Along with a few other reviewers, I caught this last night as part of TCM's spotlight on the restored films of the long defunct Republic Studios. Aside from its John Wayne vehicles, Republic was known as a 2nd tier studio with limited budgets and usually rented/free agent acting talent. "That Brennan Girl" is example of one its budgeted melodramas with a cast of talents on the downside of their careers.
The plot: Set in 1930's-40's San Francisco when it was still known for its large Irish-American community, young teenager "Ziggy Brennan" (Mona Freeman) is raised by her jaded single mother, "Nat" (June Duprez), to use her good looks and feminine charms to take what she can get out of sap-hearted men. By the time she's in her late teens, Ziggy is a petty thief and con-artist who enjoys a good time drinking and clubbing. During one of her soirees, she runs into "Denny Reagan," (James Dunn) a middle-aged grifter, who quickly IDs her as a fellow con and employs her in his scams. Although presenting himself to the world as a hard-hearted cynic, Reagan is devoted to his kindly mother (Dorothy Vaughan) from whom he hides his actual profession. And it's his affection for his mother that leads him to cause Ziggy to make a life-changing decision when he urges her to return an item she stole off a sailor on shore-leave, "Mart Neilson" (William Marshall).
That leads to Ziggy and Mart marrying, but soon leaving her a war-widow with a baby. Although she loves her child, Ziggy is still a girl herself and has no clue how to be a good mother. She struggles with her desire to enjoy being young and pretty and her parental responsibilities. Along the way, Denny, who has received a harsh wake-up call as to his career decisions, tries to help steer her towards the straight and narrow, but can she depart the mold that her mother created for her?
This was an odd movie. It starts out as a fairly interesting character study of a girl being sent down a tough path by a misguided parent, but ends-up as a fairy-tale about broken people finding love, happiness, and babies. The disjointed and rather silly 3rd act hurts the film.
The casting is odd. June Duprez as Mother Brennan was definitely cast against type. Remembered mostly for playing aristocratic, well-mannered beauties in the British classics: "The Thief of Bagdad" (1940) and "The Four Feathers" (1939), here she is playing a cynical slattern who lies about her daughter being her sister and wants no part of being a grandmother. James Dunn trying to cash-in on his career performance in 1945's "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" got top billing and certainly plays well the role of an Irish-American charmer, but the huge age disparity between himself and Miss Freeman undermines their story arc.
Still, it held my interest mainly due the performance of Mona Freeman. Apparently, the 20 year old Freeman had been chomping at the bit to break-out of the teenage ingenue roles that had so far been her film career. So, she leaped at the chance to play the sadder-but-wiser Ziggy. Although Ziggy is still a very young woman, she's no child. She dresses and acts like an adult although one that still has a lot to learn. Freeman does a very nice job with the role and her performance is the best thing about the film. (Also, she's very nice to look at especially in those 1940's outfits!)
Sadly but understandably, "That Brennan Girl" didn't find an audience in 1946. So, it didn't help the struggling careers of Ms. Duprez or Mr. Dunn. And it certainly didn't help Miss Freeman escape playing wide-eyed teenagers. The movie she did immediately after this film, 1947's "Dear Ruth," saw her once again donning bobby-socks and saddle shoes and playing a 14-15 yr old child.
The plot: Set in 1930's-40's San Francisco when it was still known for its large Irish-American community, young teenager "Ziggy Brennan" (Mona Freeman) is raised by her jaded single mother, "Nat" (June Duprez), to use her good looks and feminine charms to take what she can get out of sap-hearted men. By the time she's in her late teens, Ziggy is a petty thief and con-artist who enjoys a good time drinking and clubbing. During one of her soirees, she runs into "Denny Reagan," (James Dunn) a middle-aged grifter, who quickly IDs her as a fellow con and employs her in his scams. Although presenting himself to the world as a hard-hearted cynic, Reagan is devoted to his kindly mother (Dorothy Vaughan) from whom he hides his actual profession. And it's his affection for his mother that leads him to cause Ziggy to make a life-changing decision when he urges her to return an item she stole off a sailor on shore-leave, "Mart Neilson" (William Marshall).
That leads to Ziggy and Mart marrying, but soon leaving her a war-widow with a baby. Although she loves her child, Ziggy is still a girl herself and has no clue how to be a good mother. She struggles with her desire to enjoy being young and pretty and her parental responsibilities. Along the way, Denny, who has received a harsh wake-up call as to his career decisions, tries to help steer her towards the straight and narrow, but can she depart the mold that her mother created for her?
This was an odd movie. It starts out as a fairly interesting character study of a girl being sent down a tough path by a misguided parent, but ends-up as a fairy-tale about broken people finding love, happiness, and babies. The disjointed and rather silly 3rd act hurts the film.
The casting is odd. June Duprez as Mother Brennan was definitely cast against type. Remembered mostly for playing aristocratic, well-mannered beauties in the British classics: "The Thief of Bagdad" (1940) and "The Four Feathers" (1939), here she is playing a cynical slattern who lies about her daughter being her sister and wants no part of being a grandmother. James Dunn trying to cash-in on his career performance in 1945's "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" got top billing and certainly plays well the role of an Irish-American charmer, but the huge age disparity between himself and Miss Freeman undermines their story arc.
Still, it held my interest mainly due the performance of Mona Freeman. Apparently, the 20 year old Freeman had been chomping at the bit to break-out of the teenage ingenue roles that had so far been her film career. So, she leaped at the chance to play the sadder-but-wiser Ziggy. Although Ziggy is still a very young woman, she's no child. She dresses and acts like an adult although one that still has a lot to learn. Freeman does a very nice job with the role and her performance is the best thing about the film. (Also, she's very nice to look at especially in those 1940's outfits!)
Sadly but understandably, "That Brennan Girl" didn't find an audience in 1946. So, it didn't help the struggling careers of Ms. Duprez or Mr. Dunn. And it certainly didn't help Miss Freeman escape playing wide-eyed teenagers. The movie she did immediately after this film, 1947's "Dear Ruth," saw her once again donning bobby-socks and saddle shoes and playing a 14-15 yr old child.