1h 38min | Musical, Romance | 13 November 1942
Director: Frank Borzage
Stars: Kathryn Grayson, Marsha Hunt, Van Heflin, S.Z. Sakall.
Ernst Matray ... dance director
Watched online part 1, part 2, ok print.
KG's 4th film, 1st on this quest. She sings plenty, and she has some terrific high notes. She can act, but I've never warmed to her. I have a dozen of her 21 movies, but each for a reason other than her.
This is a sweet film, with a basic conflict: the eldest daughter was raised to be a brat (while the other 6 are obedient) and she wants to be in show biz in NYC. But it's not terribly interesting, and has a surprise ending with the eldest (or maybe I didn't pay good attention.)
At the tulip festival we get a large folk dance (with girls dancing both genders) in traditional Dutch costumes and clunky wooden shoe noises (not many feet shown), filmed mostly as a sequence of close-ups. Very unsatisfactory.
I have no idea why VH & KG fall in love. He's unattractive physically, and has an unpleasant personality. Plus KG is the youngest, most loyal sister, so it's not like she's yearning to leave town.
Cuddles Sakall is the best thing about the show, and you can watch him elsewhere.
I'll stop short of giving this a 5 because I dozed off and had to restart, but it might deserve it.
MGM, dir. Borzage; 6-
