It's a Date
1940
Technical
Information:
Studio: Universal
Running Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Black and White
Video Availability: Available on MGM/UA home video
Cast:
Deanna Durbin...Pamela Drake
Kay Francis...Georgia Drake
Walter Pidgeon...John Arlen
Eugene Pallette...Governor Allen
Henry Stephenson...Captain Andrew
Cecilia Loftus...Sara Frankenstein
Samuel S. Hinds...Sidney Simpson
Lewis Howard...Freddie Miller
S.Z. Sakall...Carl Ober
Fritz Feld...Headwaiter
Virginia Brissac...Miss Holden
Romaine Callender...Evans
Joe King...First Mate Kelly
Mary Kelley...Governor's Wife
Eddie Polo...Quarter-Master
Harry Owens and his Royal Hawaiians...Themselves
Credits:
Screenplay...Norman Krasna
Original Story...Jane Hall, Frederick Kohner, Ralph Block
Director of Photography...Joseph Valentine, A.S.C.
Art Director...Jack Otterson
Associate...Martin Obzina
Film Editor...Bernard W. Burton
Set Decorations...R.A. Gausman
Gowns...Vera West
Assistant Director...Frank Shaw
Musical Director...Charles Previn
Orchestrations...Frank Skinner
Sound Supervisor...Bernard B. Brown
Technician...Joseph Lapis
Directed by...William A. Seiter
Produced by...Joseph Pasternak
After a long, successful run, actress and singer Georgia
Drake (Kay Francis) is closing her latest stage triumph, "Gypsy Lullaby."
Her director, Sidney Simpson (Samuel S. Hinds) is excited since European
playwright Carl Ober (S.Z. Sakall) has written a brand new play, "St. Anne"
which is destined to be a hit and she is slated to star in the title role.
Meanwhile, Georgia's daughter Pamela (Deanna Durbin)
is visiting her mother in New York from Maine with her friend Freddie Miller
(Lewis Howard). They belong to a theater group in Maine, and Pamela
pesters Sidney for some sets and props for use in one of their productions,
and also for a role in his new play. Sidney informs her that the
only open part is an old, Irish maid and convinces her that she is wrong
for the part. Pamela then confirms the date that Sidney set to direct
her theater group in a play. Sidney tells Carl Ober that some of
his play needs re-writing and tells him to come to Maine with him, where
it is nice and quiet, so that he can work on it. Georgia sets off
for Hawaii to take a break and study her new role.
After conferring with each other about the weak
part in Ober's play which needs re-writing, Sidney and Carl decide that
Pamela's theater group should perform that particular act, and see how
it goes over. Pamela takes the lead role of St. Anne and gives a
wonderful performance. Carl and Sidney realize that Georgia is too
old to be believable in the role of a 20 year old woman, and so they give
the role to Pamela, who is ecstatic, but decides to keep it under wraps
so as to avoid any excitement. She too, sets off for Hawaii to join
her mother and study the role which will give her her big break, not knowing
that she will be replacing her mother.
On the ship to Hawaii, Pamela manages to confuse
some crew members with her lovesick speeches, which are actually part of
the play. One night, the captain (Henry Stephenson) and his friend,
John Arlen (Walter Pidgeon) overhear the young girl, whom they believe
to be very despondent. In order to cheer her up, they decide to play
a little game, with John posing as a stowaway. He succeeds in tricking
her into thinking he is a stowaway, but soon tires of the charade when
she starts bringing him food constantly and watching over him. She
soon finds out about the whole thing and becomes infuriated.
After apologizing, John tries to console her with
advice about love, not knowing that she is actually only rehearsing a part.
She mistakes this advice as a proposal, and turns him down. They
arrive in Hawaii and Pamela is delighted to see her mother again.
At their home in Hawaii, she hears her mom rehearsing
the same lines she was on the boat, and realizes that Georgia must be up
for the part of St. Anne as well. Saddened, she decides to relinquish
the role of a lifetime to her mother. Then, a call comes on the telephone,
and Pamela picks it up. It is a telegram from Sidney, who is calling
Georgia to tell her that he has "news" and that Pamela is on her way to
Hawaii. Knowing that the news will take her mother out of "St. Anne,"
she tells her mother that a man she met on the boat, named John Arlen is
in love with her and wants to go to dinner with them. Georgia is
shocked at his age, but agrees.
Pamela manages to convince John to take them to
dinner, though he agrees rather reluctantly. Now that her mother
is out of the house, Pamela manages to call Sidney and tell him that she
doesn't want the role. Meanwhile, John has become smitten with Georgia,
and soon starts seeing a lot of both of them. This confuses Georgia's
maid Sara (Cecilia Loftus) who wants to know who he really loves.
Finally, John tells Sara that he wants to propose
to Georgia, though Pamela also tells her that she wants to marry John,
and settle for a life away from the theater. They all go to the Governor's
Ball, where John hopes to pop the question to Georgia. Pamela is
upset when she finds out that her mother has accepted, though only temporarily.
She decides to take the part of St. Anne after all, and is a smash when
it debuts on the stage.
Songs:
[Songs performed by Deanna Durbin in boldface]
"Gypsy Lullaby" (Unknown)
"Love is All" (Tomlin, Tobias)
"Loch Lomond" (Traditional)
"It Happened in Kaloha" (Freed, Skinner)
"Musetta's Waltz Song" (Puccini)
"Rhythm of the Islands" (Cherkose, Belasco, Press)
"Ave Maria" (Schubert)
My Review:
It's a Date is one of my favorite Deanna films.
It's full of fun and never takes itself too seriously for a moment.
Not only does Deanna show a marked improvement in both her acting and singing
in this film than in her prior outings, but also looks her radiant best.
She gets to sing four songs, from the popular "Love is All" (one of my
personal favorites), to the operatic "Musetta's Waltz Song" as well as
her own beautiful renditions of the classics "Loch Lomond" and "Ave Maria."
All in all, a bright, cheery film which every Deanna fan should love!
Notes:
Remade as Nancy Goes to Rio in 1950 with Jane Powell and Ann
Sothern.
Picture credits:
1. Video cover scanned by webmaster.
2. Movie still scanned by webmaster.
3. Photo courtesy of Darlene Harris.
It's a Date Continued...
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