However, here at Allure we must be sure to right any wrongs, and due to her son's generosity, we can now present you with a series of wonderful images he supplied and are guaranteed to be the real thing. :-)
He also supplied some additional information on her career. She made her debut earlier than I originally posted, appearing at the age of three - see the image below. She is also uncredited, but easily spotted in F.W. Murnau's Sunrise, A Song of Two Humans (1927) , appearing in the ballroom scene and in the "kissing couple" scene. Additionally, after leaving Hollywood, she appeared on Broadway in Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman's hit play, "Once in a Lifetime". It ran for 406 performances, opening September 24, 1930 at the Music Box Theater.
For reference, here is the text that appeared in my initial post in April 2007.
"Byrnece Beutler, how she got Sally Phipps out of that we will never know, was born in Oakland California in 1911.
Not much is available about her early life, but she had just completed high school when she began making films and in 1927 she was named a WAMPAS baby star. Her first role in motion pictures was in Bertha, the Sewing Machine Girl (1926). She went on to make only 15 films before leaving the industry in 1929, even though she had signed a five year contract with Fox in October of '27. In searching the NYT film review archives I found several reviews of her work and while they all refer to her beauty and vivaciousness, not much is said about her ability to actually act. This may be why she only lasted three years in the business - just another pretty face?
Sally Phipps died in Long Island, New York in 1978."
According to her son, leaving Fox may have been as a result of some in-fighting with a rival actress of the time, who seems to have prevailed in getting her way.
I am pleased to be able to bring my readers and followers these images of Sally Phipps, and again thank her son for sending them along and chatting with me about his mother's career. He is currently working on an article on his mother for Classic Images magazine.
Double click on the images for a larger view.
Here is Sally at age 3 or 4 when she made her first appearance on film.Billed as Bernice Sawyer, she played the part of the Baby in Broncho Billy and the Baby for Essanay in 1915. She was in three Broncho Billy westerns that year.
Publicity stills.Sally Phipps - What do you think - Allure?
