La soeur de son valet

In 'His Butler's Sister' Deanna Durbin plays Anne, a small town girl who arrives in New York to make it on the stage. She intends to live with her older half-brother Martin (Pat O'Brien) whom she has not seen for years and who turns out not to be the millionaire she expected but something much better: The butler of a successful song writer (Charles Gerard, played by Franchot Tone), for whom Anne wanted to sing in any case. There are mistaken identities and other misunderstandings, some dastardly intrigues, a troop of butlers who all fall in love with Anne and any number of situations that will make you laugh out loud. Most importantly, this charming comedy-romance offers Deanna a lot of chances to demonstrate what an amazingly good soprano she was. In fact, I don't think Hollywood ever attracted a better classical singer - no wonder Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland were among her fans. In 'His Butler's Sister' Deanna sings some modern numbers, a Russian medley (in Russian), and towards the end an astounding interpretation of Nessun Dorma. The Russian medley is historically remarkable: Remember, back then the Soviet Union and the US were allies and there was a lot of sympathy for Russia. Also, the Universal Studios may have aimed at the Russian 'market', such as there was (earlier films with Deanna, for example 'One Hundred Men and a Girl', did appear in Russia). What did not convince me is the character of Anne's half-brother Martin, or rather, why both Anna and Charles keep forgiving him his really nasty intrigues. But that does not change the fact that 'His Butler's Sister' is one of the best of Deanna Durbin's films - not quite at the level of 'One Hundred Men and a Girl', but still very very good. Don't miss it!

"His Butler's Sister" is a delightful comedy with delayed romance and music. Deanna Durbin gets to play her actress role with a light comedy very well, instead of getting into singing right away. That's part of the plot in this story of brother and sister reuniting after many years. Pat O'Brien's Martin Murphy doesn't know that she is "the Deanna Durbin voice" when his sister, Ann Carter, mentions that she sings. And the whole plot is built around foiling any occasion for her to do her thing. Because he thinks she is just another of the countless female voices that can sing but that don't stand out.

And, it's because the male lead, Franchot Tone's Charles Gerard, is a major musical writer and director. And, he's just too worn out and needs rest from having listened to so many voices audition during the day. So, brother Martin, Gerard's butler, does everything to keep wannabe singing starlets away from his apartment. And that means keeping Ann mum.

The film cleverly draws audience members into the frustration, and we want to yell to Martin and Charles, "Let her sing!" When a movie arouses that kind of reaction in an audience, one knows it is very good at what it set out to do. Because that just holds us to the story, with anticipation and wonder when the time will come when our heroine nails it with big brother and the man who has her heart.

This aspect is a real hoot because Gerard's apartment has twin baby grand pianos set as to accommodate a duet. Then, a later scene has a flash into his bedroom in which another baby grand is sitting. So, for someone in the business of making music and musicals Gerard only once later in the film goes near the keyboards, and Ann does so just once as well.

A wonderful aspect of this film is the considerable supporting cast Universal was able to assemble. I can only think of two top butler actors who are missing from this cast -- E.E. Horton and Eric Blore. But leading off the gentlemen's gentlemen here is Alan Mowbray. Others include Akim Tamiroff, Sig Arno, and Roscoe Karns.

The prologue script on the screen before the story commences reminds one that this film is smack dab in the middle of World War II. It gives a humorous statement that all of the otherwise rationed items seen in this picture (food, clothing, etc.) are not real, but fake or props that look like the real thing - so that the ration cart wouldn't be upset. Just about everything during the war was rationed - food, clothing, gasoline, tires, etc.

A scene later in the film is a very sly insertion by Universal to cleverly prove the assertion of the prologue. The neighboring butlers and male guests are waiting on Ann as she is eating in the kitchen. Gerard's eccentric producer, Mortimer Kalb (played by Walter Catlett) tells Sanderson (Russell Hicks) to get Ann a cup of coffee. Sanderson goes to the coffee urn and pours the cup of coffee. He nearly collides with one of the butlers and then hands the cup and saucer to Mortimer who fumbles it and nearly spills the whole thing on Ann. But not a drop spills out. And, as Mortimer juggles it back onto the saucer, the camera shows that it is clearly a prop - a plastic cup that appears to be full of coffee, but that is itself part of the plastic prop. This is such an obvious thing, that most in the audience probably think, as I did, that the studio goofed and should have re-shot the scene. But then, when one remembers the funny prologue that none of the ration things in this film are real, the little stroke of genius and wit in that scene becomes apparent.

Most people should enjoy this breezy comedy and Deanna's songs. Here are some favorite lines from the film.

Martin Murphy, "Even if you are my sister, it's the best job I've ever had and I'm gonna protect it. You know, I've been working for a something like this for years. Wonderful quarters. Swell food. Nice clothes. Not too much work. No worry. And a boss that likes my brand of liquor and cigars."

Martin Murphy, "No sir, a job like this is thicker than blood. And sister or no sister, I'm not gonna lose it."

Martin Murphy, "Remember boys, we are all gentlemen's gentlemen."

As someone who's not a fan of opera, I actually find Deanna Durbin enjoyable having liked her previously in Can't Help Singing among a few of her other movies I can't remember by title right now and in her debut with Judy Garland in the short Every Sunday. In addition to her singing voice on many tunes like "Nessun Dorma" at the end, Ms. Durbin also displays some wonderful humorous touches that matches the veteran comic supporting cast of male butlers that follow her around. I was even enjoying the not-too-compelling-story at least until Franchot Tone-whose character was seeing another woman-seemed to be starting an affair with Deanna. Ms. Durbin isn't the only one who performs, however, since in the beginning when we first see Tone's songwriter character, a couple of women who call themselves the Sunshine Twins (one of whom is Iris Adrian who I knew as the landlady in That Darn Cat-Hayley Mills version) do a funny number called "Is It True What They Say About Dixie?" in front of him. So musically and comically, His Butler's Sister was a mostly enjoyable Durbin vehicle.

Coming after the grave "stage door canteen" ,which ,in spite of funny scenes ,dealt about soldiers about to go to war,"his butler's sister" is some kind of comic relief.Deanna Durbin is a very good-looking actress and songstress -even if ,like me,her style is not your cup of tea-and watching Franchot Tone at work is always a joy to me.Anyway they do not appear in what is for me the funniest of the whole movie :girls mistaking a salesman for a composer and discovering that what he sells is not what they were expecting.

The movie features several songs ,the last one being some kind of communication as it was the case in other Borzage works such as "I'll always love you" or " smiling through" ,though in a lighter way.

This movie is a good example for the Old Classical Hollywood pictures! It has a lot of funny moments, nice, good-looking actors, incredible Durbin's charming voice and really nice and touching story! O.k. maybe it is not an high art movie, but people come on! These days we don't have high arts almost at all! Neither we have relaxing, touching with GOOD TASTE musicals!! Because, who's going to sing the way Durbin did??? There is nobody as gifted as the old actors! I mean, take just Astair, Garland, Crosby, Sinatra, Kelly! These days we don't have such in-every-way talented actors! They could do everything: musicals, comedies, drama. This movie is for everyone, who enjoys Classical movies!! It's worth seeing!