Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 1936


Three Smart Girls

Buy Three Smart Girls now from Amazon

First, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.

Wikipedia article




'Three Smart Girls' is a 1936 American musical comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring Barbara Read, Nan Grey, Deanna Durbin (her feature film debut), and Ray Milland. The film's screenplay was written by Adele Comandini and Austin Parker, and is about three sisters who travel to New York City to prevent their father from remarrying. The three plot to bring their divorced parents back together again.

It began an eight-year span of successful Deanna Durbin musicals and spawned two sequels, 'Three Smart Girls Grow Up' and 'Hers to Hold'.

Plot



Three sisters living in Switzerland hear their father is going to marry a younger woman in New York. They travel there to stop it.

Their plan involves getting a man to seduce her father's fiance. They accidentally hire a genuinely rich man who falls for one of the sisters.

Cast



* Binnie Barnes as Donna Lyons

* Charles Winninger as Judson Craig

* Alice Brady as Mrs. Lyons

* Ray Milland as Lord Michael Stuart

* Mischa Auer as Count Arisztid

* Ernest Cossart as Binns

* Lucile Watson as Martha

* John 'Dusty' King as Bill Evans (as John King)

* Nella Walker as Dorothy Craig

* Hobart Cavanaugh as Wilbur Lamb

* Nan Grey as Joan

* Barbara Read as Kay

* Deanna Durbin as 'Penny'

Production



The film was based on an original story. It was purchased for Universal by Adele Comandini. In May 1936 the studio announced they would make it as a vehicle for 13 year old Jeanne Dante, who had been on Broadway in 'Call It a Day', and it would be produced by Harry John Brown who had recently joined Universal from Warners.GREEN PASTURES' PLEASES HOLLYWOOD New York Times 24 May 1936: X3.

Joe Pasternak wanted Judy Garland for Durbins role. However, Garlands home studio, MGM, wouldnt loan her out for the Picture. However, Joe would produce four Garland films when he moved to MGM. Durbin was picked up from MGM after a short film, Every Sunday co-starring Garland. MGM dropped Durbins Contract freeing her to do Three Smart Girls.

In July 1936 it was announced Deanna Durbin would appear alongside Dante, with "Henry Kosta" to direct.NEWS OF THE SCREEN New York Times 1 July 1936: 29. By August Dante had dropped out and the three girls were to be played by Durbin, Nan Grey and Barbara Read. Binnie Barnes signed to play the vamp.Binnie Barnes, Back From Reno, Will Enact VamP in "Three Smart Girls" Los Angeles Times 22 Aug 1936: 7.

Ray Milland was a last-minute replacement for Louis Hayward, who was originally cast, but fell ill shortly of pleurisy four days into filming. The replacement was made in September.SUPER STYLE PAGEANT PROMISED IN IRENE DUNNE FEATURE: Sparkle of Alice Faye to Lend Zip to Temple Film

Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times21 Sep 1936: 13.
Around and About in Hollywood

Read, Kendall. Los Angeles Times 23 Sep 1936: 15.


Reception



The film was a huge box office hit. Writing for 'The Spectator' in 1937, Graham Greene gave the film a mixed review, complaining about the sentimentality of the first half of the film, and noting that it is only with the appearance of Precious, her mother, the Hungarian Count, and the English nobleman in the second half of the film that the picture is made. While criticizing Durbin's "consciously girlish" performance, Greene praised the acting of Auer and claimed that the second half of the film was where "some welcome humour of an adult kind creep[s] tardily" into the film. (reprinted in: )

Awards

'Three Smart Girls' received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Sound (Homer G. Tasker), and Best Original Story.

Legacy

The film not only made Deanna Durbin a star, it led to a number of imitations.HAYS OFFICE BATTLES TO MAINTAIN SCREEN PURITY Los Angeles Times 7 Feb 1937: C1.

References




Buy Three Smart Girls now from Amazon

<-- Return to movies from 1936



This work is released under CC-BY-SA. Some or all of this content attributed to http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1106330870.