It's a Date

I watched this to see Kay Francis, who was coming to the end of her career here. Both she and Walter Pigeon were billed below the title; Deanna Durbin was the star, the only person billed above the title.

This was the seventh movie Deanna Durbin made with producer Joe Pasternak and cameraman Joseph Valentine, and the well was running dry. This drivel would give anyone with an IQ above 70 a raging headache--even in 1940. It's a trite tale of a mother (Francis) and daughter (Durbin) in love with the same man (Pigeon) as well as mother and daughter vying for the same leading role in a Broadway play. It's nonsense with neither an ounce of plausibility nor a single bit of wit, though it fancies itself a comedy. The very contrived plot is arranged to provide Durbin with a ridiculous assortment of songs: "Musetta's Waltz" from La Boheme, Schubert's "Ave Maria," "Loch Lomond," and a bland new ballad, "Love Is All." Kay Francis was looking quite fine here, though the costume designer should have been shot for giving her unflattering turban hats.

This was the first American film that S. Z. "Cuddles" Sakall appeared in, though he didn't have his nickname at that time. He was playing the sort of part here that he played throughout his Hollywood career.

And the film reminded me of what an insipid actor Walter Pigeon was.

If you discover this film, as I did on rerun on a television station, you will first notice that it is a comedy with musical numbers. It is not a drama; it is not a lost opportunity for heavy-duty angst between a mother and daughter nor a passionate romantic triangle. I claim it is just what its producers set out to make it to be--an opportunity for young singing star Deanna Durbin to show her abilities, a nice part for Kay Francis who is young enough to play leads and mature enough to suggest that she may have to consider giving up impersonating ingenues on stage, and a chance for Walter Pidegon to play the fascinating man who falls in love with her. Francis underplays and is intelligent, I claim, and capable in the part of a Broadway luminary, a sort of part which has overtaxed many a Hollywood actress because it requires high intelligence, a trained voice AND a trained accent. Durbin is energetic, bubbly and believable as an inexperienced human being and as a potential major talent. Pigeon is award-caliber as the wise, understanding and romantic plantation owner who she has a crush on; he is the one who switches his attention to Francis at first sight and then has to deal with the misunderstanding. This is a breezy, genial comedy about three ethical and nice people who are caught in a misprision that can easily be solved in five minutes, but fortunately takes long enough to serve as the framework for an entertaining movie for adults, albeit of an ideationally low-grade level. That's all it is--a clever excuse for the songs, the three stellar performers and a logical script devoid of very much social importance. Norman Krasna, a gentle-minded and very talented screenwriter, has provided a superior script here, which is believable, full of smart dialogue and never forced as so many comedies were and are; Frederick Kohner of "Gidget" fame, Ralph Block and Jane Hall also contributed to the logical story-line. Gowns were designed here by Vera West; sets were decorated by Russell A Gausman. Art direction was provided by veteran Joseph Otterson, with fine cinematography by Joseph A. Valentine. William A Seiter directed the production. Make no mistake; this is a "B" film in its attempt-level, but with unusual musical and visual values throughout. Judge this film for yourself; I believe you will be as amused; and perhaps as delighted as I was to find a film written by adults and for adults, about sensitive topics such as an actress's pride, a mature male's admiration for a beautiful woman and a young girl's emotional vulnerability.

Deanna Durbin stars in "It's a Date," a 1940 comedy also starring Kay Francis, Walter Pidgeon and S.Z. Sakall. Durbin plays Pam Drake, an aspiring young actress whose mother is a theater star, Georgia Drake. After the successful run of a play, Georgia and her maid Sara Frankenstein (Cecilia Loftus) head for Hawaii for R&R before she starts her new play. However, the author (Sakall) isn't sure she's right for the role; he thinks Georgia is too old. Ultimately he sees Pam perform and gives her the role. Not realizing her mother thinks it's hers, she takes a ship to Hawaii so her mother can help her prepare. On the ship, she meets a man (Walter Pidgeon) that she thinks is a stowaway - he's actually John Arlen, a successful businessman. Once in Hawaii, Pam finds out the truth about the role and tries to keep it from her mother; John, meanwhile, has fallen in love with Georgia, but Pam thinks she's in love with him and it's mutual. It's a mess.

In Durbin's earlier films, I found her speaking voice high-pitched and a little annoying and her acting overly energetic to the point of being hyper. Here, she's delightful, bubbly without being manic, and she looks very pretty. Her singing voice has matured as well - she sings "Musetta's Waltz," "Ave Maria" and "Loch Lomond." The whole voice is richer though I will never be a fan of the way sopranos in those days were trained to back off of their high notes. She puts a little too much weight in the middle voice and therefore has a somewhat screechy Bb at the end of "Quando M'en Vo." Still, however, she is one of the best classical singers in film.

Though Durbin was a huge star at Universal, the studio never bought big properties for her. This is a nice film with good performances but that's about it. Kay Francis is lovely as Georgia and Loftus is funny as Sarah. The handsome Pidgeon does his usual good job.

Deanna Durbin in the end out-Garboed Greta Garbo, retiring at the age of 27 and moving to the outskirts of France, and I don't believe she's been seen since or even interviewed. The image and voice of the young girl live, and thanks to TCM, she undoubtedly has new fans. She deserves them.

The first part almost sparkles as Durbin sings and mixes with other youngsters. Then Pidgeon enters the picture and the movie bogs down in a romantic mix-up as implausibly an 18-year old Durbin and an adult Francis compete for the 42-year old male lead. Trouble is the movie stretches out the slender material, while director Seiter's pacing lacks needed snap. Nonetheless, Durbin's star quality comes through. Her more mature dramatic scenes are convincing for one so young. Still, I could have taken more of her usual bounce, while that last song (Ave Maria)-- of only three -- appears to have wandered in from another movie. I guess it's to reassure the audience of Durbin's basic innocence. All in all, the film fritters away its three outstanding performers with a lackluster script and pedestrian direction. Fortunately, they would all go on to better things.

The tired old ploy of having mother and daughter compete for the same man, intentionally or not, is what is supposed to make 'It's A Date' a sparkling comedy. Although the script is by the talented Norman Krasna, it's not witty enough to make the long stretches between songs anything more than bearable.

When Durbin does get a chance to sing, she's great. She puts over all of her songs with professional skill and poise, doing an absolute standout job on "Ave Maria" and "Musetta's Waltz"--but the trouble is not enough time is spent on the vocals to showcase her amazing voice. Instead, we get Kay Francis and Walter Pidgeon falling in love while Deanna dreams up all sorts of schemes to keep her mother from knowing that she has won her mother's role in a play.

Deanna looks lovely at eighteen and has probably never been photographed more beautifully but this is the sort of vehicle that has you wishing the silly plot would move on so we can hear Durbin sing once more. Walter Pidgeon and Kay Francis are adequate in support. MGM later came up with a zestier technicolored remake called "Nancy Goes To Rio" with Jane Powell.

Trivia note: This was S.Z. Sakall's first screen appearance in an American film.