Darby and Joan

I saw this under the title SHE'S MY DARLING, although it was the full version of this once-lost movie rather than the shortened 45-minute edit. Originally titled DARBY AND JOAN, it's the story of a relationship between a blind girl and her elder sister, and kudos to the Talking Pictures TV channel here in the UK for unearthing it from the vaults. The story veers into the saccharine at regular intervals, which is no surprise given the subject matter and the era, but it proves to be an interesting watch, not just for the contrived murder mystery which takes up the latter half of the running time. Horror fans should watch out for the barnstorming Tod Slaughter in a rare non-horror appearance.

Peggy Simpson is devoted to her younger sister, Pamela Bevan, who has been blind since she was an infant. She and Mickey Brantford love each other, but he has no money and no prospects until he finishes his study of the law. So she marries his wealthy uncle, Ian Fleming, and tries to make a go of it.

There are some dedicated performers here, including Tod Slaughter as Miss Simpson's rather futile father. The story, with its is-it-suicide-or-murder plot is a standard if unremarkable one, and some of the performances seem off, like Miss Simpson's or Audrene Brier, or miscalculated, like Slaughter, who seems to have been miscast -- or perhaps that's simply my taste for him in full-blooded melodramas. DP John Silver is ambitious with his pan shots in the early part of the movie, if rather more staid later on. The overall result is a decent if unremarkable potboiler.

First of all praise to Talking Pictures for rescuing this film from obscurity.

Though no claims for it being a missing masterpiece. It is a a fairly standard quota quickies,made for MGM to support one of their lavish Hollywood films.

Looking at the reviews shown on Wikipedia it got rather a rough critical reception. Even Kine Weekly,the trade paper made it clear that it was only suitable for quota bookings.

The film is curious in that it keeps on showing extracts from a diary,which one assumes paper over the cracks and save a lot of time in exposition.

I suppose time has cast a patina over this film and perhaps it has improved a touch with age.