Nancy Allen Blow Out
Nancy Allen (born June 24, 1950, New York City) played Sally Bedina in Blow Out (1981). She was married to Brian De Palma (Blow Out) from 1979 to 1984.
Allen was De Palma's most important actress
Allen appeared in four De Palma films:
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Carrie | Chris Hargensen |
| 1980 | Dressed to Kill | Liz Blake |
| 1981 | Blow Out | Sally Bedina |
| 1984 | Body Double | — (uncredited cameo) |
The roles escalated in complexity and sympathy. In Carrie she's the villain. In Dressed to Kill she's a resourceful witness. In Blow Out she's the emotional center of the film — and the sacrifice the plot demands.
Allen didn't like Sally at first — and had to find a way to love her
"I wasn't sure what to do with Sally at first because I didn't really like her. She just seemed like such a loser and a victim, so I had to try and find a way to fall in love with her to find some things that I liked, and to give her some hope, because she was so hopeless." — Nancy Allen, Money Into Light (2016)
Allen's initial resistance to the character — and her decision to find compassion for Sally rather than play her as pathetic — is what gives the performance its heartbreak. Sally is hopeless, but Allen makes you understand that her hopefulness, not her hopelessness, is what gets her killed.
De Palma and Travolta had to convince Allen to take the role
The character of Sally was originally conceived differently, and Allen was reluctant after playing a prostitute in Dressed to Kill:
"I never doubted that she could play it but we both agreed that she should follow up Dressed to Kill with something other than a prostitute. But John convinced both of us that she should do Sally." — Brian De Palma, Interview Magazine (2011)
Allen built Sally from specific acting references:
"I tried to channel things like Giulietta Masina's performance in La Strada for Sally's childlike voice, someone who was 'not so bright, well-intentioned.' People who are really resistant to growing up, keep their childlike quality. It works for them to a point." — Nancy Allen, Money Into Light (2016)
Allen and Travolta found an effortless chemistry on set
"But we sat down and it was effortless. When we actually started working together, we really had a magical chemistry." — Nancy Allen, Money Into Light (2016)
The chemistry between Allen and Travolta is what makes the ending unendurable. If Jack and Sally felt like strangers, her death would be tragic. Because they feel like people falling toward each other, her death is devastating.
Kael saw what Allen brought to the film
"Nancy Allen gives the film its soul." — Pauline Kael, The New Yorker (1981)
Kael's assessment captures what makes Allen's performance essential: Sally is a person whose fundamental decency — her willingness to help, her inability to see how dangerous her situation is — makes the ending devastating. See The Ending.
Allen fought for a different ending
Allen lobbied De Palma to change the ending — to let Sally survive. The studio pressured him too. De Palma refused.
"How can you put John Travolta and Nancy Allen together in a movie [and not have a romance]?" — Nancy Allen, Money Into Light (2016)
The audience expectation of a Travolta-Allen romance (they had chemistry in real life — Allen was married to De Palma) made the ending even more brutal. De Palma knew what he was denying the audience.
Allen starred in three RoboCop films after Blow Out
After Blow Out, Allen became best known for the RoboCop franchise, starring as Officer Anne Lewis in RoboCop (1987), RoboCop 2 (1990), and RoboCop 3 (1993).