Up In Central Park

Universal, 1948

Starring Deanna Durbin, Dick Haymes, Vincent Price, and Albert Sharpe

Directed by William A. Seiter

Music by Sigmund Romberg; Lyrics by Dorothy Fields

We move onto our All-American Weekdays leading up to the 4th of July with tales from American history, on movies and TV. This week, we go to the movies with this adaptation of a Broadway hit. Up In Central Park debuted on Broadway in 1945 and would be the last hit Romberg had in his lifetime. The romantic operetta about a young reporter fighting against Tammany Hall corruption in 1870's was part of a series of musicals depicting American history at a time when Americans still needed to be reminding of what they were fighting for overseas. Does this tale of love in New York amid corruption still resonate today, or should it be left on the presses? Let's begin with a political rally in New York for mayoral candidate Abraham Oakley (Hobart Canavaugh) and find out...

The Story:  Political boss William Tweed (Price) runs Tammany Hall with an iron fist in the Big Apple, pushing Oakley into the spotlight and stamping out anyone who challenges him. His only real opposition is The New York Times, especially opportunistic young reporter John Matthews (Haymes), who is determined to bring down the curtain on his corrupt reign. Into the center of this merry-go-round comes Irishman Timothy Moore (Sharpe) and his daughter Rosie (Durbin), just off the boat. Moore is immediately taken in by Tweed's man Rogan (Tom Powers) to vote 23 times for the Tammany Ticket. He's rewarded with money and a new job as Central Park Superintendent to quiet Rosie after she overhears Tweed's plan to embezzle money from the park.

Matthews finds out from Moore that Tweed is using some Central Park Zoo animals for food. This does highlight Tweed and make people think twice about voting, but it also costs Moore his job. Rosie is furious and tells Boss Tweed so. He's so smitten with her, he re-hires her father and offers to make her an opera star. John also loves Rosie, but she's so in love with Tweed, she refuses to hear anything against him. Once Moore learns to read, he realizes just how bad Tweed is and joins Matthews in tricking the Mayor and exposing Tweed's criminal empire for good.

The Song and Dance: This isn't much of a musical, but it is a pretty interesting take on corruption circa 1870's New York City. It's the support cast and sumptuous production that shines here. Oily Price is a marvelous Tweed, radiating enough slimy charm that you understand what Rosie sees in him, even as her father and Matthews uncover his devious doings, and Sharpe is a charmingly befuddled and determined new citizen. The stunning costumes, with sweeping spangled gowns with elegant flowered and veiled hats for the ladies and tight, ruffled suits for the men, and detailed sets depicting Central Park and down-and-dirty political backrooms, are historically accurate and beautifully done.

The Numbers: We open with the big chorus number at the political rally, "Oh Say Can You See (What I Say)" as the members of Tammany Hall celebrate their candidate. It's heard again from Rosie, her father, and their fellow immigrants on the boat to New York. Rosie and John ride a "Carousel In the Park" as he sees her for the first time, in an elegant gown riding that Central Park merry-go-round. "The Currier and Ives Ballet" shows "skaters" in fur-trimmed gowns watzing on Rosie's stereopticon slide from Tweed. John passes himself as a waiter as he sings about what it's like "When She Walks In the Room." Durbin's big opera solo late in the film is "Pace, pace, mio dio."

What I Don't Like: For one thing, a lot of songs from the original show were dropped, including the lovely ballad "Close as the Pages In a Book" that might have suited Durbin very well. For another, Durbin and especially Haymes are overshadowed by the supporting cast. Durbin didn't enjoy making this and seems to be phoning in her performance. Haymes was never the best actor; a historical drama is way over his head. Frankly, the gorgeous Currier and Ives Ballet (another holdover from the show) is more interesting than most of the movie. And given the costumes and sets, I'm surprised this wasn't filmed in color. It would have brought a lot of the overheated melodrama.

The Big Finale: Mainly for fans of Durbin or nostalgic 40's musicals.

Home Media: DVD only via the Universal Vault. 

DVD

Something In the Wind

Universal, 1947

Starring Deanna Durbin, Donald O'Connor, John Dall, and Charles Winninger

Directed by Irving Pichel

Music and Lyrics by various

Durbin's popularity continued after the war years. She expanded her range with the semi-musical drama The Amazing Mrs. Holliday and the non-musical thrillers Christmas Holiday and Lady In a Train, but the public continued to prefer her musicals. Changes were afoot at Universal as they merged with the smaller B studio International Pictures to become Universal-International. Universal lost interest in musicals, preferring action movies and comedy series that cost less and required less specialized personnel. Durbin wasn't happy when they pushed her back into the same kind of fluff she'd appeared in before the war...but was she right to write off this one, or is there more to this story than meets the eye? Let's begin at the radio station with popular disc jockey Mary Collins (Durbin) and find out...

The Story: Mary is addressed by young millionaire Donald Read (Dall), who thinks she was the mistress of his late grandfather. She was nothing of the kind...but her Aunt Mary (Jean Adair) was. Donald and his grandmother (Margaret Wycherly) have her brought to their home and won't let her go until she signs papers claiming it. His bored younger brother Charlie (O'Connor) is more interested in listening to Mary's protests that she doesn't know anything about it. They hatch a scheme to make Donald look ridiculous in the eyes of his fiancee Clarissa (Helena Carter) and let her go, but Mary doesn't expect to fall in love with him in the process. 

The Song and Dance: Durbin may not have enjoyed making this, but it's actually one of her better later vehicles. Disc jockeys and television, which figures into the finale, were both relatively new concepts at the time, and they make the movie a bit more unique. Maybe it comes from those thrillers Durbin made during the war years, but this also feels a little tougher than some of her earlier movies. Mary willingly joins in on Charlie's extortion plot and has no difficulty attacking the cops who keep dragging her away. Durbin also gets to show her vocal range, singing everything from an opera duet with tenor Jan Peerce as a singing cop to a hot swing number at a nightclub. 

I also give props to O'Connor, who may be the only male co-star Durbin's age to have equal weight in one of her movies. He's clearly happy to be back from his stint in the Army and jumps into his three comic numbers with abandon. His "I Love a Mystery" in particular is an absolute gem, one of the best numbers from Durbin's films to not involve her.

Favorite Number: "The Turntable Song" would be the last original hit from any of Durbin's movies as she sings to all her favorite listeners in the studio. Charlie later reprises it under her balcony with none other than the Williams Brothers, including a very young Andy Williams. Charlie explains to Mary why "I Love a Mystery," and he's enjoying helping her, with him enacting radio mystery shows and showing off his physical dexterity in a way that previews his "Make 'Em Laugh" number from Singin' In the Rain five years later. Durbin sings the title number twice, for Donald after the balcony serenade, and later during the TV show in the finale. 

She tries to annoy Donald and make Clarissa jealous by reminding them why "You Wanna Keep Your Baby Looking Right" after the fashion show, especially when he's already been admiring the models. Durbin performs the duet "Misere" from the opera Il Trovatore with the cop who is watching over her in jail (real-life opera tenor Jan Peerce) in order to distract him and get his keys. Charlie's "Happy Go Lucky and Free" as he trips around the ballerinas in the TV dance number, then attempts to actually sing, before Durbin takes over. 

What I Don't Like: If this were two or three years later, Mary probably would have ended up with Charlie. She has far more chemistry and a lot more fun with O'Connor than she does with the stiff and pompous Dall, but O'Connor was still an up-and-comer at this point. It feels more like their characters fall for each other because the script calls for it and because Dall was the more traditional leading man, not because they worked well together. The story can get too convoluted for its own good at times as well, especially near the end when she ends up in jail a second time and his uncle (Winninger) tries to get her to give him half the money. 

The Big Finale: One of Durbin's best later vehicles is highly recommended for fans of her or O'Connor or someone looking for a truly unique romantic comedy with songs.

Home Media: Out of print on Universal Vault DVD, but the Blu-Ray is available. 

DVD

DVD - Deanna Durbin Sweetheart Pack

Blu-Ray

Spring Parade

Universal, 1940

Starring Deanna Durbin, Robert Cummings, SZ Sakall, and Mischa Aurer

Directed by Henry Koster

Music by Robert Stoltz and Henry J. Salter; Lyrics by Gus Kahn

We're returning to the world of Deanna Durbin for our first two reviews this week. Up to this point, Durbin's vehicles had all been modern romantic comedies with her performing the occasional song. She was popular enough by 1940 for Universal to try her in a genuine operetta, based on a 1934 German romantic comedy. This would also be Durbin's first try at a period piece. How well does she do in this story of a little girl from a Hungarian town who ends up falling for a soldier in old Vienna? Let's begin as that girl, Ilonka Tolnay (Durbin), takes her goat to a local fair to sell and find out...

The Story: Ilonka is skeptical at first when a fortune teller claims she'll marry an artist in Vienna after he hits her with a stick and meet an important man who'll help her. Her doubts vanish quickly when she falls asleep after a wild dance contest in a hay cart on its way to Vienna. The cart is owned by kindly baker Latislav Tescheck (Sakall), who takes her in and gives her a job. She befriends Tescheck's clerk Jenny (Anne Gwynne), who intends to marry the stuffy Count Zorndorf (Allyn Joslyn). 

Jenny catches the eye of handsome soldier Corporal Harry Marten (Cummings), who tries to woo her. She turns him to Ilonka, who makes the Count believe she's his sweetheart. He asks her to dinner; she almost turns it down due to the fortune claiming she'll marry an artist. Turns out the soldier is a type of artist. He's a frustrated composer who can't write songs in the Army, due to military regulations. The waltz they write that night goes over so well, she sends it in a salt stick to Emperor Franz Joseph (Henry Stephenson) himself. The Emperor thinks Tescheck is trying to poison him and has him arrested. Thanks to a friend of the Count's, Ilonka persuades him to free the baker. She almost doesn't go to the ball he's holding...but there's someone special waiting for her there...

The Song and Dance: Durbin is charming and funny in this lovely middle European romp. Sakall is adorable as the sweet old baker who takes her in. I appreciate seeing how well Jenny is portrayed. There's no animosity between her and Ilonka at all; it's Jenny who convinces the count's friend Wieldemeyer (Franklin Pangborn) to help save Tescheck. Cummings is also far more personable than many of the men who turn up in Durbin's films. He's especially funny trying to find paper and pens to write his magnum opuses at the most inopportune moments. There's also some gorgeous costumes, both the Hungarian peasant dresses in the country, and the lavish frills and starched uniforms of Vienna. 

Favorite Number: We open with Durbin's sprightly comic number "It's Foolish but It's Fun," as she describes things that may seem silly, but still put a smile on her face. She sings it at least three times, including after she's sent her note to the Emperor. The Oscar-nominated "Waltzing In the Clouds" is heard twice, when Cummings and Durbin introduce it during their date at the club, and at the royal ball in the finale. Both feature kaleidoscopes of couples gliding to the waltz as Durbin's soprano soars over them. She performs "When April Sings" a bit later. "Blue Danube Dream" is performed by Durbin at the ball. 

What I Don't Like: The story and title apparently made more sense in its original German version, where Ilonka sent a rousing march, not a waltz, to the Emperor. "It's Foolish, but it's Fun" describes Ilonka in more than one way. Her attempts to push Marten into the spotlight and get him out of the army come off as more annoying and silly than well-meaning, especially towards the end, when it gets the innocent Tescheck into trouble. Dull music doesn't help; the two big songs are performed at least three times each. 

The Big Finale: Not Durbin's best musical, but not bad for fans of her or old-fashioned European operetta.

Home Media: Legal difficulties with the 1934 German film keeps this from being released on disc in the US.  YouTube is currently the only place you can find it. 

YouTube

It Started With Eve

Universal, 1941

Starring Deanna Durbin, Robert Cummings, Charles Laughton, and Guy Kibbee

Directed by Henry Koster

Music and Lyrics by various

First Love was not the last time Durbin played a modern Cinderella. This one started life as a comedy named Almost an Angel, intended for a series of European actresses. When that wasn't made, they reworked it as a semi-musical romantic comedy for Durbin and character actor Laughton. How does that look today? Let's start on a rainy day, just as millionaire Jonathan Reynolds (Laughton) is on his deathbed, and find out...

The Story:  Reynolds' dying wish is to get to know his son Johnny's (Cummings) future wife. Trouble is, Johnny's fiancee Gloria (Margaret Talichet) just left their hotel with her mother (Catherine Doucet). Desperate, Johnny grabs the first girl on the street he finds to play his fiancee for his father. The girl is Anne Terry (Durbin), an aspiring opera singer who is on the verge of leaving New York. Her kind manner so pleases Jonathan, he actually recovers and wants to see Anne again. Johnny has to retrieve her from the train station and convince her to keep playing his fiancee until the real one comes back. 

It works too well. Jonathan adores Anne and her beautiful voice. Anne, who wants to be introduced to Jonathan's contacts in the opera world, insists on holding a party. Johnny sees this as an opportunity to introduce his real fiancee and tries to stage a break-up with Anne, but she comes back, claiming she forgives him. Johnny's fiancee and her mother aren't amused, and neither is Johnny. Jonathan, however, is feeling fine now, and he's ready to hit the nightclubs. His son's shocked and blames Anne. Anne's had enough and takes off...and now Jonathan has to find a way to bring his two favorite young people together!

The Song and Dance: This one is all about the charming interaction between cinema's most famous curmudgeon and Little Miss Sunshine. Deanna's playing a slightly more seasoned young woman here. She's much sassier and even a bit tougher, while still retaining the gentle charm that makes Jonathan adore her. Laughton didn't get too many chances to play pure comedy, and he seems to be having a great time, whether he's listening to Anne sing a song on the piano or dancing a conga with her at a nightclub. There's also Walter Catlett, who has some nice moments with the always-ill Doctor Harvey, and Clara Blandick as Jonathan's stuffy nurse. 

Favorite Number: The big one here is "When I Sing," an adaptation of "The Sleeping Beauty Waltz," which Anne performs on the piano at the foot of the stairs so Jonathan can hear it. She does "Clavitas," a short but sweet Spanish song, a bit earlier. The other memorable number from this one is the instrumental dance routine at the nightclub. Jonathan and Anne really get into their conga. Laughton in particular seems to be enjoying himself.

Trivia: Cummings appeared in the Warners drama King's Row at the same time he made this. He'd have to dash back and forth across town to keep up with the filming schedules. 

The movie's production was plagued with problems. Durbin was upset Henry Koster had decided to move to MGM with producer Joe Pasternak, and she and Laughton both got sick during filming. Veteran character actor Richard Carle died and had to be replaced by Catlett. Two electricians were injured in accidents, and Koster was in the midst of a divorce. 

What I Don't Like: First of all, Durbin's songs aside, this is just barely a musical. It's really more of a romantic comedy with one goofy dance number and a few opera tunes. Second, Cummings' hasty schedule shows. He's not up to either Durbin or Laughton and can come off as more of a jerk than a well-meaning son. 

The Big Finale: Along with First Love, this is one of Durbin's best early vehicles. Great for lovers of Laughton, Durbin, or vintage romantic comedy.

Home Media: Not on streaming at present, but is on DVD in an individual Universal Vault made-to-order title and on DVD and Blu Ray as part of two Durbin collections.

DVD - Universal Vault

DVD - Deanna Durbin Sweetheart Collection

Blu-Ray

Blu-Ray - Deanna Durbin Collection

First Love (1939)

Universal, 1939

Starring Deanna Durbin, Robert Stack, Eugene Pallatte, and Helen Parrish

Directed by Henry Koster

Music and Lyrics by various

This week, we're switching streams to the less flamboyant vehicles of a very different musical performer. Teen soprano Deanna Durbin's films were such major hits in the late 30's, they were credited with helping Universal through a very rough financial time. This began as a more traditional fantasy version of Cinderella in 1938, but Walt Disney already had a hold on that title and protested. They retooled it into a modern-day version, with the little cinder girl now replaced by a poor orphan who returns to an uncaring family and falls for a prince charming at a New York dance. How does this version look today? Let's begin on graduation day at Miss Wiggins' (Kathleen Howard) School for Girls and find out...

The Story: Constance "Connie" Harding's (Durbin) schooling has been paid for by her Uncle James Clinton (Eugene Pallatte), who didn't attend graduation and has never wanted anything to do with her. With no other home to go to, she has no choice but to move in with them. Uncle James and the servants like her, but his daughter Barbara (Parrish) is jealous of her sweet, innocent charm, son Walter (Lewis Howard) is too lazy to care about anyone, and his flaky wife Grace (Leatrice Joy) cares more about what her astrological charts say than anything going on with her family. 

Spoiled Barbara sends Connie on an errand to stall her current crush Ted Drake (Stack) at the country club before he can ride off without here. She tries to lure his horse away, but only succeeds in embarrassing herself. Ted thinks she's adorable, but Barbara's livid and claims he hates her. Barbara is so jealous, she refuses to let Connie come to the Drake family's ball with them, despite her mother claiming she could. The servants find a way to let her come anyhow. She manages to sing for the crowds there, impressing Tom and his father (Thurston Hall). Barbara is so angry, she fires the servants and once again tells Connie Ted thinks nothing of her. Connie runs off..but she has help from Uncle James, who has had enough of his family's snobbish behavior, and Miss Wiggins, who wants to see her best student happy.

The Song and Dance: Durbin is adorable in this sweet modern fairy tale, and who knew later tough-guy Stack would make such a dashing prince charming? They're backed by a collection of Universal's best character actors. Pallatte is the stand-out as the stern father with a soft spot for Connie who would rather see her be happy than let his family get away with abusing her. There's also Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Treen as the housemaids who help transform Connie's graduation gown into a ball gown, Charles Coleman as the sensible butler, and Kathleen Howard as Connie's crusty but loving teacher. Gorgeous costumes, too, especially the gown for Connie that caused all the fuss before the ball. 

And...kudos to Universal for letting Durbin realistically grow up onscreen (something 20th Century Fox never really managed with Shirley Temple). This role would lead her to do more mature films in the future, including two thrillers in the early 40's.

Favorite Number: We open with Durbin singing "Home Sweet Home" for her fellow finishing school graduates...but bursts into tears before the end because she's leaving for an uncertain future. She proves to the servants she has an opera-worthy voice by singing "Amapola (Pretty Little Poppy)" for them just as her Uncle James walks in. She's delighted to have "Spring In My Heart" as she sings her heart out for everyone at the ball. Miss Wiggins insists she perform the difficult aria "Un Bel Di" from Madame Butterfly for her music teacher audition in front of the school. She thinks it's too sad, but Miss Wiggins has her reasons for choosing that song...

Trivia: First film for Robert Stack and Lewis Howard. Stack won a nation-wide search for a man to give Durbin her first onscreen kiss.

Silent screen actress Leatrice Joy's first movie since 1930. 

What I Don't Like: Pallatte is such a scene stealer, he almost walks away with the movie, especially in the end when he lays into his obnoxious children and ditzy wife and shows them exactly what he thinks of their laziness and selfishness! This really isn't much of a musical. We just get a few songs for Durbin. It's more of a sweet romantic comedy, with all the inherent cliches of the genre. Parrish's Barbara was such a spiteful wench from the beginning, I'm amazed Connie believed what she said about Ted twice. Frankly, I wouldn't have believed a word that came out of her mouth from the get-go. 

Even Universal had concerns about the abrupt ending. There's no New York-wide search for the girl with the shoe, and we never do find out how Miss Wiggins got the other slipper from Tom. They really could have done more with this, or at least showed Tom actively looking for her.

The Big Finale: One of Durbin's better early vehicles; highly recommended for fans of her, unique Cinderella stories, or those who are interested in a young Stack before his TV years. 

Home Media: Currently DVD-only as part of the Deanna Durbin Sweetheart Collection.

DVD - Deanna Durbin Sweetheart Collection

Happy Father's Day! - Three Smart Girls

Universal, 1936

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. 

DVD

Amazon Prime

Can't Help Singing

Universal, 1944

Starring Deanna Durbin, Robert Paige, Akim Tamiroff, and David Bruce

Directed by Frank Ryan

Music by Jerome Kern; Lyrics by E.Y Harburg

Other than the 1936 Show Boat, Universal didn't really do any major musicals after the early talkie era...until they signed teen soprano Deanna Durbin later that year. Her first vehicle 100 Men and a Girl was such a massive hit, it helped save Universal from bankruptcy. By 1944, they were ready to give Durbin the full glamor treatment, with Technicolor, their most expensive production yet, outdoor location shooting, and a Jerome Kern score. How does this Gold Rush romance look today? To find out, we begin in Washington DC in 1844, just as a political rally begins, and find out...

The Story: Caroline Frost (Durbin) is the willful daughter of Senator Martin Frost (Ray Collins). She's so in love with Calvary officer Lt. Robert Latham (Bruce), she takes a train and a steamboat to follow him west after he's assigned to guard gold owned by wealthy Jake Carstairs (Thomas Gomez) in California. The only way for her to get to California is by wagon, but she's swindled out of her money almost as soon as she finds passage. She hitches up with notorious gambler Johnny Lawler (Paige) when it turns out he's bought part of the wagon, too. They also end up saddled with two stowaways who think there's money in her trunk, Prince Gregory Strovanosky (Tamiroff) and his servant Koppa (Leonid Kinsky). 

Hoping to join a wagon train, Johnny tells the leaders that Caroline is married to the prince. She's not thrilled about having to share her wagon and her quarters with Johnny...but realizes on the road that he's not such a bad fellow. She told Johnny she's engaged to Carstairs to get him off her back, but there's repercussions when they all make it to California and she realizes which man now truly has her heart.

The Song and Dance: I'm glad they took this outside. It was worth any headaches and delays in filming. Durbin looks gorgeous, singing with the real Utah and California glowing in the background. She has a great deal of fun here as the spoiled and naïve politician's daughter who learns a lot about herself and her own strengths during her long trek. Tamiroff and Kinsky have some nice moments as the two hustlers who are convinced there's gold in Caroline's trunk and keep trying to take off with it. Collins is even funnier as her blustery father, who is just as much of a fish out of water on the wild trails. The costumes and sets ably recreate the world of 1844, with its rickety wagons, grizzled prospectors, and tough ladies in hoopskirts as wide as the scenery.

Favorite Number: Of the many times we hear the title song, my favorite version is the sequence with Durbin singing it while she washes in a tub full of bubbles...not knowing that we're being introduced to Paige doing the same in the stall next-door. "Elbow Room" and "Swing Your Sweetheart" are the big chorus numbers for the folks on the wagon train. The first is sun as Durbin explores the group and they prepare to depart. The second is at night, as they enjoy music and a hearty meal by the fireplace. Durbin gets to introduce two lovely ballads. She sings "More and More" after she falls for Johnny, and later with Johnny before he sends her off with the train. "Any Moment Now" is the one she performs while exploring the glorious emerald scenery of Utah, looking like an angel against the rugged backdrops. 

Trivia: Durbin's only color film. 

What I Don't Like: At heart, this is a glorified romantic comedy set in the Wild West, with all the attendant clichés, from the runaway rich girl falling for the "bad" boy to their meeting cute in the saloon. It's western fluff that doesn't pretend to be anything else. Neither Paige nor Bruce match Durbin in charisma or vocals. Paige does try hard, but Bruce is so bland, you wonder what Caroline saw in him to begin with. 

The Big Finale: Worth hitting the trail for if you love Durbin, big 40's musicals, or are willing to give a musical western a shot.

Home Media: Currently DVD-only, as a solo Universal Vault title and as part of a Deanna Durbin collection.

DVD - Universal Vault

DVD - Deanna Durbin Sweetheart Pack