Starring Deanna Durbin, Charles Winninger, Nan Grey, and Barbara Reed
Directed by Henry Koster
Music by Bronslau Kaper and Walter Jurman; Lyrics by Gus Kahn
Deanna Durbin came to Universal earlier in 1936 being dropped by MGM, who had plenty of operatic stars. Universal was in dire straits at that point. Their monster movies weren't the draws they'd been in the early 30's, and Show Boat aside, they largely gave up on musicals after the early talkie era. This was her first appearance in a feature...and it was such a smash, it and her next few films literally saved the company from bankrupsy. Let's start on the lakes in Switzerland with the three young woman of the title to find out what made this such a hit...
The Story: Joan (Grey), Kay (Reed), and Penny (Durbin) are shocked when they learn that their father, millionaire Judson Craig (Winninger), is going to be married to a gold digger half his age (Binnie Barnes). They run away to New York to keep him from going through with the ceremony. He's happy to see them and even puts them up in his apartment, under the watchful eye of his butler Binns (Ernest Cossart). His fiancee Donna isn't happy to see them and enlists the aid of her fussy mother (Alice Brady) to keep the girls out of their hair.
Frustrated, Kay and Joan hire what they think is a drunk impersonating a Count (Ray Milland) to seduce Donna. Not only is he not what he claims he is, but to Kay's horror, he falls for her instead. Meanwhile, Joan has her sights set on her father's assistant Bill Evans (John "Dusty" King). It's up to Penny to finally bring everyone together and remind her father of just how much he loves his three smart and funny girls.
The Song and Dance: Film musicals don't often fall into family comedy territory...and when they do, they're usually about performing families. Three Smart Girls comes off more like an early Parent Trap or a black-and-white version of a 90's family comedy where kids easily outwit clueless adults. This may be a rich family, but Durbin is the only performer...and she's played pretty much as a normal 14-year-old who just wants her dad back in her life.
You can see why Durbin became a major star after this movie. She's naturally charming on-screen and has real chemistry with blustery Winninger. They have a very funny sequence where they literally fall over laughing after they trip over her bed. Durbin's such a charmer, she manages to almost convince an entire station of New York cops that she's run away to become an opera singer.
Favorite Number: Durbin performs "My Heart Is Singing" in the opening as she and her sisters go boating in Lake Geneva, dressed in identical sailor outfits. "Someone to Care for Me" is initially performed by Barnes at the piano, but Durbin later sings it to Winninger before her bedtime to explain why she and the girls are trying to get rid of Donna. "Il Bacio" is the operatic aria Durbin sings to the cops when she's trying to convince them that she ran away to become an opera star...and from the semi-impressed looks on their faces, they almost sort-of believe it.
Trivia: Nominated for Best Picture in 1937.
What I Don't Like: This is pretty much a sitcom with a few songs shoehorned in, and as such, it's fairly small-scale. As much fun as Durbin is in her scenes, I actually wish she had even more to do. She disappears for a long stretch when her sisters are hiring the Count (Milland) and trying to get Barnes to fall for him. It's all cute but very predictable - you know where this is going well before the girls and their suitors do. It's also a tad dated. Divorce, remarriage, and blended families are considered to be a lot more acceptable nowadays.
The Big Finale: Adorable bit of family fluff that might be fun to watch with your own dad after the barbecue this Father's Day.
Home Media: The Oscar nomination is likely the reason this is one of Durbin's few films easily available on DVD and streaming.
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