The Amazing Mrs. Holliday

This is a heartwarming story that begins with the upheavals of war in China and how young lives find a new life in America. The lovely Deanna Durbin is protector of eight orphans and such is her dedication that she falls in with sailor Barry Fitzgerald's little scheme of pretending to be the widow of the elderly Commodore Holliday, with the resultant confusion, hilarious moments and bittersweet outcomes. Ms Durbin sings some fine old favorites and I particularly liked "Mighty Like a Rose" which she sings beautifully. It has light romance, comedy, and tender moments and is well recommended as excellent family fare.

Several sources report that Jean Renoir, who shot some scenes and was then replaced as director, began this film. If he had completed it, it would have come between Swamp Water and This Land Is Mine. All my efforts to find out more about Renoir's contribution have been fruitless. I even tracked down Renoir's autobiography only to find that he doesn't mention it - not even in passing. Anyhow, Deanna Durbin is the daughter of a China missionary who rescues 8 orphan children (7 of them white) and brings them to the U.S. where they are about to be taken by the '40s version of Child Protective Services. So, she pretends to be the new, young bride of a shipping magnet who she believes was killed in a ship bombing. Romantic comedy complications ensue. I would recommend it mainly for Durbin fans, but also for those who would like to speculate on what it would have been if Jean Renoir has seen it through to completion.

Sentimental tale of a young schoolteacher in war-torn China who sets out to rescue war orphans and take them to America. As in all of Deanna's movies, the plot thickens when she tells a little white lie that has her posing as the widow of a wealthy sailor. Barry Fitzgerald is in on her little scheme and Edmond O'Brien, as the old Commodore's grandson, is soon infatuated with her. It's a sentimental story and, unfortunately, none of it rings true but somehow Durbin overcomes the inadequacies of a weak script and tosses off her songs with grace and authority, as always.

Nominated for Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy picture in 1943.