Deanna Durbin

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Deanna Durbin Sweetheart Pack
Deanna Durbin Sweetheart Pack (Three Smart Girls / Something In the Wind / First Love / It Started with Eve / Can't Help Singing
Deanna Durbin - Can't Help Singing
who could ask for anything more
Deanna Durbin's Great Musicals

Deanna Durbin Sweetheart Pack (Three Smart Girls / Something In the Wind / First Love / It Started with Eve / Can't Help Singing / Lady on a Train)
Starring: Deanna Durbin
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Betty Grable Collection, Vol. 1 (My Blue Heaven / The Dolly Sisters / Moon Over Miami / Down Argentine Way)
Carole Lombard - The Glamour Collection (Hands Across the Table/ Love Before Breakfast/ Man of the World/ The Princess Comes Across/ True Confession/ We're Not Dressing)
Deanna Durbin - Ultimate Collection: 24 Greatest Hits
100 Men & A Girl
The Alice Faye Collection (That Night in Rio / Lillian Russell / On the Avenue / The Gang's All Here)

ASIN: B00023P4OC
Release Date: 2004-08-03

Customer Reviews:

Deanna Durbin Sweetheart Pack.......2007-02-14

This was an excellent buy. It Has various titles, comedies , mysteries and who could not like the voice .

well done Deanna

Deanna Durbin Sweetheart Pack (Three Smart Girls / Something In the Wind / First Love / It Started with Eve / Can't Help Singing.......2007-01-12

It's a trade off because the pack combines 3 of her most notable and popular films with three of her films that were not!

Deanna Durbin - Can't Help Singing.......2006-11-10

What a shame that younger generations don't know who Deanna Durbin is! She was a fine actress and legitimate high soprano (especially beautiful appearance until she started gaining some weight) who should be better known as one of the very best of all time. I hope Canada has done something important in her momeory. Any serious students of singing and the classics (both light and heavy) should have these DVDs which preserve her legacy.

who could ask for anything more.......2006-07-06

The bubbly and energetic Deanna does it again.She sings dances and entertains you from an era long gone.Each movie is enjoyable and fun watching.Her voice is captivating and outstanding.I just lov e watching her on the screen.The quality was terrific.If you are a Durbin fan dont miss this collection.

Deanna Durbin's Great Musicals.......2006-06-30

On 2 DVDs are 6 of Deanna Durbin's great musicals. Deanna Durbin was the highest paid Hollywood actress of her day and had a beautiful voice and good acting skills to make her roles genuine and fun to watch. What a deal to get 6 films for under $25!!! Hopefully the success of this DVD package will inspire Universal Studios to do another 6 of Deanna Durbin's films in a sequel: Sweetheart Pack II.

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Charming Wartime Romance

Hers To Hold
Starring: Evelyn Ankers , and Charles Winninger
Manufacturer: Nostalgia Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
Similar Items:

Christmas Holiday
That Certain Age
Spring Parade
Deanna Durbin Sweetheart Pack (Three Smart Girls / Something In the Wind / First Love / It Started with Eve / Can't Help Singing / Lady on a Train)
THE AMAZING MRS. HOLLIDAY with Deanna Durbin (Sempre Tua) (High Quality Import Edition-NTSC format-Region 1-Playable in North America)

ASIN: B000NCN2ZA

Product Description

Well-to-do debutante Penny Craig (Deanna Durbin) won't take no for an answer! An overly amorous pilot (Joseph Cotten) gets a classic case of cold feet when Penny falls for his charms but he's suddenly called up for military service overseas. Durbin and Cotten's sweetly sublime romantic jostling is enlivened by the leading lady's delightful musical numbers. Evelyn Ankers, Charles Winninger also star. 94 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English.

Customer Reviews:

Charming Wartime Romance.......2007-06-10

"You can see anything you want to see if you close your eyes." -- Deanna Durbin

This charming wartime romance was Deanna Durbin's third turn as the youngest member of the three Craig daughters, Penny. While it doesn't quite have the energy of "Three Smart Girls" or "Three Smart Girls Grow Up," and there are only references to Penny's sisters during home movies, the appeal of Cotten and Durbin make this one of Deanna's most underrated films.

Penny's all grown up in this one and the only sister who has yet to find love and fly the coup. She is still the apple of her dad's eye, however, once again portrayed in winning fashion by Charles Winninger. It's all the talk of the society pages when Penny donates blood during wartime at a Red Cross hospital. That's where she meets flyboy Bill Morley (Joseph Cotten) who poses as a doctor to get her phone number and address.

When Penny discovers the ruse she and Bill parry and thrust at her big party until he kisses her and she gets that "forever and ever look" in her eyes. Pretty Evelyn Ankers knows the score with Bill but her Flo can't hold a candle to Penny Craig on a mission when the flyboy with no strings attached bolts.

Penny joins the war effort building planes so Bill can fly them once he's shipped out. When he finally caves in the couple make the most of his last 48 hours, having fun and falling in love ever deeper. There is a light and charming feel to their courtship, a scene on a romantic moonlit beach especially memorable for Durbin's fans, as she's never been lovelier.

Bill's pal Rosy Blake will come to Penny's rescue with a note in a sandwich that becomes a funny scene when he can't remember which one he put it in. There is a nice wartime atmosphere in Lewis Foster's screenplay which contrasts the building of B-17's right across the street from where Bill and Penny dance at a nightclub.

But the mood is kept light and romantic by director Frank Ryan. Those who love Deanna's voice won't be disappointed as she gets to sing at a party and for the plant workers. She looks terrific dressed by Adrian and renders a most beguiling version of Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine." A scene where she tries to dance with Bill in an old-style party dress will bring a few smiles as well.

Cotten recalls Durbin fondly in his bio and put old Hollywood gossip to rest. The two were very nice together and it's a shame there wasn't an opportunity for them to make another film. The print is excellent in this limited release version Durbin fans will jump on since it hasn't had a formal studio release in a region one format. A must own for Deanna's fans!

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One of Durbin's Best
wow
Mad About Deanna

Mad About Music
Starring: Deanna Durbin , Herbert Marshall , Gail Patrick , Arthur Treacher , and William Frawley
Director: Norman Taurog
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Brodie, Don | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Bryant, Nana | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Durbin, Deanna | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Frawley, William | ( F ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Hale, Jonathan | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Hodgson, Leyland | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Jones, Marcia Mae | ( J ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

O'Driscoll, Martha | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Parrish, Helen | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Patrick, Gail | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Risdon, Elisabeth | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Rub, Christian | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Treacher, Arthur | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Taurog, Norman | ( T ) | Directors | VHS | Video

General | Drama | Genres | VHS | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | VHS | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | VHS | Video

His Butler's Sister (B&W)
That Certain Age [Region 2]
Three Smart Girls Grow Up (B&W)
It's a Date
100 Men & A Girl

ASIN: 6303929982
Release Date: 1996-11-27

Customer Reviews:

One of Durbin's Best.......2006-05-21

Mad About Music is one of Deanna Durbin's best films.
Durbin plays the daughter of a middle aged movie star, and to protect her mother's youthful image, she's sent to a girl's school in Switzerland. Here she writes herself phony letters from her imaginary father, a heroic explorer and game hunter. When a stranger (Herbert Marshall) comes to town she pretends he's her dad, to satsify her doubtful shoolmates. It's a typical comedy plot that gets a bit moving near the end, but Durbin's fine singing raises it above the level of the plot. In one of my favorite scenes she's about the get thrown off a train, and sings loudly to attract attention.

wow.......2001-11-03

i have been watching this film for years at groms. it makes me glow

Mad About Deanna.......1999-10-24

Durbin's best film, a totally illogical piece of nonsense set at a totally impossible girls' school in a Switzerland which only has existed in gingerbread houses. Parts of the school look like it was designed for the Seven Dwarfs. The plot, which has Deanna raised apart from her movie star mom who doesn't dare let the world know--gasp!--she has a teenaged daughter, makes NO sense at any level. Playing the mom, Gail Patrick looks like she's about to pause at any second, look straight at the camera and say, "How the Hell am I supposed to play this poor woman--she's an idiot and I'm obviously supposed to make her sympathetic." Durbin is darling, delightful, all pep and carbonation, and sings like an angel. She suffers beautifully when she suffers and can ride a bike and give out with the vocals at the same time (!). I love this totally screwy film. Did ANYONE believe ANY of it when it came out? Dunno but it was a GIGANTIC hit.

Average customer rating:

Sweet and Innocent
What a voice!
Delightful Deanna
Deanna Durbin shines, even with below-par material
Deanna lies and attracts thhe most honest man in New York!

I'll Be Yours
Starring: Deanna Durbin , Tom Drake , William Bendix , Adolphe Menjou , and Walter Catlett
Director: William A. Seiter
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Bendix, William | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Catlett, Walter | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Ching, William | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Drake, Tom | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Durbin, Deanna | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Hamilton, John | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Pangborn, Franklin | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Phillips, John | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Shawlee, Joan | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Seiter, William A | ( S ) | Directors | VHS | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | VHS | Video

Deals Under $10 | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

Amazing Mrs Holliday
It's a Date
Because of Him [Region 2]
For the Love of Mary [Region 2]
Up in Central Park (B&W)

ASIN: 0783229712
Release Date: 1999-01-19

Customer Reviews:

Sweet and Innocent.......2005-03-23

This sweet and old-fashioned offering from the lovely Deanna Durbin is very much a film of another time. A simple and liesurely paced film about a small town girl going to the big city shortly after her father's passing, there is a sweet innocence to both the humor and the love story that should not be confused as lightweight. Based on a screenplay by the great Preston Sturges, the story really gets going slowly and Deanna carries the first portion of this film on her considerable charm. By the end, you'll be smiling, glad you stuck around for a film that remains true to its intent.

Deanna is Louise Dinglebusher (!), a girl from the small town of Cobleskil not sure what to expect from the city of New York. Eating on a budget after landing a job as an usherette through a fellow Cobleskil alum, she meets and haggles with waiter William Bendix about what to eat and how much it costs and the two become friends. It is through the amusing and sometimes exasperated Bendix she meets George W. Prescott (Tom Drake), a young lawyer who is poor because he is honest.

When Bendix gets Louise into a swank party, a wealthy tycoon, played nicely by Adolph Menjou, sets his sights on the pretty Louise after she sings the magnificent "Granada" and is a big hit. To stop his advances she invents a marriage to the only other person she knows in New York, George W. Prescott. There are amusing complications from her white lie, and of course, a real romance between the two ensues.

As George begins to fall in love with Louise, so do we. One of the nicest scenes in any Durbin film is the one of she and George rowing down the lake with other couples as she sings "It's Dreamtime." Both this scene and that song alone are worth any price of admission. The ending is lovely and sweet, like the entire film. It is to the credit of everyone involved in the film that no artificial fireworks were created to "jazz" it up. The old-fashioned tone of this Durbin classic is kept through the entire hour and a half.

This film is full of quiet charm and a must have for Deanna's fans. Others in the mood for something very old-fashioned and nostalgic will enjoy this as well. Make this film yours today.

What a voice!.......2003-03-27

This was my first Deanna Durbin movie ever and I loved it! Her gorgeous voice blew me away, especially when she sang "Granada." I'm not a big opera fan, but after listening to Deanna, I've a new appreciation for it. She looks very pretty in this movie, too, and Tom Drake is perfect as the modest young lawyer who falls in love with her. Excellent supporting cast, wardrobe, and music!!

Delightful Deanna.......2001-10-25

She sings "Granada" and it is glorious. There is also "It's Dreamland" on the lake with moonlight. Deanna is just a lovely young woman to watch as she goes through her paces.

The story is fluff but William Bendix is fun as usual, and I even liked Adolph Menjou in this role of the tycoon trying to seduce our girl, and he is not a favorite of mine usually. Of course, Bill and Tom Drake (as the love interest) come to the rescue, but Deanna has them all under control.

All in all, I'm glad I purchased this video and will enjoy watching it again and again.

Deanna Durbin shines, even with below-par material.......1999-06-28

Deanna Durbin, one of Universal's biggest and highest-paid stars of the 1940s, definitely deserved better than this, although she does manage to shine in a few scenes (especially when singing "It's Dreamtime"). Everything in the film, from the dialogue, to the comedy, and even the songs, seem average at best (which, sadly, was all too common in her later films). Adolphe Menjou, William Bendix, and especially Tom Drake do well in supporting roles. All in all, not one of Deanna's best films, although definitely worth the price of the video for fans of the divine Miss Durbin!

Deanna lies and attracts thhe most honest man in New York!.......1999-04-11

To escape a philandering millionaire, Deanna tells him that her husband is very jealous. The only trouble is, she isn't married! Tom Drake plays thhe supposed husband and is not very happy to find out she lied about him. The movie is delightful, not to mention funny. It is one of our favorite Durbin films.

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His Butler's Singer...
Now Remember, Dead-pan!
Delightful and Charming
Wonderful Deanna!
His Butlers Sister

His Butler's Sister (B&W)
Starring: Deanna Durbin , Franchot Tone , Pat O'Brien , Akim Tamiroff , and Alan Mowbray
Director: Frank Borzage
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Adrian, Iris | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Ankers, Evelyn | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Bates, Florence | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Catlett, Walter | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Conried, Hans | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Durbin, Deanna | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Janssen, Elsa | ( J ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Jenks, Frank | ( J ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Karns, Roscoe | ( K ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

O'Brien, Pat | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Pangborn, Franklin | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Raymond, Robin | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Tamiroff, Akim | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Tombes, Andrew | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Tone, Franchot | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Borzage, Frank | ( B ) | Directors | VHS | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | VHS | Video

Mad About Music
Three Smart Girls Grow Up (B&W)
Up in Central Park (B&W)
It's a Date
That Certain Age [Region 2]

ASIN: 6303929966
Release Date: 1996-11-27

Customer Reviews:

His Butler's Singer..........2006-04-24

...more like it! Deanna gives a lovely performance in a mid war film which is the reason fake food was used as the disclosure at the beginning of the film tells us. This film features the second teaming of Deanna and Franchot Tone which reminds me of his several teamings with Jean Harlow. In fact this film is a nice way to view Franchot ten years after his first teaming with Harlow in 1933's Bombshell. While still handsome, his youthful shine is gone. Deanna on the other hand has her eyebrows experimented on in this film. The thinner the uglier imo. This film was Deanna's truer entry into adulthood before Christmas Holiday and after It Started With Eve. The butler in this film is played by Pat O'Brien and he excels. Its a charming film worth your time if only for one of the best endings in Deanna's short film history. Sweet songs round out this enjoyable film.

Now Remember, Dead-pan!.......2005-09-20

His Butler's Sister is the story of a girl (Deanna Durbin) who wants more than anything to become a famous singer. She goes to visit her brother in New York who has just sent her $1000; she assumes he must be rich and living with him might be able to help her meet the right people. When she arrives, she sees that he is not rich at all; he is a butler employed by a rich man who happens to work hiring singers (Franchot Tone). Disappointed but unfazed, the girl decides to move in and serve as the new maid until she can get her employer's attention. Her brother is completely against this, telling her she can in no way sing around their employer because he hates it and will turn her out. The girl quickly gains popularity because of her vibrant personality. She even wins over her boss. In the end, all is well; she succeeds as a singer without his help and lands him on top of everything.

The film opens with a very funny dance number in a train. Two of the women have learned of Tone's characters whereabouts and have planned a routine to show off their nasal voices. Tone himself is funny as the horribly naive employer who bustles around as if nothing strange is happening right outside his bedroom door. The butler is fiercely protective of his little sister and sometimes quite mean to her. The real star of the show is Deanna Durbin, a talented singer with a powerful, slightly annoying operatic voice. Luckily, much of the plot revolves around her not being able to sing. She has a knack for comedy as shown by her dead-pan expression, but she is no knockout beauty with her chubby cheeks and plain-Jane face. Her personality makes up for it though, and she snags several male followers.

This videotape also includes previews for other tapes in the second Deanna Durbin collection and a theatrical trailer for His Butler's Sister, a film with a few laughs, operatic songs, and a mediocre plot.

Delightful and Charming.......2005-07-18

This endearing film from director Frank Borzage is filled with the warmth and charm of its star, Deanna Durbin. An original screenplay fashioned for Deanna by Samuel Hoffenstein and Beth Reinhardt and a glossy production from Universal really make this one of Deanna's best films. A great cast which includes Franchot Tone, Pat O'Brien, Akim Tamiroff and Elsa Janssen lend sparkling support to Deanna's joyous performance as Ann Carter.

Ann is on her way from Indiana to New York by train to live with her rich half-brother while she tries to become a broadway musical star. She wants to sing for composer Charles Gerard (Franchot Tone) and just misses her chance when she finds out he is on her train. When her half-brother Martin (Pat O'Brien) turns out to be only a butler, her hopes sink low until she discovers he is the butler in the swanky New York penthouse of you know who!

Martin plays the ponies more than he works but since his main job is keeping away girls who want to sing for Charles Gerard, he has his hands full. It gets even more complicated when Gerard mistakes Ann for the new maid and she is right under Gerard's nose and Martin's feet! Elsa Janssen is wonderful as the housekeeper Severena, who takes a shine to the sweet Ann. She isn't the only one, however, taken with Ann's smile and effervescence.

Some very funny moments are given birth from Ann's effect on every butler in the building. They are all enamored of her and do everything they can to compete for her affections. Akim Tamiroff is foremost of these as Martin's Russian pal Popoff. Ann of course, begins to fall for her boss Gerard who is about to dump his latest work and run off to Maine with his society girlfriend Elizabeth Campbell (Evelyn Ankers).

She finally gets to sing but in an only in the movies mix-up Charles thinks it was the radio. When they do get together she forgets all about the music and the two fall in love. But her brother feels threatened and also thinks Gerard might just be fooling around. This causes Charles to make plans for Maine again, but true love may make him stay.

Tone is excellent as the wealthy but down to earth Gerard and Deanna simply glows in fashions by Adrian. A walk home holding hands and a kiss goodnight are filled with romance and magic, as is this film. There are, of course, some wonderful musical interludes, including "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's "Turnadot" and the beautiful "In the Spirit of the Moment."

This sweet fable of "the day before yesterday" as it calls itself is a must for Deanna's fans and a fine film in its own right. A real gem from the last rose of summer, Deanna Durbin.

Wonderful Deanna!.......2003-05-24

This must be the lowest budget movie made starring Deanna Durbin. What's up with the fake food? Where they limited because of the war effort? But as usual, beautiful Deanna with her great voice makes this movie worth watching.

His Butlers Sister.......2002-07-11

Since I have bought this video I have watched the film about 40 times,the voice of Deanna Durbin is just incredible,I have all her films but this one has to be the best for me,they don't make films like this anymore.
I am now waiting for this to come out in colour and on DVD then I will also add it to my collection.
Thanks to Amazon for providing all the golden oldies keep it up a very satified customer Thanks again for a great service.

Average customer rating:

Track This One Down!

That Certain Age
Starring: Deanna Durbin , Melvyn Douglas , Jackie Cooper , Irene Rich , and Nancy Carroll
Director: Edward Ludwig
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Carroll, Nancy | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Coleman, Charles | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Cooper, Jackie | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Douglas, Melvyn | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Durbin, Deanna | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Halliday, John | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Kornman, Mary | ( K ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Quigley, Juanita | ( Q ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Rich, Irene | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Searl, Jackie | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Stewart, Peggy | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Ludwig, Edward | ( L ) | Directors | VHS | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | VHS | Video

Mad About Music
Amazing Mrs Holliday
It's a Date
His Butler's Sister (B&W)
I'll Be Yours

ASIN: 6304296983
Release Date: 1997-01-28

Customer Reviews:

Track This One Down!.......2007-03-16

Deanna Durbin stars in yet another hit as Alice, a girl stuck between childhood and adulthood. One cannot ignore that these pre-teen or teenage years were treated a bit differently than when this film was made, so the kids might behave younger than they would in today's society, but they still deal with similar issues. For example, a writer friend of her father's comes to stay with the family. Vincent Bullitt (Melvyn Douglas) is a charismatic, no-nonsense kind of man that treats Alice as older than her parents do which makes her develop a crush on him. In turn, she does all she can to win his affections, even at the expense of hurting her semi-boyfriend Ken (Jackie Cooper).

One can easily relate to the story, as everyone has grown up and experienced crushes. What makes a trite story wonderful are the actors. Each of them play their parts convincingly and realistically, making common caricatures seem deep and unique. The film has a light mood which makes it delightful to watch.

This film flaunts an all-star cast whose players had careers that spanned decades. Aside from the beloved Durbin, Academy Award winning Douglas, and former Little Rascal Cooper, Irene Rich plays Alice's mother, Nancy Carroll plays Vincent's girlfriend, and Juanita Quigley plays Ken's mischievious little sister.

Average customer rating:

Christmas Holiday

Manufacturer: Nostalgia Home Video
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Lady on a Train [Region 2]

ASIN: B000NJCSEY

Product Description

Dark drama follows the saga of a cabaret singer (Deanna Durbin) in WWII New Orleans who, through a series of flashbacks, relates to a stranded G.I. the sad story of her marriage to a murderous ne'er-do-well (Gene Kelly). Loosely adapted from W. Somerset Maugham's novel by "Citizen Kane" scribe Herman J. Mankiewicz, the film co-stars Gale Sondergaard, Richard Whorf. 93 min.

Average customer rating:

"I'm Not a Gentleman, I'm a Father!"
Funny, Romantic, and Fresh!
A Simple Charmer
Deanna Durbin is a treasure

Three Smart Girls (B&W)
Starring: Binnie Barnes , Charles Winninger , Alice Brady , Ray Milland , and Mischa Auer
Director: Henry Koster
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Auer, Mischa | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Barnes, Binnie | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Brady, Alice | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Cavanaugh, Hobart | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Cossart, Ernest | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Durbin, Deanna | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Grey, Nan | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Homans, Robert | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

O'Connor, Frank | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

O'Keefe, Dennis | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Pangborn, Franklin | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Walker, Nella | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Watson, Lucile | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Winninger, Charles | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | VHS | Video

Koster, Henry | ( K ) | Directors | VHS | Video

Deals Under $8 | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

First Love
Three Smart Girls Grow Up (B&W)
Lady on a Train [Region 2]
It's a Date
Mad About Music

ASIN: 6303328164
Release Date: 1995-01-17

Amazon.com

Universal wasted no time in exploiting 14-year-old Deanna Durbin's star power; after screening the dailies from her feature debut, Three Smart Girls, studio execs expanded Durbin's supporting role and doubled the budget. Their investment paid off: this breezy comedy-musical, about a young singer determined to reunite her parents, earned a then-extraordinary $2 million and three Oscar nominations (including Best Picture).

Durbin's charm, good songs, and a solid supporting cast (including Alice Brady, Mischa Auer, and Charles Winninger) make Girls a delight many decades later. It's also a notch above the affable sequel, Three Smart Girls Grow Up. --Steven Smith

Customer Reviews:

"I'm Not a Gentleman, I'm a Father!".......2005-04-04

Deanna Durbin simply burst on to the screen for the first time as Penny, the youngest of three sisters who attempt to break up their father's impending nuptuals so they can get him back together with their mother. This delightful romp made Deanna a star and saved Universal Studios from bankruptcy. The film itself moves at a breakneck pace, following Durbin's lead as she blows like a joyous and funny hurricane right into our hearts.

Nan Grey is Penny's sister, Joan, and Barbara Read is Kay. Charles Winninger is good as always as the parent who hasn't seen his children in ten years, and has forgotten what it means to be a father. But Penny's strong minded enthusiasm is infectious, and it isn't long before the shallow babe after his money doesn't seem near as important as his daughters.

There are some hilarious moments in this fast and furious comedy and Deanna gets to sing "Someone to Care For Me" and a couple of others, as one plot after another is hatched to get rid of the fiance. Mischa Auer is a hoot as the inebriated Count paid to romance away the fiance. But it is a young Ray Milland as Lord Michael Stuart who gets the most laughs when a mix-up occurs and the girls think he is the one they've paid to lure "Precious" away. Stuart is the real deal but plays along with the charade so he can romance Penny's sister, Kay.

An infectious joy runs all through this film and it is easy to see why this was such a hugh hit. It launched the career of one of the most fondly remembered stars of all time. This film begins with Penny, Joan and Kay sailing in Switzerland and it will sail right into your heart when you see it for the first time. A fresh and timeless treasure.

Funny, Romantic, and Fresh!.......2005-01-13

Deanna Durbin's freshness, youth, and energy sets up the mood for this fun, light hearted movie.
She plays Penny, the youngest of three daughters who, in order to bring back together their divorced parents, goes to New York with her older sisters and tries to dissuade their rich father from marrying his fortune-hunting fiance.
In their attempt to separate their father from his future bride, they stumble upon two handsome young men who fall in love with the two older sisters, Joan and Kay. (Note: Kay is the lucky one who steals the heart of the handsomest of the two men, Lord Stuart, played by a very young and gorgeous Ray Milland).
Joan's Beau, Bill Evans, tries to help the three girls by hiring an out of work, alcoholic Hungarian to play the part of a rich Hungarian Count so he can lure their father's fiance away with his make-believe millions. But things don't turn out quite as planned when Lord Stuart is accidentally mistaken as the hired Hungarian.
Very funny plot twists, entertaining music, and an overall enjoyable movie!! Highly recommended for Durbin fans and for anyone who enjoys funny romantic musicals!

A Simple Charmer.......2002-05-14

Although she is little known today, Deanna Durbin was one of the most popular stars of the 1930s, a pretty teenager with a perky personality and a much-admired operatic singing voice. This 1937 was her first major film, and it proved a box-office bonanza for beleaguered Universal Studios.

THREE SMART GIRLS concerns three daughters of a divorced couple who rush to their long-unseen father when their still-faithful mother reveals he may soon remarry--with the firm intention of undermining his gold-digger girlfriend and returning him to their mother. Although the story is slight, the script is witty and the expert cast plays it with a neat screwball touch. Durbin has a pleasing voice and appealing personality, and such enjoyable character actors as Charles Winninger, Alice Brady, Lucile Watson, and Mischa Auer round out the cast. A an ultra-light amusement for fans of 1930s film.

Deanna Durbin is a treasure.......2000-06-15

Deanna Durbin is a treasure not well known to today's generation but was well loved in her time. If you enjoy movies like Parent Trap you will love the original take on children trying to get their parents together. This hilarious movie includes the fabulous singing voice of Deanna that makes it the tops with me. A definate 'must see' if you enjoy comedy and music. If you like this one you will adore the sequal Three Smart Grow Up.

Average customer rating:

Just What the Doctor Ordered
Interesting and fun comedy drama with good music.
A Funny and Charming Classic
Tons of laughs and great music!
Cute but....

It Started With Eve
Starring: Deanna Durbin , Charles Laughton , Robert Cummings , Guy Kibbee , and Margaret Tallichet
Director: Henry Koster
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Bacon, Irving | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Blandick, Clara | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Catlett, Walter | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Cecil, Nora | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Coleman, Charles | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Cummings, Robert | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Durbin, Deanna | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Jackson, Selmer | ( J ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Kibbee, Guy | ( K ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Laughton, Charles | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Schilling, Gus | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | VHS | Video

Koster, Henry | ( K ) | Directors | VHS | Video

Deals Under $8 | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

First Love
Three Smart Girls Grow Up (B&W)
Lady on a Train [Region 2]
Can't Help Singing
100 Men & A Girl

ASIN: 6303328199
Release Date: 1995-01-17

Amazon.com

Among Deanna Durbin's happiest memories of Hollywood would be her two-film collaboration with actor Charles Laughton: 1946's minor Broadway-set comedy Because of Him and this imaginatively scripted gem that remains one of Durbin's best vehicles. In It Started with Eve, Deanna is enlisted to pose as fiancée to Robert Cummings, who's trying to please his (apparently) dying father Laughton. Avoid the Sandra Dee remake I'd Rather Be Rich, and enjoy the clever plot twists and three good tunes found in the original, which marked Durbin's last pre-war picture and the end of her golden age at Universal. --Steven Smith

Customer Reviews:

Just What the Doctor Ordered.......2005-11-20

When a man (Robert Cummings) visits his dying father (Charles Laughton), he is requested to bring his fiancée for his father to meet for the first time before he passes away. The man is beside himself because he cannot find Gloria, his fiancée, who went out shopping with her mother. Instead, he pays a girl (Deanna Durbin) who works at the hotel to pose as his fiancée for the night, since his father will never know the difference. She takes the job so that she can go visit her family in Ohio with the money. However, the girl's wholesome looks and vibrant personality charm the old man and he makes a full recovery, leaving the man with an interesting situation.

This film is very funny throughout. The charade is the most obviously humorous part, but other minor parts evoke laughter as well. The newspapermen are funny, Laughton's desire for a cigar is funny, and Durbin's tenacity when it comes to music is funny.

Durbin is outstanding in this film. She is realistic and mature, making her character quite believable despite the hair-brained situation. It makes it easy to understand why the old man would like her so much. She is sweet and sincere, a "good girl," but by no means an annoying one. She is also playful and likeably heartbreaking at times.

Laughton is almost unrecognizable at times in his old man makeup. He plays the amusing sick man to the hilt in a way reminiscent of Lionel Barrymore. He is subtlety cute and funny at the same time, and obviously very sensitive but honest underneath the playful exterior.

Cummings has good chemistry with Durbin and is effective in his emotional scenes. However, he takes a backseat to the other stars.

The music in Durbin's films is almost as important as the story. She sings three in this film. The first is "When I Sing" which sounds startlingly familiar to the "Once Upon a Dream" song from Sleeping Beauty. The process of preparing for the song is quite funny. The second song is a jumpy Spanish number. It shows off Durbin's many talents including that of vocal, piano, and energetic presence. The last song is "Goin' Home," a dreamy weepy song that has too obviously been dubbed.

Overall, this film is delightful, and although the music is adequate, it is not wonderful. For those who are not a fan of Durbin's operatic voice, this could be a positive aspect of the film, but for those who cherish it, it might be a bit disappointing.

Interesting and fun comedy drama with good music........2005-06-10

It Started With Eve is a comedy drama with an original situation, kept interesting by great performances. Charles Laughton is a wealthy old man who demands to meet his son's fiancee from his deathbed. He's expected to expire within hours, but his son (Robert Cummings) can't locate his fiancee, who's gone out with her mother. He wants the old man to die happy, so in an act of desperation he hires a hat check girl (Deanna Durbin) to pose as his fiancee. He introduces her to his father, and everthing seems to go off well - until the next moring, when the old man not only doesn't die, but asks to see the girl again. The deception continues as he makes a speedy recovery. Laughton is great fun to watch, Durbin beautiful to listen to (she sings 3 songs), and Cummings and the rest of the cast provide competent performances to make the movie work. It's not quite as funny as it might have been, but still a treat to watch throughout.

A Funny and Charming Classic.......2005-04-09

Deanna Durbin was always fabulous and on this outing has a nice script and fine support from Charles Laughton and Robert Cummings, making this one of her best. This film is warm, funny and delightful. Durban even gets to do a few beautiful songs that are worked into the story in a natural way. This is really a very funny comedy with many fine moments that will leave you smiling when it's over.

Jonathan Reynolds (Charles Laughton), an irracible, rich and socially prominent tycoon, is on his death bed. His son Jonathan Jr. (Robert Cummings) rushes home from Mexico with his new fiance Gloria (Margaret Tallichet) to see him before he dies, an event the papers can't wait for. But when the old man wants to meet young Jonathan's bride to be, she and her hideous mother have left the hotel to go shopping. A desparate Jonathan talks coat check girl Anne Terry (Deanna Durbin) into pretending to be Gloria for $50.00. It is money she needs for train fare back to Shelbyville because she is abandoning her dreams of singing stardom, which are going nowhere.

A teary eyed Anne has a warm and instant connection with old man Jonathan, who adores her and makes an unexpected recovery thanks to her charm and warmth. This causes complications for Jonathan, who has to catch Anne at the train station twice in order to keep the charade going! The interplay between the two as they start bickering about it is priceless. Even when the old man overhears them and knows the truth he goes along because he can see she's the right girl for his son Jonathan Jr., and the daughter-in-law he wants.

Of course, Jonathan Jr. still thinks he wants to marry the real Gloria and there is a subplot about a party which will be attended by Stokowski and Heifetz, friends of the old man. Anne may finally get her chance to be noticed. But she is too sweet to go through with it and plans on returning home to Shelbyville, prompting the wise old Jonathan to hatch up a little plan of his own.

A night on the town where a delightful Durbin teaches Laughton to do the Conga in a swank nightclub is a particular highlight of this stellar film. Deanna's tearful rendition of "Goin' Home" is another. There is also an hilarious fight scene with Durbin and Cummings chasing each other all over the place that involves biting and pinching which will surely leave you on the floor!

This is one of Durbin's best films. She had a flair for light comedy and a warmth and sincerity to her acting. You can't miss this one if you love Durbin or enjoy a great comedy. This is a classy production and a chance to see for yourself the always wonderful Deanna Durbin, always and forever, "The Last Rose of Summer."

Tons of laughs and great music!.......2002-12-27

This movie is hysterically funny and cute. A hilarious Charles Laughton leads the crew along with the ever lovely Deanna Durbin. It has great music, acting, and comedy. Deanna shows off her gorgeous voice and her excellent piano skills especially while singing a little Spanish song called "Clavelitos." Robert Cummings is adorable as Laughton's soon -to -be -married son. Lots of funny scenes and cute dialogue. Buy this movie and laugh all your troubles away!

Cute but...........2001-08-07

I've always loved Deanna Durbin and this is a cute movie, but the chemistry between her and Robert Cummings just didn't seen to click in my opinion. I really couldn't see his feelings shifting to the hat check girl (Deanna) he passes off as his fiance to his dying father. And likewise I couldn't see her falling for him. The romantic triangle plot could have used some beefing up. The comic bits are well done though and as always Deanna's voice is superlative.

Average customer rating:

Love at Last
Nice Girl? One Of Deanna's Best Films.
Ravishing! Delightful!

Nice Girl (B&W)
Starring: Deanna Durbin , Franchot Tone , Walter Brennan , Robert Stack , and Robert Benchley
Director: William A. Seiter
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Benchley, Robert | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Brennan, Walter | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Broderick, Helen | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Bryant, Nana | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Davidson, William B | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Durbin, Deanna | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Finlayson, James | ( F ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Gillis, Ann | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Gwynne, Anne | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Jones, Marcia Mae | ( J ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Kelly, Tommy | ( K ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Risdon, Elisabeth | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Ruhl, William | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Stack, Robert | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Tone, Franchot | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | VHS | Video

Seiter, William A | ( S ) | Directors | VHS | Video
Similar Items:

It's a Date
I'll Be Yours
Amazing Mrs Holliday
That Certain Age [Region 2]
Mad About Music

ASIN: 6304296975
Release Date: 1997-01-28

Customer Reviews:

Love at Last.......2006-03-22

This warm and sweet film full of charm and the values once held dear in small towns across America is one of Deanna Durbin's finest. Based on a play by Phyllis Duganne, the screenplay by Richard Connell and Gladys Lehman captures the innocence of a time when going downtown for an ice cream soda and attending the town dance was a big deal.

The music is beautiful this time out, with Deanna getting to sing everything from the sweet "Beneath the Lights of Home" to the lovely "Love at Last" with music and lyrics by Jacques Press and Eddie Cherkose. The songs never seem intrusive here but fit perfectly into the story. They are simply part of a mosaic painted here by director William A. Seiter and producer Joe Pasternak. Vera West dressed Deanna in this film and reminds the viewer that Durbin was everything a girl is supposed to be, and just a bit more.

Deanna is Jane Dana, the quiet daughter of Professor Dana (Robert Benchley). His youngest daughter, Nancy, is boy crazy, and his other daughter, Sylvia, wants to be an actress and takes every opportunity to ham it up. Jane takes care of the rabbits and helps her dad out with his research. He is hoping for a fellowship that will let him expand his work. When a big university sends Richard Calvert (Franchot Tone) to Stillwater to interview Jane's dad for the grant, things will never be the same.

Jane's boyfriend, Don (Robert Stack), is so crazy about his car he misses all her signals for romance. When the handsome Richard appears on the scene, all three sisters descend on him like bees to a pot of honey. Young Nancy's attempts to seem older are a hoot but Jane has the inside track when she borrows Don's car and sabotages it in order to play seductress. But Jane has a small-town heart, rather than a sophisticated one, and Richard has no designs on taking advantage of her; though those gowns by Vera West make it tempting.

Tone is actually terrific here and has a repore with Durbin that is quite pleasing. Once Jane returns home and the whole town knows the 5 cent scandal, she tries to save face when Don just assumes that nothing could have happened. She becomes engaged to the absent Richard, who then shows up. A film that has had you smiling most of the time, then becomes hilarious, and there are some true belly laughs before Don wakes up and Jane discovers what kind of life she wants.

This film is sweet and wonderful, and no description here could do justice to its warmth and charm. Durbin's voice is lovely here and so is she. This is not just a five star film for Deanna's fans, but a five star film classic, period.

Walter Brennan shines as the town postman, Hector, trying to romance the Dana's maid. Helen Broderick, Anne Gwynne and Ann Gillis offer fine support to a film everyone in the family will enjoy. Deanna sings a patriotic "Thanks to America" at the end, just as her Don is joining the Army. The song, "They'll Always Be an England" which was shown in Europe, is included and reminds us of the era in which this beautifully realized motion picture was born. A fine Deanna Durbin film and lovely time capsule of the mores and values we once held dear. Don't miss it.

Nice Girl? One Of Deanna's Best Films........2001-02-15

This movie is full of good things: an escapist story line, a good supporting cast, lots of laughs, and six good songs. We get two helpings of "Beneath The Lights Of Home" a popular song at the time, and still popular with members of "The Deanna Durbin Society" today. The plot is uncomplicated: Robert Stack is Deanna's boy-friend, who shows more interest in his car than in her. Enter the older man Franchot Tone. He's a representative of a scientific organisation and has come to do business with Deanna's father. Deanna becomes attracted to him, and so on...

The video ends with the song "There'll Always Be An England". This song was only added to the film on British release. Deanna sang it direct to the audience, and no doubt her English parents would be just as delighted as the British film-goers who went forth into the black-out feeling uplifted.

Ravishing! Delightful!.......2000-06-28

This is probably the most ravishing look at small-town America during World War II ever put on film. The movie serves as a star vehicle for Deanna Durbin and her all-American good-looks, charm and energy relate to the remarkable recreation of a little town somewhere in America. Her house is fascinating to study during those innocent years: big, spacious windows, cozy, over-stuffed rooms. The best scene, though, is at July 4th party by the river. Deanna sings "Old Folks at Home" in a haunting, thrilling way and previous to that, an even more unforgettable "Lights of Home," all aimed at the servicemen overseas and their longing for American homelife. Deanna's boyfriend is the incredibly gorgeous Robert Stack, whose smile is dazzling. Franchot Tone is again the older handsome man but why Universal kept pairing him and the effervescent Deanna is a mystery to me. His long, strange looking face, weird smile, looks alien next to Deanna's open face. The VHS print is beautiful, the sound marvelous and the movie ends with an unforgettable sequence where Deanna is singing to a military crowd and relatives. The song "Thanks to America" makes you realize how long ago that era really is. There's a beautiful alternate ending included. Deanna sings "There will always be an England" with a marvelous long close-up. Lose yourself in nostalgia and enchanting music by the incomparable Deanna. This is one of Universal's unheralded masterpieces.

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