That Certain Age

Brave reporter Vincent Bullit has just returned from following the Spanish Civil War. His boss, newspaper magnate Fullerton, has several plans to send him to China. However, first Fullerton invites Bullit to the peace and quiet of his own home to write a series of articles on European topics. When Fullerton's adolescent daughter Alice fell in love with Bullitt, her suitor, boy Ken Ken Warren, seems to have no chance. Mr. And Mrs. Fullerton, Ken Warren, and even Vincent Bullit himself are doing their best to distract young Alice's feelings from the older man. It is a difficult task though, as she is 'in those Certain Age'.

THAT CERTAIN AGE (Universal, 1938), a Joe Pasternak Production directed by Edward Ludwig, stars Deanna Durbin in her fourth leading role for the studio. Aside from being a noted winning film at the box office at the time of its release, it's also of interest with an impressive supporting cast headed by Melvyn Douglas and Jackie Cooper, along with once popular leading ladies as Irene Rich (who played Jackie Cooper's mother in THE CHAMP (1931)), and Nancy Carroll in support. The plot, taken from an original story by F. Hugh Herbert, may be a first in a series of teenage musicals made more popular in the 1940s, along with theme quite familiar due to similar stories produced either in motion pictures or television shows in later years.

The story revolves around Alice Fullerton (Deanna Durbin), a childhood sweetheart of boy scout leader, Kenneth Warren (Jackie Cooper), who intends on staging a show to help raise money to help poor scouts to attend camp. Alice is the daughter of Gilbert Fullerton (John Halliday), a newspaper publisher who invites war correspondent, Vincent Bullitt (Melvyn Douglas) to spend a few weeks at the guest house for peace and quiet so he can provide articles on current events in Europe. It so happens Alice has promised the guest house to her friends for show rehearsals and is advised by her mother, Dorothy (Irene Rich) to have it someplace else. Upon the arrival of Bullitt, who would rather be someplace else, Alice and her friends scheme to have Bullitt leave, but because Alice has become infatuated by this older gentleman, she has arrange for him to remain, much to the dismay of Vincent as well as Ken, who finds Alice not to be a good scout by not appearing in his upcoming show.

Featured in the supporting cast are Jackie Searl (Tony, who appeared opposite Cooper in both SKIPPY and SOOKY (Paramount, 1931)); Peggy Stewart (Mary Lee); Charles Coleman (Stevens, the Butler); Grant Mitchell (The Jeweler); Addison Richards, Moroni Olson and Russell Hicks in smaller roles. Juanita Quigley, billed simply as the Pest, is amusing as Cooper's little sister, Elsie "Butch" Fullerton. Fans of Nancy Carroll, a popular leading actress for Paramount of the 1930s, now past her prime, would have to wait until the movie is nearly over before her first appearance in the story (lasting only under three minutes) as Vincent's reporter friend, Grace Bristow.

New songs by Harold Adamson and Jimmy McHugh include: "That Certain Age" (sung during opening credits); "Be a Good Scout" (sung by Deanna Durbin, Jackie Cooper and scouts); "Waltz from Romero and Juliet," "You're as Pretty as a Picture," "My Own" (Academy Award nominee for Best Song of 1938); "Les Filles de Cadirz" by Clement Philibert and Leo Delibes; and "That Certain Age."

For this presentation, Deanna Durbin has reached that certain age of her career from peppy teenager in her feature debut of THREE SMART GIRLS (Universal, 1936) to an attractive young lady while still in her teens. Though the story is routine, it's more plot than musical for a Durbin movie, yet endearing at times during much of its 101 minutes.

Seldom seen on commercial television since the 1960s, THAT CERTAIN AGE eventually got some public television exposure in the 1980s before disappearing from view again. To date, this little known teenage musical has yet to be broadcast on cable television, but fortunately has become available for viewership on both video cassette and DVD formats to assure its rediscovery of that certain age gone by. (***1/2)

Deanna Durbin is excellent as bright and talented rich girl Alice Fullerton. She and her pal Ken (Jackie Cooper) put on musical plays in the guest house of her parents' estate. Alice's newspaper mogul father invites journalist Vincent Bullitt (Melvyn Douglas) to stay and work in said guest house—and Alice is quickly distracted from her friends by the romantic and dashing Mr. Bullitt.

Jackie Cooper gives a superior performance as the best friend who loves Alice and has to watch her chase after the older, successful and glamorous man of the world. Melvyn Douglas is good as Vincent Bullitt but his character is slightly bland, at least for someone who's supposed to be such an adventurer.

The plot is okay if not especially surprising; it's a sympathetic look at young love that tries to represent the viewpoints of both the kids involved and the parents and other grownups around them. It doesn't entirely work—this is one of those pictures where all the adults are so darn wise and well-meaning it's just kind of irritating. The kids—Durbin, Cooper, even little Juanita Quigley as the pesty little sister—come across as much more genuine.

Deanna sings a few songs—a couple of operatic numbers that are fine as well as a handful of new songs that are pleasant but no classics. Durbin's acting performance, however, is superb—she is totally convincing, as is Jackie Cooper, himself an old pro at age 16. Durbin and Cooper certainly leave the grown up actors in the dust.

Definitely worthwhile for fans of these young stars.

Research question: Did everybody really know Morse code in the 1930s, or was it just kids in the movies?

What I liked about this 1938 Comedy/Romance/Musical was - (1) The scenes where it was the teens who were the focus of the action. (I wish there had been more of these scenes) - and - (2) The moments when the 17-year-old Deanna Durbin thrilled us all, singing away like a trilling sparrow. Durbin sang a total of 5 songs in this film.

What I didn't like about this light-weight cinematic fluff was all of the emphasis placed on the boring, silly, and predictable crush that Durbin's character (Alice) had on the Vincent Bullitt character, who happened to be twice her age and he was the dullest dullard imaginable.

All-in-all - This was a fairly entertaining vintage "Chick Flick".

By the way - Deanna Durbin's real name was Edna Mae Durbin and she was originally from (are you ready for this?) Winnipeg, Manitoba.

*Note* - In 2013 - Deanna Durbin (91 at the time) died of natural causes.

Melvin Douglas and Jackie Cooper co- star with Deanna Durbin in this comedy about romance and teenage infatuation. Durbin had already reached stardom by age 16, and she plays teenager Alice Fullerton who gets a crush on an older man. That's Douglas's Vincent Bullitt, a top-notch ace reporter and journalist for her father's big New York newspaper.

Bullitt was wounded covering the Spanish Civil War and has come home for a rest. Publisher Gilbert Fullerton (played by John Halliday) wants him to relax and stay at his country home while writing a series of articles on the political scene in Europe. But, Alice's youth group has moved into the family guest quarters where they are rehearsing for a benefit play. Alice has to come up with a plot for them to chase Bullitt away, and they carry it out initially. But as she starts to fall for Bullitt, the story takes a turn with a couple of twists that lead to family turmoil and some more humor.

Jackie Cooper plays Ken Warren, who is directing the play and is himself smitten with Alice. While not a true love triangle, the story has the characters in positions that lend to good humor along those lines. In the meantime, Gilbert and Mrs. Fullerton (played by Irene Rich) get involved and stumble through the teenage infatuation of their daughter. A young Juanita Quigley plays Cooper's little sister, The Pest, whom he calls Butch once or twice; and she has a couple of funny scenes.

This was one of the films that helped Deanna Durbin's star rise and stay up through her short career which she ended just 10 years later. The plot is strictly comedy romance, with the music and Durbin's singing interspersed. But that did contribute to "That Certain Age" receiving two Oscar nominations - for sound recording and original song.