I'll Be Yours

1947

Technical Information:

Studio:  Universal-International
Running Time:  1 hour, 34 minutes
Black and White
Video Availability:  Available on MCA/Universal home video.

Cast:

Deanna Durbin...Louise Ginglebusher
Tom Drake...George Prescott
William Bendix...Wechsberg
Adolphe Menjou...J. Conrad Nelson
Walter Catlett...Mr. Buckingham
Franklin Pangborn...Barber
William Trenk...Captain
Joan Shawlee...Blonde
Patricia Alphin...Usherette
William Brooks...Stage Door Johnny

Credits:

Associate Producer...Howard Christie
Adapted by...Felix Jackson
From the Screenplay "The Good Fairy" by...Preston Sturges
Based on a Comedy by...Ferenc Molnar
Music...Frank Skinner
Musical direction for Miss Durbin...Walter Schumann
Vocal Coach...Al Procter
Orchestrations...David Tamkin
Director of Photography...Hal Mohr, A.S.C.
Art Direction...John B. Goodman
Film Editor...Otto Ludwig
Director of Sound...Charles Felstead
Technician...Joe Lapis
Songs Recorded by...Lawrence Aicholtz
Assistant Director...William Holland
Costumes...Travis Banton
Director of Make-up...Jack A. Pierce
Set Decorations...Russell A. Gausman
Hair Stylist...Carmen Dirigo
Special Photography by...David S. Horsley, A.S.C.
Original Play Translated and Adapted by...Jane Hinton
Produced by...Felix Jackson
Directed by...William A. Seiter



Louise Ginglebusher (Deanna Durbin) is a small town girl. In fact, her hometown of Cobleskill is so small, the train for which Louise is waiting to take her to New York City passes right by the station! The train backs up, picks Louise up and whisks her off to the Big Apple. While walking down the crowded afternoon streets, her hat blows away in the breeze, and is returned by a kind bearded stranger (Tom Drake). Hungry, Louise stops at a small diner owned by Joe Wechsberg (William Bendix), a kind man who quickly befriends her. While eating her lunch, Louise meets the same man who had returned her hat earlier. His name is George W. Prescott and he is Wechsberg's lawyer. Prescott is struggling due to the fact that he is extremely honest and thus finds it hard to win cases.
After lunch, Louise goes to the beautiful Buckingham Theatre in order to see its owner. Mr. Buckingham (Walter Catlett) is a fellow alumnus of Cobleskill High School and also a friend of Louise's father. Louise tells him that before his death, her father hard written a letter of introduction for her in case she ever needed it. She tells him that she wants a job at the theatre. Mr. Buckingham offers her a position as an usherette, and Louise is soon hard at work.
While leaving the theatre after her shift, Louise is pestered by a stage door Johnny (William Brooks). She lies to him and says that she is married to a poor man and the mother of three babies so that the man would leave her alone. Wechsberg conveniently happens to be walking by, and Louise pulls him into her scheme in order to convince the stage door Johnny that he is her husband. Wechsberg walks Louise home and tells her that he is going to be a waiter at a party held at the elegant Savoy Ritz, although his dream is to have his own restaurant. He decides to sneak her in.
Not wanting to be fired for sneaking in an uninvited guest, Wechsberg tells Louise not to talk to anyone and keep a low-profile. However, Louise's false invitation is found out, and in order to keep his job, Wechsberg convinces his fellow employees that she is actually the party's entertainment. Louise is unable to follow through with her promise to Wechsberg to lay low when J. Conrad Nelson (Adolphe Menjou), a wealthy meat packing magnate, flirts with her and then asks her to sing. Impressed by her performance, he takes her upstairs to his apartments. Only then does he realize that she has crashed his lavish party. Nelson thinks that she only wants a part in a show, which he would be powerful enough to snag for her. She resists his amorous advances and tells him that she wants to leave. Louise then decides to use the same ploy she had successfully used to ward off the stage door Johnny. Nelson proceeds to tell her that he'd like to make her poor husband rich. In a spot, and wanting to help her struggling young lawyer friend, she gives Prescott's business card to Nelson, who informs her that he will give him a good job and then secure their divorce.
Later on, Nelson pays Prescott a visit. He invites him to be his legal representative. Although suspicious of a huge corporation's interest in an unknown lawyer, Prescott accepts the job. Nelson concocts a convincing story, saying that he wants a man with ethics since he believes that his Board is crooked and that he'll get his first month's salary, $5000, in advance. On his way out, Nelson meets Louise again and pressures her to go out with him. She accepts but begins to feel guilty about lying to Nelson when she thinks of Prescott's honesty, and also the fact that she is misleading Prescott by letting him think that he got the job on his own merits.
Ecstatic, Prescott tells Louise all about his new job, and takes with him to buy a new car. They become friendly, and Prescott even shaves off his beard for Louise. Soon, they are in love. After Prescott drops Louise off at home, he tells Louise that he wants to marry her. She want to tell him about her scheme, but can't bring herself to do so. Louise does tell him that she has a date with a man that she can't break. Prescott is understandbly disappointed, even though Louise promises to explain later.
Meanwhile, Wechsberg thinks that Prescott has gone crooked by taking such a high-paying job and confronts Louise about it. During their date, Louise tells Nelson that she wants to talk. Upon making sure that Prescott's job is secure, she springs upon Nelson the fact that she is not married. Nelson feels betrayed and can't believe that Prescott would be upset about the whole situation, which Louise believes he will be. Wechsberg comes to get Louise, and then Prescott arrives. At first, he is confused to see Wechsberg, Nelson and Louise together. When Nelson tells him that he only got his job because he was under the impression that he and Louise were married, Prescott is angry and storms out of the room.
Weeks later, Nelson returns to George's law office. The mogul informs him that he still has his job, since it turns out his Board of Directors really was crooked. Prescott's interference saved Nelson's company a lot of money. He then tells Prescott that Wechsberg has finally opened his own restaurant, and invites him to the gala opening. Louise attends the opening, and is desperate to see Prescott, who does not show. However, as Louise is singing a song at the black-tie affair, Prescott does indeed show, and they end up in each other's arms.


Songs:

[Songs performed by Deanna Durbin in boldface]
"Cobbleskill High School Song" (Schumann, Brooks)
"Granada" (Lara, Dodd)
"It's Dreamtime" (Schumann, Brooks)
"Love's Old Sweet Song" (Kalman)
"Brahm's Lullaby" (Brahms)

My Review:


I'll Be Yours is definitely one of Deanna's worst films. Overall, it is a lackluster comedy which tries but fails to capture the same sparkle as some of Deanna's earlier comedic films (like the far-superior It Started with Eve and His Butler's Sister). The film's mediocrity and weak script is not reflected by the engaging performances by the film's leads, Deanna Durbin, Tom Drake, William Bendix, and Adolphe Menjou, who all deserved much better. One of the few highlights of the film is Deanna's enchanting version of "It's Dreamtime," sung while drifting down a romantic moonlit river. I'll Be Yours is not worthy of any of the actors' talents, yet still worthwhile for big Deanna fans.

Notes:

This film is a remake of the 1935 film The Good Fairy with Margaret Sullavan.



Picture credits:
1.  Movie still scanned by webmaster (excised from film).
2. Movie still scanned by webmaster.


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