1h 30min | Comedy, Musical | 24 March 1939
Director: Henry Koster
Stars: Deanna Durbin, Charles Winninger, Nan Grey, Robert Cummings, William Lundigan
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032030/
Works as a romcom with music. Not really a musical; I wish I could come up with a rubric for that: at least 3 musical numbers, at least 1 about the conflict of the story, or at least 1 dance solo or ensemble lasting more than 3 minutes? But then you get into quality (does dancing without music count? It does when it's Bill Robinson, In Old Kentucky ('35).) How about humming? Impossible.
The plot is reasonable for a romcom; I'm not sure that's a compliment. DD is not young enough to be the innocent manipulator; witness the fact that the family thinks she is smitten by R.Cummings herself, and go to cruel lengths to "break them up". The end is jaw-dropping; The Graduate ('67) (or any runaway bride flick) was more plausible.
I noticed that Penny never sought her mother to help with her troubles. Then I remembered from the first film: the girls grew up with her, not him, so that makes this consistent choice even more puzzling. The mother is a lot less sympathetic here (and she engineers that cruel choice I mentioned). The father's (Winninger) absent-mindedness was annoying, until he used it as a cover to execute the reasonable portion of the ending.
Lundigan is handsome, but gets very little screen time. I like Bob Cummings in general and in particular here.
DD is still in fine voice (I don't think she ever loses it; she quit movies at age 26).
Universal, dir. Koster; 6
