Three Smart Girls Grow Up (1939)

Three Smart Girls Grow Up: Directed by Henry Koster. With Deanna Durbin, Charles Winninger, Nan Grey, Helen Parrish. Three sisters who believe life is going to be easy, now that their parents are back together, until one sister falls in love with another’s fiancé, and the youngest sister plays matchmaker.

“What more is there to say about the child wonder that was Deanna Durbin. Famous as legend goes for saving the studio known as Universal, the girl is the epitome of naturalistic acting, fervent commitment and exceptional and beautiful singing. Three smart girls grow up is the follow up to the movie, you guessed it, Three smart girls. A movie I have not seen but I will definitely be picking up. The story is about unhappiness that three sisters go through as love enters asunder between the older two sisters. But one politely keeps quiet not wanting to offend the other. Little Deanna finds this out and goes ahead to fix things. Throw in a dithering, forgetful and slightly senile and the makings of a family movie is all in place. It should be noted that Hollywood does not know how to make movies like this any more. Witness the failed adventures of Hillary Duff in The Perfect man. But then again, Hillary is no Deanna. It seems as if there is no sin without Deanna in it, and the movie is all the better for it; the sass, the impudence, the lack of restraint, the forward thinking, the ambition, so charming. When Joe Pasternak moved to MGM, he tried to recreate the magic of the movies he made with Deanna there with the young starlet, Jane Powell. The movies, unofficial remakes of the Universal hits were big hits too but they lacked the spark of Deanna pictures. There is something to be said for star power. Back to the movie, everything is resolved in a charming and Hollywod formula that might seem half-baked if the movie had not earned it. And this movie earned it. It earned every moment of it.”