'. Can she manage to make it to America or is it an unhappy marriage to a weenie instead? While this film is a bit antiquated, you can clearly see the formula that would become the norm in future musicals of its type. The film features a few songs (actually not that many for a musical) and several dance numbers from Miller. And, true to the formula, a bit of comic relief to keep the overall mood very light. If it weren't for the bad sound, I'd strongly encourage you to see it. In its present form, however, it's one you might just want to skip.By the way, in the wedding scene on the ship, how did they get a bridal gown for Miller and all the bridesmaids? After all, they were in the middle of the ocean and the wedding was unplanned!!
Emmett Hoops This is the closest we'll ever get to seeing the wonderful Marilyn Miller on stage in her role as Sunny. The title song and the memorable "Who" were some of the most popular tunes in the late '20s, as played by George Olsen and His Music (who not only played in the Broadway production but cut a record with those songs on it.) It's rather interesting that WB made this movie right at the end of the musical era: had the stock market crash happened two years later, this might well have been an color production. It was certainly intended to be a blockbuster, and if only for that reason it's worth watching -- to see what constituted "popular" in a different era.
nlangdon I always thought that "Her Majesty Love" was Marilyn Miller's finest film until I saw "Sunny". Most of the movie crowd crowns the high notes on "Sally" but I find it boring and oh so long. "Sunny" is in rotten shape but what survives is wonderful to watch. MM simply illuminates the screen and is full of mischief in this tale of a circus bare back rider/dancer who stows away on an ocean liner. Note that Warner's used either the Aquitania or Mauretania for the cast off scene, and another two stacked liner for the long shot.... Somehow the ship loses two funnels once it's at sea... All in all, this one is a keeper for sure. Too bad MM didn't make more movies and died so young.