Vier Töchter räumen auf (1939)

Vier Töchter räumen auf: Directed by Michael Curtiz. With John Garfield, Claude Rains, Jeffrey Lynn, Fay Bainter. Nan Masters, a single mother living with her four marriageable daughters, plans to marry Sam Sloane, businessman. Out of the blue her 1st husband Jim returns after deserting the family 20 years earlier. The worldly wanderer Jim gets a cool family reception at first but his warm personality gradually wins the affections of his four daughters. In fact, youngest daughter Buff, who has her eye on a maverick of her own in Gabriel Lopez, is pleased when Jim grants his stamp of approval on her relationship. Buff plans to elope with Gabriel on her mother’s wedding day, but ‘unpredictable’ is Gabriel’s middle name.

“This is an odd digression from the series begun with u0026quot;Four Daughters.u0026quot; Claude Rains has left the Lane sisters and their mother. She is about to remarry. John Garfield reappears and Pricilla Lane is drawn to his bad-boy ways.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI found the mother, Fay Bainter, the most poignant player. Bainter is always touching. She is given many close-ups — which allow us to see her beautiful eyes. They are amazingly warm. I have a similar fondness for Bealah Bondi. She isnu0026#39;t in this — but May Robson, another real charmer is. She plays the family housekeeper.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBainteru0026#39;s beau is played beautifully by the versatile Donald Crisp. He gives a fine performance as a stuffy but goodhearted man.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAnd of course there is Rains. I suppose he was too major a star to be called a character actor. But was he a romantic lead? He was extraordinarily versatile and seemingly incapable of turning in a bad performance.”