Deanna et ses boys

This delightful family picture reflects how the public taste changes over the years. Movies, in general, were kinder to serious music then, something that no studio would even consider in tackling these days. This was a vehicle for Deanna Durbin, who reigned supreme at Universal and who had movies tailor made for her to showcase her talents.

Ms. Durbin was a cute young girl in those years. She was wonderful in the way she projected charm without being obnoxious, or bratty. Her singing voice was amazing and it was always prominently heard in all the movies she made.

The story is something typical of those years. Director Harry Koster was able to present the material in a good fashion. The film follows Ms. Durbin in her quest to help her impoverished father and his musician friends. With the help of the rich Frosts, she is able to bring together the talented unemployed music men into forming an orchestra and convincing the great Leopold Stokowski to make music with them.

The film will not disappoint Ms. Durbin's fans. Adolph Menjou plays her father. The wonderful Alice Brady and Eugene Palette are seen as the generous Frosts, and Mischa Auer plays the family friend Michael.

I caught this movie on TCM and WOW, what a voice. Deanna was just incredible at only 16. Plus she had such personality, and who doesn't like Adolphe Menjou and Eugene Palette. This could have been just another depression era "rags to riches story" or a "let's put on a show" movie, But it had a real story, formula, yes, but a step above. I love classical music and I never realized there was a popular musical like this using only classical music. Boy how times have changed...hehe. I just can't get over Deanna's voice. And yet you just never here about her like Judy Garland. Well Judy is great but Deanna Durbin was just as great in my opinion. Too bad she didn't make more movies or record more records. I could listen to that voice all day. The director, Henry Koster, did a masterful job. The scene of the orchestra playing in the conductors house, is shot in a style way ahead of it's time and not a low budget 30's movie style. Koster went on to direct some very good movies. You can see why in this movie. This movie would be great for film students to study... a 1930's formula film, that rises above formula to Art.

A young girl forms an orchestra to help her out-of-work father in "100 Men and a Girl," a 1937 film starring Deanna Durbin, Adolphe Menjou, Leopold Stokowski, Alice Brady, and Mischa Auer. When Patsy Cardwell returns an evening bag her father found, she winds up at a huge society party where she entrances everyone with her singing. Explaining that her father is an unemployed musician, she gets the idea to form her own orchestra and believes the society matron (Alice Brady) when she carelessly agrees to sponsor the orchestra. Many complications ensue, especially when the eminent conductor Leopold Stokowski is sought to lead the new orchestra in concert.

It was interesting to read the "Wizard of Oz" comparisons on this page, because Deanna Durbin reminds me of Judy Garland in a way - in this era, they both wore their hair the same way, were both teenagers, and both had mature voices, Durbin of course leaning more toward the classical. To say that Durbin is an energetic actress is an understatement. She's completely hyper, and that high speaking voice only adds to the anxiety level. As Patsy, she is very pretty and sings well. Like all sopranos of that era, she backs off of her high notes, but the middle voice is quite beautiful and as she grows into a young woman, it will become even more so. She does a credible job on Mozart's "Alleluia" and "Libiamo" from "La Traviata" despite some pitch problems. Given her age, these are minor criticisms. She has a great deal of poise, too, for someone so young.

The rest of the cast is very good, and Stokowski makes a nice contrast against Durbin as his calm, deliberate and very professional self.

"100 Men and a Girl" is about a determined young woman with an outlandish dream who makes it come true. This isn't a fantasy like "Wizard of Oz," nor is it very realistic, I suppose, but the way it's presented - well, you just believe it could happen.

I can't say I'm a fan of Deanna Durbin, but I thought she was very charming and exuberant in "100 Men and a Girl", one of Deanna's biggest vehicles at the time. Deanna plays the daughter of an impoverished musician (Adolphe Menjou, who previously worked with another famous child star Shirley Temple in "Little Miss Marker"). Most of the plot revolves around how Deanna manages to hook up 100 unemployed musicians with a famous orchestra conductor. It may have dated by today's standards but it is worth catching for the music and Deanna's singing talents.

ONE HUNDRED MEN AND A GIRL (Universal, 1937), directed by Henry Koster, features teenage soprano Deanna Durbin in her second motion picture lead, following her enormous success in THREE SMART GIRLS (1936). With Universal best known for his horror thrillers ("Dracula" and "Frankenstein") or best selling based love stories ("Back Street" and "Imitation of Life"), the Durbin products brought forth a new cycle of screen entertainment, venturing into the world of classical music with the celebrated musical conductor, Leopold Stokowski, appearing as himself. Durbin, who shared screen time with other Universal starlets, Nan Grey and Barbara Read, in THREE SMART GIRLS, becomes the sole focus here, sharing screen time with one hundred men, being her father and his group of unemployed musicians.

Set in New York City, John Caldwell (Adolphe Menjou), is seen as an unemployed musician who makes a desperate attempt confronting conductor Leopold Stokowski at Carnegie Hall for a job, but is consistently chased about by stage doorman, Marshall (J. Scott Smart), with pleas ignored by Stokowski's manager, Mr. Russell (Jameson Thomas). After being shown out the door, Caldwell acquires a lost purse on the crowded street with cash inside. Unable to locate its owner, he returns home where he uses the found money to pay off his back room rent, giving his teenage daughter, Patricia (Deanna Durbin) a indication that he's now working under Stokowski with advance in salary. In due time, however, Patricia, learning the truth, locates the identification inside the purse and does the right thing by returning it to Mrs. Frost (Alice Brady) at her luxurious home. Telling her and society guests about her father's orchestra, Mrs. Frost agrees to have her husband, John R. Frost (Eugene Palette), sponsor them on his radio program. As Caldwell organizes his orchestra in the garage, Patricia comes to the Frost home to follow up on her promise only to find that the absent-minded Mrs. Frost has gone to Europe. After locating Mr. Frost's whereabouts, she asks him for financial support, but dismisses the girl and her story as one of many practical jokes by his friend, Tommy Bitters'(Jed Prouty). With unexpected results, news reaches the media of Stokowski conducting for Caldwell's unemployed musicians, causing complications for all concerned, considering Stokowski is going on a six month concert tour in Europe.

A delightful Depression era/ fairy tale type story helped by the presence of Deanna Durbin's self confidence and energetic personality. It's hard to believe how virtually new she is to the movie business and natural she is as a performer. It's not so easy to forget Durbin's blink of her eyes that bring a happy smile to her sad-faced father (Menjou). Aside from its original screenplay by Bruce Manning, Charles Kenyon and James Mallhauser, the film is highlighted by a mix of contemporary and classic music, including "Symphony # 5, 4th Movement" by Peter Ilyich Tchiakowsky (conducted by Leopold Stokowski); "It's Raining Sunbeams" by Frederick Hollander and Sam Coslow (sung by Deanna Durbin); "The Rakoczy March" by Bezloiz; "A Heart That's Free" by Alfred G. Robyn and Thoms T. Railey; "Prelude to Act II" from Richard Wagner's "Loitengrin"); Mozart's "Allelua in 'F' Major" "Second Hungarian Rhapsody" by Franz Liszt; and "Libiamo Ne Liete Lauci" from Guiseppi Verdi's "La Traviata" (sung by Durbin). With these classical pieces, good production values and high notes, 100 MEN AND A GIRL gives the distinction of looking more like an MGM product than Universal's.

The supporting cast includes such Hollywood reliables as Mischa Auer (Michael Borodoff, a musician and close friend of the Caldwells); Billy Gilbert (The Garage Owner); Frank Jenks (The Taxi Driver); Edwin Maxwell (Ira Westling); with John Hamilton, Jack Mulhall and Charles Coleman in smaller roles. The performance given by Leopold Stokowski may provoke laughter to contemporary viewers for his wavy combed back hairstyle and mechanical way of conducting his orchestra with the use of his hands instead of a baton.

ONE HUNDRED MEN AND A GIRL earned an Academy Award nominee for Best Picture of 1937. After frequent public television revivals that took place in the 1980s, this now Durbin classic got further recognition on home video around 1994. In 1996, it had occasional revivals on American Movie Classics, and later on Turner Classic Movies where it premiered February 20, 2006. If movie does not prove satisfactory with its story, then it should for classical music lovers. (****)