My Love Came Back

"My Love Came Back" is another film that must have stretched the minds and imagination of the Warner Brothers team for a title. Youth, age, music, family, romance, and comedy are what this film is about. Considering the year, it seems a good and much more descriptive title might have been, "Music for all Ages."

This isn't a musical in the sense of revues or plays set to music. Rather, it resembles musical biography when the subject or main character is a musician - singer, song writer, composer, instrumentalist. The star here is Amelia Cornell, a gifted and outstanding violinist in the Brissac Academy of Music. Olivia de Havilland plays the role superbly in a fictional story that mixes some fine classical and swing music into something of a wacky story. It's a good one, but it involves a few subplots and genres that are centered around the musical world.

Thus, it mixes in business, family, friendship, livelihoods, and study with jealousies, suspicion, misconceptions, innuendo, romance and comedy. The humor is in the situations, and it holds this whole plot together, which otherwise would not be very good as drama. What brings this all to life and makes it such an enjoyable film is a cast of superb supporting actors and emerging stars of the day. The second female lead is Jo O'Keefe, played by Jane Wyman. She and de Havilland would go on to win Academy Awards, and they would be in one more comedy together - "Princess O'Rourke" in 1943.

The male lead isn't so well defined, although Jeffrey Lynn has first billing as Tony Baldwin. His role is okay, but Lynn never seemed to put much life or oomph into his roles. But Charles Winninger as Julius Malette and Eddie Albert as Dusty Rhodes add to the zest that Amelia and Joy provide. S.Z. Sakall is very good as Gez Payer, the academy music conductor. Spring Byington is good as Mrs. Malette in a somewhat subdued role from her normal persona. Grant Mitchell is the best known of the rest of the cast, as Dr. Kobbe. William Orr and Ann Gillis play Malette grown children, Paul and Valerie.

This is a humorous, warm and entertaining film that fans of any of its cast, especially, should enjoy.

Olivia de Havilland seldom got a chance to exploit a gift for comedy during her long stay at Warner Bros., but occasionally she did and this is one of her better efforts. She's charming as a gifted violinist who has a secret sugar daddy (Charles Winninger) sponsoring her studies. Misunderstandings occur when Jeffrey Lynn and Winninger's children suspect the worst. Jane Wyman and Eddie Albert are amusing as fellow musicians and the excellent supporting cast includes Grant Mitchell, S.Z. Sakall and Spring Byington.

It's a lot of fluff done in a sprightly style with a musical montage that is done in innovative style with the two stars waltzing against a background of musical notes. Director Curtis Bernhardt said de Havilland was delightful to work with during this particular movie--but was not too happy with her attitude two years later when she played Charlotte Bronte in "Devotion". He felt she was behaving in a self-important manner. Anyway, here everything clicks--and it's nice to see her enjoying herself in a comedy role for a change.

"My Love Came Back" is the inappropriate title for this sweet, blithe romantic comedy that was unlike anything Olivia de Havilland ever did. Olivia de Havilland winningly displays fine comedy talent and really makes the movie shine beyond what was apparently a programmer film, although she is ably assisted by Jeffrey Lynn and S. Z. Sakall (beginning his most famous period, as a Warner Brothers supporting player). Eddie Albert and Jane Wyman make for believable foils for de Havilland and make an ingratiating, warm comedy team. A film beautiful to watch for its shimmering black and white cinematography, breezy yet warm score, and, once again, the radiant comedic performance of Olivia de Havilland to carry the picture.

With some great music as background, "My Love Came Back" is a very enjoyable film from Warner Brothers, starring Olivia de Havilland, Jeffrey Lynn, Jane Wyman, and Eddie Albert.

De Havilland plays a promising violinist who catches the musical ear - but mostly the eye - of a benefactor (Charles Winninger). De Havilland innocently lets him escort her to things that will further her musical education, having no idea that her new school scholarship comes directly from him.

Mixups and misunderstandings result when she falls for Winninger's business manager, played by tall, handsome Jeffrey Lynn, who comes off in this as sort of an American Ray Milland.

Meanwhile, her roommate, played by a vivacious, blond Jane Wyman and her fiancée, the delightful Eddie Albert, try to drag her into their swing music band. Albert and Wyman, along with S. K. Szall and Spring Byington, make up a great supporting cast.

De Havilland is a perfect sweet young thing, playing the comedy very earnestly. Her soft look is in contrast to Wyman, who's positively eye-popping as a blonde. It's hard to connect her with the same actress who would star as the deaf mute in Johnny Belinda, or for that matter, the dowager of Falcon Crest!

Lynn never made it to star status, partially because of World War II interrupting his career, but he enjoyed a long one anyway, as well as a career in real estate.

One of the things that makes this film is the marvelous music, not only classical but swing. This is a movie that's well worth seeing and makes for good listening as well.

Amelia Cornell (Olivia de Havilland) is a gifted but always late violinist. She has to give lessons against the rules of her scholarship. She needs the money for her family. Wealthy businessman Julius Malette (Charles Winninger) is taken with her. He agrees to take over the Presidency of the Academy to help her. He assigns his right-hand man Tony Baldwin (Jeffrey Lynn) as his replacement at the company although his son Paul is terribly jealous. Amelia's friends, Dusty Rhodes (Eddie Albert) and Joy O'Keefe (Jane Wyman), introduce her to modern swing music and she decides to quit the Academy. In order to keep her, Julius gives her more money, but assigns Tony to pay for it.

This is a very sitcom kind of rom-com. It is a few white lies turning into some romantic chaos. The main thing is that Winninger is able to keep his motive pure. I would maybe keep Tony with Valerie. She has a cuter chemistry and better first scene. There is no need for Amelia to pair up with anybody. All in all, this is charming and cute little misunderstanding that isn't very threatening. It makes for fine light entertainment.