How An Iconic Super Hero Performance Inspired Sally From Tim Burton’s ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’
Ever since her debut in 1993’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, Sally has endeared herself to generations of fans who identify with the heroine’s caring and shy personality, and perhaps the fact that she isn’t always quite put together.
After the release of Tim Burton’s holiday classic, Sally has become an iconic character. The rag doll can often be seen decorating homes throughout Halloween, in all kinds of merchandise, and is the frequent subject of tattoos and cosplay.
Who Inspired Burton To Create Sally?
While Sally has become a recognizable character in her own right, in a new book Tim Burton revealed that Sally’s origins actually began with another one of his film’s characters — Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman in 1992’s Batman Returns.
In Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Beyond Halloween Town: The Story, the Characters and the Legacy, the legendary director talked about the connection between Catwoman and Sally.
Photo: CinemaBlend
“I was into stitching from the Catwoman thing,” the filmmaker remarked. “I was into that whole psychological thing of being pieced together.”
In addition to their taste in stitching, both Catwoman and Sally also have antagonistic relationships with their creators and are in love with unavailable guys (Bruce Wayne and Jack Skellington respectively). The parallels are hard to miss.
Other Influences
Aside from Catwoman, the upcoming book lists other inspirations for Sally. These included the Bride of Frankenstein, the Patchwork Girl from L. Frank Baum’s Oz books and also Hollywood Golden Age star Marlene Dietrich.
Photo: Amazon
No matter how she came to be. Sally has become an iconic character in her own right. The way that fans relate to the little rag doll with a big heart has continued to delight Catherine O’Hara, who provided Sally’s voice in the film.
“I didn’t know Sally would affect people the way she has,” she says. “She’s not quite finished and doesn’t know who she is and I guess many of us feel the same way.”
Photo: Disney
Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Beyond Halloween Town: The Story, the Characters and the Legacy is available now where books are sold.
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