Studio: Universal
Running Time: 1 hour, 32 minutes
Black and White
Video Availability: Currently not available on home video.
Cast:
Deanna Durbin...Abigail Martin Manette/Jackie Lamont
Gene Kelly...Robert Manette
Richard Whorf...Simon Fenimore
Dean Harens...Lt. Charlie Mason
Gladys George...Valerie De Marude
Gale Sondergaard...Mrs. Manette
David Bruce...Gerald Tyler
Credits:
As written for the screen by...Herman J. Mankiewicz
Associate Producer...Frank Shaw
Director of Photography...Woody Bredell, A.S.C.
Film Editor...Ted Kent
Assistant Director...William Holland
Special Photography by...John P. Fulton, A.S.C.
Miss Durbin's Wardrobe by...Muriel King, Howard Greer
Art Direction...John B. Goodman, Robert Clatworthy
Set Decorations...R.A. Gausman, E.R. Robinson
Gowns...Vera West
Music Score and Direction...H.J. Salter
Vocal Coach...Andres de Segurola
Sound Director...Bernard B. Brown
Technician...Joe Lapis
Produced by...Felix Jackson
Directed by...Richard Siodmak
It is Christmas Eve Day, and a group of soldiers
are graduating from an artillery school in North Carolina. One of
them, Lt. Charlie Mason (Dean Harens) is going to San Francisco on his
leave, so that he can propose to his girlfriend Mona. He is crushed
when he receives a telegram from Mona, saying that she has married another
man. Charlie decides to go to San Francisco anyway and confront her.
He turns down a fellow officer's invitation to go to New York and his advice
to just forget about her.
Charlie's flight to San Francisco is forced to land
in New Orleans due to unfavorable weather. The passengers on the
airplane, including Charlie, are taken to a hotel where they are to spend
the night. Hopefully, the weather will change so the flight can continue
the next morning. While in the lobby, Charlie is approached by Simon
Fenimore (Richard Whorf), a newspaper reporter looking for a story.
He heard about the plane's emergency landing and is disappointed when Charlie
tells him that nothing major had happened. Later, Charlie goes to
get something to eat and encounters Fenimore again. This time, Fenimore
is drunk. He can tell that Charlie is depressed and decides to take
him to a place called the Maison de Fete, where he's a regular, to lift
the officer's spirits.
The Maison de Fete is a shabby old plantation house.
Inside, it is smokey, loud and crowded with people. Fenimore gets
the woman in charge, Valerie De Marude (Gladys George) and tells her about
Charlie. He then asks Valerie to get a companion for Charlie.
The club's singer, Jackie Lamont (Deanna Durbin) is suggested.
Jackie and Charlie dance and have a casual conversation
when Valerie interrupts them. She says that Fenimore has passed out,
but before he did, asked her to give Charlie a card about a midnight mass
service being held at St. Louis Cathedral. Jackie begs Charlie to
take her to the church. He is reluctant, but does so.
During the service, Jackie looks somber and begins
to sob uncontrollably. They stay long after the service ends.
Afterwards, they go to get something to eat. They begin talking,
and Jackie says that the service was therapeutic for her. She begins
to tell her story.
She confesses to Charlie that she is really Abigail
Manette. Her husband, Robert Manette (Gene Kelly) murdered a bookmaker,
was convicted and sentenced to death, though it was later changed to life
in prison. She changed her name after the trial. She admits
that she still loves him, though others don't understand why and that she
doesn't want to divorce him.
She remembers one night when Robert came home late.
She didn't know it then, but it was the same night that he had killed the
bookmaker, Teddy Jordan. The morning after, strange things begin
to happen. Robert and his mother, Mrs. Manette (Gale Sondergaard)
talk about there being "nothing" in the newspaper. When Abigail notices
a stain on a pair of Robert's trousers, Mrs. Manette snatches them away
and tries to get Abigail to leave the room. Mrs. Manette proceeds
to find a large wad of money in the pocket. Robert says that he won
it while gambling, which angers both Abigail and his mother since had promised
to give it up. Later on, Abigail looks out a window and sees Mrs.
Manette burning the stained trousers in the incinerator outside.
Suspicious of her husband and mother-in-law's behavior,
Abigail confronts Mrs. Manette that night. Mrs. Manette denies burning
the pants, saying it was an old dress of hers. Then, a police officer
comes to the house looking for Robert, who is not at home. He tells
Mrs. Manette to have Robert call the station the next morning about something
"routine."
Robert comes home late again that night. Abigail
tells Robert about the police officer and asks what he and his mom are
trying to hide from her. He becomes violent, shouting and throwing
things. The next morning, he apologizes and Abigail asks him again.
He admits that he lied about where he got the money from. He tells
her this time that he took the money from his mother's room to pay off
some debts. She doesn't believe him - there are too many other things
going on, with the police officer, trousers, newspaper, etc. Robert
tells her a cover up story to use if people ask about the pants and the
money. She agrees to tell it since she loves him, even though she
has no idea what is really happening.
It is late and Charlie interrupts Jackie's story
to ask her to stay in his hotel room since she has no where else to go.
They sleep in different rooms. The next morning, Charlie is informed
that his flight will be leaving to San Francisco. During breakfast,
Jackie tells Charlie how she first met Robert.
It was at a concert. They bumped into each
other accidentally and began talking. After another concert a week
later, they go to cafes, and soon Abigail is in love even though she doesn't
know that much about him. Robert tells her that he comes from a distinguished
family and that he hates all of the ideals and expectations placed upon
him. Abigail then gets to meet his mother.
Jackie says that Robert's relationship with his
mother was pathological. He was everything to her. Abigail
wanted to Mrs. Manette to like her, and Mrs. Manette wanted to like Abigail
since she was her last chance to save Robert from his inner demons.
At their first meeting, Mrs. Manette tells Abigail that Robert has some
bad traits but that together they can make him strong. Afterwards,
Robert asks Abigail to go to a gambler's joint with him since he is going
to give up gambling for his wife. He points out Teddy Jordan, an
important bookmaker. Simon Fenimore is also there and chats with
them.
Later on, Robert and Abigail are married.
The first six months of their marriage is idyllic. Things would soon
change though. Two days after Abigail sees Mrs. Manette burn the
trousers, Robert is arrested and detectives come to search the house.
Mrs. Manette isn't home at the time but is worried when she arrives to
see the detectives looking in her curtains, since she has sewn the money
into them. They find nothing and leave. Abigail then admits
that she had burned the money. Mrs. Manette is grateful and tells
Abigail that they both know that Robert really didn't kill anyone.
Abigail contradicts her though, angering Mrs. Manette. She accuses
Abigail of being a traitor, calling her selfish when Robert needs her strength.
She says that Abigail closed her eyes to Robert's weaknesses and is a failure
as a wife.
At the conclusion of the trial, they both watch
in agony as Robert is convicted. Afterwards, Mrs. Manette tells Abigail
that she killed Robert by being a failure as a wife and slaps her across
the face.
Mrs. Manette then moves to New York to become a housekeeper to a rich
couple.
With her story finished, Jackie leaves and wishes
Charlie luck. Just after she goes, Charlie gets a phone call from
Fenimore. Fenimore asks if Charlie knows where Jackie is. What
Charlie doesn't know is that Robert has escaped from prison and is with
Fenimore. He forced Fenimore to call Charlie since he wants to know
where Jackie is. He is angry since he believes Jackie has been cheating
on him with Charlie while he is in prison. Robert pulls a gun on
Fenimore and tells him he wants to see his wife.
Meanwhile, at the hotel, Charlie sees a newspaper
headline about Robert breaking out of prison. He immediately goes
to the Maison de Fete since he's worried about Jackie's safety. When
he gets there, Valerie tells him that Jackie is waiting for Robert to arrive,
and also that police officers have the place surrounded. Fenimore
and Robert then arrive. Jackie rushes to meet her husband.
They go to a dark room. She is ecstatic to see him, and wants to
go with him. She is about to get some money when he starts to question
her. He believes she has been unfaithful and slams her against a
wall. He starts screaming at her, accusing her of betraying him and
being a whore. Jackie tells him of her undying love, how she believed
what his mother said and blamed herself for the bad things that happened
to him. After he was convicted she wanted to die at first since she
couldn't face life without him, but decided to punish herself and live
in her own private hell as a torch singer, since he had to live in prison.
He doesn't believe her and pulls a gun on her, intending to shoot her.
A police officer at a nearby window kills him with one shot though.
Robert falls to the ground and Jackie rushes to him. She cradles
him in her arms as he dies. She can let go now. Now that he
is dead he is free. She is free too. She no longer has to be
consumed by her love for Robert. She walks to the window and stares
at the stars.
Songs:
[Songs performed by Deanna Durbin in boldface]
"Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year" (Loesser)
"Always" (Berlin)
Academy Awards and Nominations:
Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (H.J. Salter - nominee)
Reviews:
"In her latest picture, a psychological drama...Deanna's transformation
into a grown-up has been completed with shocking finality. Painted
with heavy make-up, she makes her dramatic debut in a sordid role that
will undoubtedly jolt the U.S. moviegoers who, during the past seven years,
have regarded her as the symbol of ginghamed girlish innocence. With
her characterization of a cynical honky-tonk singer, she leaves no doubt
that she is capable of handling almost any mature role."
- Life
My Review:
Deanna Durbin gives a tour de force performance in this gripping piece of film noir. Deanna does a good job showing the contrast between Abigail, the earnest young woman, and Jackie, the cynical singer. The story is told in a series of complicated flashbacks which makes it more compelling than if it were told chronologically. Gene Kelly is fantastic as Deanna's slimeball husband. Dean Harens and Gale Sondergaard are also effective. But Deanna definitely carries the bulk of the story and gives the best performance. It is fascinating to watch her character evolve from an innocent young lady who falls head over heels in love with a charming man, to a cheap, brassy singer who is consumed by her obsession for a mentally disturbed murderer. Contrary to what you may read, Deanna does give a good performance in this film. She manages not to overact with such a great part (like many other actresses would have), instead playing the role of Jackie rather subtle. This is one outstanding example of film noir and rates as one of Deanna's best!
Notes:
This was Deanna's first (and last) venture into heavy drama, in which
her acting came before her singing.
This film was based on W. Somerset Maugham's novel "Christmas Holiday," though it underwent a few major changes before getting to the screen.
Get your own Free Home Page