The Amazing Mrs. Holliday
1943
Technical Information:
Studio: Universal
Running Time: 1 hour, 38 minutes
Black and White
Video Availability: Available on MCA/Universal home video.
Cast:
Deanna Durbin...Ruth Kirke
Edmond O'Brien...Thomas Spencer Holliday
Barry Fitzgerald...Timothy Blake
Arthur Treacher...Henderson
Harry Davenport...Commodore Thomas Holliday
Grant Mitchell...Edgar
Frieda Inescort...Karen
Elisabeth Risdon...Louise
Jonathan Hale...Ferguson
Esther Dale...Lucy
Gus Schilling...Jeff
J. Frank Hamilton...Dr. Donald Kirke
the Children:
Christopher Severn
Yvonne Severn
Vido Rich
Mila Rich
Teddy Infuhn
Linda Bieber
Diane duBois
Bill Ward
The Chinese Baby
Credits:
Screen Play...Frank Ryan, John Jacoby
Adaptation...Boris Ingster, Leo Townsend
From an original story by...Sonya Levien
Director of Photography...Woody Bredell, A.S.C.
Art Director...Jack Otterson
Associate...Martin Obzina
Set Decorations...R.A. Gausman
Associate...T.F. Offenbecker
Film Editor...Ted Kent
Gowns...Vera West
Musical Director...Charles Previn
Music Score...Frank Skinner, H.J. Salter
Sound Director...Bernard B. Brown
Technician...William Hedgcock
Vocal Coach...Andres de Segurola
Associate Producer...Frank Shaw
Produced and Directed by...Bruce Manning
On the Steamship Westonia, sailing across the Pacific
from China to San Francisco, an Immigration Service Inspector is sent to
talk to a woman with eight non-related children. The woman, Ruth
Kirke (Deanna Durbin) is an American who had been living in China at her
father's mission/school since the age of three. She and the children,
all orphaned in China during the war, were formerly traveling on the Steamship
Delaria, but when it was torpedoed, they were transferred to the Westonia.
The Inspector tells her that the children won't be allowed in the country
since they don't have any passports and it would be against regulation
to do so.
Upon their arrival in San Francisco, Ruth is informed
that in order for the kids to be allowed in the United States, a reputable
citizen must post a bond of $500 per child and guarantee that they won't
become public charges. She tells the Inspectors that the captain
of the Steamship Delaria, one Commodore Holliday (Harry Davenport), had
promised to take care of them. Sadly, he died when the ship sank.
She goes with his assistant Timothy Blake (Barry Fitzgerald) to ask his
family for the money.
The Holliday family, which includes the late Commodore's
sister Louise (Elisabeth Risdon) and sister-in-law Karen (Frieda Inescort)
are all gathered at his palatial home when Ruth and Timothy arrive.
Ruth tells them of the Commodore's promise to her and asks for the money,
though they refuse to give it to her, saying that they are about to sell
the house and have too many other important matters to take care of.
Desperate, Timothy lies and says that Ruth and the Commodore were married
shortly before his death. It can't be proved however since the record
of their "marriage" was recorded in the logbook, which went down with the
ship. The family believes him since the Commodore had sent them a
telegram before he died. The telegram read "Surprise arriving soon."
The "surprise," his family assumes, is Ruth. Since she is now the
legal widow, they post the bond and the children come to live in the house.
That night, the Commodore's grandson Tom (Edmond
O'Brien) comes home, meets Ruth and is immediately suspicious when she
tells him that she was married to his grandfather. He takes her for
a con artist at first, but changes his mind when he sees the eight children.
He is confused, and so Ruth tells him the story of how she got there.
She grew up at her father's small mission/school
in southern China, near Burma. Sadly, he and her mother died in a
fever epidemic when she was only ten years old. One day, years later,
the Chinese Army passed by the mission on its way to stop the Japanese
from taking Hanoi. They camp nearby. Ruth, her uncle Donald
(J. Frank Hamilton) and the children take the soldiers some food.
While they are there, they are attacked by Japanese warplanes who bomb
the mission and seriously injure Donald. On his deathbed, he tells
a Chinese woman to take the Chinese children and head to the north.
He then tells Ruth to take the non-Chinese children and go south, hopefully
to Calcutta, where he has a friend. She sadly departs, leading the
kids onward to the south, not knowing where danger may lurk. After
stopping for a rest by a well, they hear a baby crying. Its dying
mother implores Ruth to take it. She does.
Tom interrupts Ruth's story to tell her that she
can do whatever she wants with the house, since she is the owner of it
now. He then asks to hear about his grandfather's last voyage.
Just as she is about to tell him, she hears one of the children crying
and goes off to tend to it. It was really Timothy though, who wanted
to get her out of the conversation. After all, she never really knew
the Commodore, and would have trouble telling Tom what happened that night.
She tells Timothy that she feels bad about lying to the Hollidays.
That night after dinner, Ruth talks to the family
again. They pick on her, since they are convinced that she married
the Commodore simply for his money. Even though she is now chairwoman
of the steamship company, she tells them that she only wants to do what
is best for the children. The press then unexpectedly arrives and
starts to take pictures of Ruth, eager to hear her exciting story.
Overcome by guilt after telling the lie, Ruth gathers
up the kids and Timothy and attempts to sneak out the house though she
is caught and stopped by Tom. When alone, he apologizes for his family's
behavior towards her. She can't take it anymore, and tells Tom that
she never actually married the Commodore but that he had promised to take
care of the children. She continues her story.
Ruth's journey had taken her and the children to
the ocean. She sees the Commodore write a telegram (which is censored
by the office from the original "Surprise arriving San Francisco soon").
Since the railroads have been shut down, she manages to wangle her way
onto the steamship, which she believes is going to Calcutta. She
meets Timothy, who gives her his cabin. Once they have set sail,
the Commodore discovers that the children are on board. He is angry
at first, and tells Ruth that the boat is really going to San Francisco.
He then promises to get the children there safely and take care of them.
That night, the ship is torpedoed. Ruth, Timothy and the children
manage to get into a lifeboat, realizing later that one child was still
on board. Ruth thus ends her story.
The next day, Tom is bombarded by phone calls and
telegrams about Ruth's story. A bit upset that he was lied to, he
tells her that the Immigration Department is putting through the children's
permits. They will arrive in a week, and then she must leave.
In the mean time, he demands that she act like Mrs. Holliday in order to
avoid a scandal, which would certainly happen if she were to suddenly disappear.
She is reluctant but decides to do so. Tom is ready to take responsibility
of the children and Ruth knows they will have a good home. She is
sad to be leaving.
As the mail arrives one day, Ruth rifles through
the envelopes and notices one from the Department of Immigration - the
permits have arrived. She asks Timothy to buy her a railroad ticket
to Philadelphia. Tom then enters and tells Ruth he is taking the
kids to the shipyard. He spies the envelope with the permits and
puts it in his pocket, not telling Ruth since he doesn't want her to leave
now. Little does he know that she has already seen it.
At the railroad station, Timothy finds out that
all the tickets to the east are sold out but a cancellation nets him the
change to buy one. Ruth arrives at the station to wait for her train.
What she doesn't know is that Timothy has called Tom since he knows that
they have secretly fallen in love. When Tom gets to the station,
Timothy tells him that Ruth is leaving so that she can marry her fiancee,
whom Tom believes to be the stranger sitting next to her.
Tom goes to say goodbye and wish them luck. Timothy's plot is ruined
however, when Tom realizes that Ruth doesn't even know the man sitting
next to her!
Meanwhile, at the Holliday residence, a China War
Relief Ball is being held. Tom and Ruth openly show their love for
one another, which shocks the family. Unbenknownst to the people
gathered there, Commodore Holliday somehow survived the sinking, along
with one of Ruth's children who was also thought to be lost. He makes
his presence known, shocking everyone. He makes a speech, and plays
along with the ruse that Ruth is his wife. He wants to take care
of the kids and make Ruth his wife for real. However, his family
tells him of her love for Tom. He then tells the crowd that there
will be a wedding - for Tom and Ruth. He admits that he was never
married to Ruth and that he will care for the children when she and Tom
wed.
Songs:
[Songs performed by Deanna Durbin in boldface]
"Mighty Lak' a Rose" (Stanton, Nevin)
"Lullaby" (Unknown)
"Chinese Lullaby" (Traditional)
"The Old Refrain" (Kreisler, Mattulath)
"Vissi d'Arte" (Puccini)
Reviews:
"[Deanna] maintains her fetching naturalness..."
- News Chronicle
"[Deanna] has never given a more natural or lovelier performance..."
- Daily Mail
My Review:
This film is Deanna's most dramatic to date, and
is a rather good one despite what you may read. The story is very
compelling and manages to mix drama, adventure, music, romance and comedy
fairly well. Deanna is great all around. Not only does she
turn in a performance that runs the gamut of emotions from A to Z, but
she also looks great and speaks fluent Chinese (a la Shirley Temple in
Stowaway) as well! There are only a few negative aspects -
the flashbacks which ruin the flow of the story, and the quite bland Edmond
O'Brien as leading man. Though it may seem a bit too saccharine in
parts, it is all in all a good film, though I wouldn't rate it as one of
Deanna's best.
Notes:
The original director of this film was Jean Renoir
The original name for this film was Forever Yours.
Picture credits:
1. Movie scene scanned by webmaster.
2. Movie scene scanned by webmaster.
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