Toute à toi

"Nice Girl?" is a very good comedy set in a small town where Prof. Oliver Wendell Holmes Dana is the principal of the high school. He is a widower with three daughters and a housekeeper-cook. He also is doing research with rabbits at his home. The girls are growing up under the wings of a correct grammarian and language parent. And the banter between the family members is deliciously funny. Theirs is a home with humor, as the one rule of the Dana house is that all jokes are funny.

Although Robert Benchley is in a supporting role as Prof. Dana, his role stands out. He's at the heart of much of the dialog humor. Others contribute their share in incidents, situations and some lines. Deanna Durbin is Jane, the middle and older teenage daughter. She's also a local celeb of sorts who sings at community events. That's what qualifies this also as a musical, but it's mostly a comedy with some drama.

Jane's sisters are Anne Gwynne as Sylvia and Ann Gillis as Nancy. Helen Broderick is the housekeeper, Cora Foster; Walter Brennan plays Hector Titus, the mailman and community band leader who also is fond of Cora; and Robert Stack is Don Winthrop Webb, the next-door neighbor, genius of a car mechanic and boyfriend of Jane. Franchot Tone plays Richard Calvert, the advance man for a foundation that has just awarded Prof. Dana a two year research grant.

All the Dana household expect the advance man to be an old, pudgy guy with a beard. So, when Calvert arrives, the three girls vie for his attention initially. And, his arrival leads to most of the mayhem that ensues.

The story isn't particularly unusual. It is a comedy and part drama with a somber segment. But the humor and the small town portrayal give it a feel of wholesomeness. And, with the relationships among members of the Dana household, including Cora, this is a very good picture of family. For these reasons and the quick and clever dialog in places, I rate this film fairly high.

When the family sits down to eat, Prof. Dana says grace, "We thank you for this food and the fun of eating it together in peace. Amen." The poignancy of his prayer would be felt instantly by the audiences at that time, because global war had begun.

This movie came out in February of 1941. World War II was in its second year, although the U. S. wouldn't be drawn into the war for 10 months. Still, the U. S. was supporting Great Britain and the Allies. At film's end, Don joins the Army and Jane sings a rousing song, "Thank You America." Then, a video attached at the end has Deanna singing a chin-up song for the Brits, "There'll Always Be an England." As the film ends, the standard appeal to buy war bonds and stamps appears.

I think most people will still enjoy this film well into the 21st century. Here are some favorite lines.

Prof. Dana, talking to himself as he writes at his desk, "This is the thesis of my exegesis. Thesis of my exegesis? Exegesis... treatise. This is the thesis of my treatise."

Jane Dana, as she makes notes while feeding rabbits, "No, it'll be a long time before I know anything, except maybe the habits of rabbits."

Prof. Dana, "Anything wrong?" Jane, "Well, why, Dad? You notice a change in me?" Prof Dana, "Oh, no sudden change. Of course, since the day when I used to walk the floor with you, you have grown up a little."

Jane Dana, "I'm afraid I'm not very sophisticated." Prof. Dana, "Sophisticated? Heh, now you are being young. Real sophistication, dear, is just another name for good taste. Sophistication isn't doing, it's knowing."

Jane Dana, "You know any more tricks with potatoes?" Don Webb, "Well, no." Jane, "Then, let's go home."

Sylvia Dana, to Nancy, "One does not blow on one's soup." Nancy Dana, "Oh, doesn't one?" Prof. Dana, "Well, there are several schools of thought on the art of soup cooling. There are the blowers, the fanners, the diluters with ice water, and the wait-till-it- coolers."

Nancy Dana, when the phone rings, "May I be excused? I think it's for me. I'm anticipitating (sic) a call. " Jane Dana, "Nancy, anticipating." Nancy, "Thank you, Jane."

Sylvia Dana, "father, you really should do something about that child." Prof. Dana, "What, lock her up? We tried that with you. By the way, whatever became of that butcher boy with adenoids?" Cora Foster, "Oh, he's still got 'em."

Nancy, to Sylvia, "One does not read one's book when one's at the dinner table." Sylvia, "Father, speak to Nancy." Prof. Dana, "Hello, Nancy."

Prof. Dana, "There's only one rule in this house, Mr. Calvert. All jokes are funny."

Cora Foster, "Listen, little big mouth. Lightning doesn't always strike in the same place, but your father isn't lightning." Nancy, "That was a very coarse remark."

Nancy, "Hector, I found out what men really are - apes. All of 'em, apes!. After today, I will look upon all men with impunity." Prof. Dana, "First, I'd look up impunity in the dictionary. Hi, Hector." Hector Titus, "Howdy, professor."

Jane Dana, crying on her dad's shoulder, "Oh, dad, I did something that was so stupid, so cheap. I threw myself at him, and he didn't even kiss me. He didn't even try." Prof. Dana, holding back a delighted laugh, "Why, the bounder!"

Prof. Dana, "Well, I wouldn't say that your homecoming went unnoticed. And you must be prepared to have a few eyebrows raised at you. But what's a little gossip when those who count know the truth."

Prof. Dana, "What this town needs is a good five-cent scandal."

Deanna Durbin is a girl in a small town with a couple of sisters and solo daddy Robert Benchley. Her boyfriend is Robert Stack. He seems more interested in his souped-up car than her. When visiting anthropologist Francot Tone shows up to speak with daddy, the girls practically swoon. Miss Durbin wangles a way to spend the evening with him. Nothing happens, but when she returns to the town the next morning, tongues start to wag.

Surprisingly, it's Benchley who takes the palm for acting awards, despite a cast that also includes Helen Broderick and Walter Brennan. It's a trifle, really, in Miss Durbin's series of box-office winners for Universal, in which she sings no orchestral or classical songs -- although she does a nice version of "Swanee River", and gets two concluding songs. While the American version ends with a patriotic song about the good old USA, the British release concludes. With "There Will Always Be An England." The version that shows on Turner Classic Movies has both.

If this film tries to cast Durban against type it singularly fails. She couldn't be anything else but nice and catch the boys, what with her looks and her voice. Still her father has enough to do with three good looking girls to keep in-line with home spun wisdom and a firm hand. Typical Durban. Enough said.

No other studio in Hollywood during the 30s and 40s could so beautifully evoke the haunting beauty of small town America than Universal. In the l941 "Nice Girl," a magical Deanna Durbin is set against probably the most ravishing recreation of Somewhere, USA ever put on film. Deanna's house is memorable with its big, wide windows, open to the wind, the cozy den and bedroom. Most haunting of all is when Deanna sings "Old Folks at Home" at a July 4th celebration near a river. Gorgeous photography, shadows, lights, all-American faces are unforgettable as Deanna sings. Remember that this was made just as America began to fight in World War II. The ending is a masterpiece. Deanna sings "Thank you America" in a radiant, thrilling way. the video shows you immediately an alternate ending that was shown in England at that time, "There'll always be an England." Robert Stack is so gorgeous looking you wonder why he didn't become a major star. Wonderful supporting cast, more great music and this all combines to make "Nice Girl?" a much beloved addition to your library. If you don't like music, then study it for its all-American wholesomeness, sincerity and the styles and clothes of a long ago era. A masterpiece!

What is not to like about 'Nice Girl?'? It needs hardly be among the very best of Deanna Durbin's films to still warrant at least a viewing. And it certainly does.

Robert Benchley is wonderful as the father raising three daughters with the help of his housekeeper in a small American town. Durbin plays the middle daughter, Dana, and she has her sights set on sophistication, however improbable that prospect seems. Her boyfriend, hunky, blond Robert Stack, is often filmed, bless him, in a skimpy shoulder-less undershirt whilst busying himself under the hood of the beloved car that he seems to value more than Durbin herself. When a mature man of the world, the charming Franchot Tone, shows up to do business with Dad Benchley, all three sisters fall in love with him, and Durbin decides that now is the time to take that final step towards adulthood, with ALL that it entails! "Who wants to be just useful and contented? After all, I am not a cow", Deanna Durbin complains, as she is about to flirt with disaster, preparing to be ravished by Tone in his boudoir of exotic trophies. Durbin hardly looks the Jezebel she makes a stab at, but she does look like a million bucks in her borrowed turban and black evening dress.

The dialog is snappy, often surprisingly racy for its time, the songs are classics ('The Old Folks at Home', 'Beneath the Lights of Home' etc.) and felt as well as beautifully sung by Durbin. It may not have quite the giddy strength of other Durbin movies such as 'First Love', but it is still a delightful experience.