Every studio seemed to have a stand-by for their bigger stars in case their fan base started to die down, and in the case of Universal's Deanna Durbin, it was the slightly younger Gloria Jean. Having been around for several years, she was going through the awkward teen stage in this B musical that featured popular Donald O'Connor who managed to reach legendary status while Gloria Jean is pretty much forgotten even while Deanna Durbin's fan base has crossed generations.
Having seen Ms. Jean in musicals with the likes of Crosby and W.C., I must admit that her personality never grabbed me. Here, she has tried valiantly, but the impression has remained the same. As the older daughter of wealthy widow Ian Hunter, it has seemed to be her job to keep him out of the clutches of grasping females, in this case O'Connor's mother Louise Albritton and it seems to be working until she meets O'Connor. Pretty soon, she's gone from opera to jazz and from the waltz to jitterbugging. It's all forced with Jean initially a stuffed shirt who quickly changed her mind when Hunter begins spending time with the haughty Frieda Inescort.
Jean and O'Connor don't seem suited at all and this is a pale imitation of the more lavish Deanna Durbin musicals she was making at the same time. In fact, this is probably filmed on the same sets while Durbin was on hiatus. Other than O'Connor and Mary Lou Harrington as Jean's livelier younger sister, this is truly second rate.
Having seen Ms. Jean in musicals with the likes of Crosby and W.C., I must admit that her personality never grabbed me. Here, she has tried valiantly, but the impression has remained the same. As the older daughter of wealthy widow Ian Hunter, it has seemed to be her job to keep him out of the clutches of grasping females, in this case O'Connor's mother Louise Albritton and it seems to be working until she meets O'Connor. Pretty soon, she's gone from opera to jazz and from the waltz to jitterbugging. It's all forced with Jean initially a stuffed shirt who quickly changed her mind when Hunter begins spending time with the haughty Frieda Inescort.
Jean and O'Connor don't seem suited at all and this is a pale imitation of the more lavish Deanna Durbin musicals she was making at the same time. In fact, this is probably filmed on the same sets while Durbin was on hiatus. Other than O'Connor and Mary Lou Harrington as Jean's livelier younger sister, this is truly second rate.