Three Daring Daughters
MGM, 1948, Color, 115 minutes, ***½
A favorite of mine. Jane Powell, Ann Todd and Mary Eleanor Donahue are the daughters of Jeanette MacDonald, who is divorced from her reporter husband. The girls are determined to get their parents together again, but when Jeanette goes on a getaway steamship cruise, she falls in love and marries Jose Iturbi. In the meantime, the girls have visited newspaper magnate Edward Arnold and persuaded him to bring their father home. When Jeanette returns home with new hubby, she is angry at the girls for interfering, and she persuades Arnold to not bring her ex-husband home. But, the girls will not accept their new father and convince Arnold (once again) to bring their father home. Poor Arnold is exasperated and poor Mr. Morgan spends the entire movie onboard a steamship dashing all over the world, and never does show up! Anyway, the girls finally accept Iturbi and everyone lives happily ever after. Really cute film! Musical highlights include: "The Dickey Bird Song" "Route 66" and Jeanette and Jane's wonderful duet of "Springtide."
"When a divorcée returns from a Caribbean cruise, her three bright-eyed girls have a surprise for her: they intend to reunite the family by bringing home the father they scarcely know. But Mom has a surprise, too: she married another man during the cruise!
Family ties are knotted in a loop-de-loop for Jeanette MacDonald in her next-to-last film. She plays Louise Morgan, a longtime single mother and editor of a fashion magazine. Famed pianist and conductor Jose Iturbi portrays the man who, having won Louise's heart, must next win her childrens' respect. And Jane Powell, Mary Eleanor Donahue and Ann E. Todd pour on the charm (and mischief) as the Three Daring Daughters.
Highlights of this star-packed musical include MacDonald and her screen daughters' lyrical "The Dickey Bird Song" plus two stirring selections featuring Iturbi and his sister and fellow pianist Amparo. Three cheers for Three Daring Daughters!" [from back of videotape sleeve]
Produced by: Joe Pasternak
Directed by: Fred M. Wilcox
Original Screen Play by: Albert Mannheimer, Frederick Kohner, Sonya Levien, John Meehan
Music Direction: Georgie Stoll
Musical Score: Herbert Stothart and Lothar Perl
Art Directors: Cedric Gibbons and Preston Ames
Set Decorations: Edwin B. Willis
Associate: Arthur Krams
Costume Supervision: Irene
Associate: Shirley Barker
Make-Up Created by: Jack Dawn
Recording Director: Douglas Shearer
Director of Photography by: Ray June
Color by Technicolor
Technicolor Color Director: Natalie Kalmus
Associate: Henri Jaffa
Film Editor: Adrienne Fazan
Cast:
Jeanette MacDonald ... Louise Rayton Morgan
Jose Iturbi ... Himself
Jane Powell .... Tess Morgan
Edward Arnold ... Robert Nelson
Harry Davenport ... Dr. Cannon
Moyna MacGill ... Mrs. Smith
Mary Eleanor Donahue ... Alix Morgan
Ann Todd ... Ilka Morgan
Tom Helmore ... Michael Pemberton
Kathryn Card ... Jonesy
Additional Cast:
Amparo Iturbi ... Herself
Larry Adler ... Himself
Dorothy Porter ... Specialty Singer
Thurston Hall ... Mr. Howard
Nan Bennett ... Toney Tiger
Charles Coleman ... Butler
Ian Wolfe ... Butler
Stephen Hero ... Ribs
Leon Belasco ... Ship's Orchestra Leader
Virginia Brissac ... Miss Drake
Frank Pershing ... Steward
Bill Lewin ... Steward
Thomas E. Breen ... Steward
William Forrest ... Ship's Captain
Joanee Wayne ... Telephone Operator
Don Avalier ... Headwaiter
Diane Stewart ... Singer
Dorita Pallais ... Singer
Nina Bara ... Singer
Phyllis Gaffeo ... Singer
Conchita Lamus ... Singer
Jack Lipson ... Fat Man on Street
Anita Aros ... Telephone Operator
Estelita Zarco ... Telephone Operator
Connie Mintoya ... Telephone Operator
Aldana Rios ... Telephone Operator
Wheaton Chambers ... Stage Manager
Edward Peil Sr. ... Waiter
Joan Valerie ... Hostess
Brick Sullivan ... Taxi Driver
Amparo Ballester ... Cigarette Girl
David Cota ... Cuban Bellboy
Pat Hyatt ... singing voice for Ann Todd
Beverly Jean Garbo ... singing voice for Mary Eleanor Donahue
Songs:
[0:00] Overture (played by Orchestra behind titles)
[0:01] Alma Mater (sung by Jane Powell and School Girls at graduation ceremony)
[0:03] Fleurette (sung by Jane Powell)
[0:09] The Dickey-Bird Song (sung by Jane Powell, Pat Hyatt dubbing for Ann Todd, Beverly Jean Garbo dubbing for Mary Eleanor Donahue and Jeanette MacDonald)
[0:16] Passepied (sung by Jane Powell)
[0:23] Liebestraum (played by Jose Iturbi at the piano, joined by Orchestra)
[0:34] Where There's Love (sung by Jeanette MacDonald with Jose Iturbi at the piano onboard passenger liner, joined by Orchestra)
[0:39] Ritual Fire Dance (El Amor Brujo) (Jose Iturbi at the Piano, Amparo Iturbi at the Piano, Orchestra and Chorus)
[0:46] You Made Me Love You (sung by Jeanette MacDonald with Jose Iturbi at the piano)
[0:48] Happy Birthday to You / The Dickey Bird Song (sung by Jane Powell, Pat Hyatt dubbing for Ann Todd, Beverly Jean Garbo dubbing for Mary Eleanor Donahue)
[0:48] Mulatta Likes the Rhumba (?) (sung by Girls Band at nightclub)
[0:49] Feliz Compleaños (to the tune of "Happy Birthday to You" sung by Girls Chorus at night club)
[1:05] Je veux vivre (from the opera ROMÉO ET JULIETTE, sung by Jane Powell with Jose Iturbi at the piano)
[1:11] Rumanian Rhapsody No. 1 (played by Orchestra Conducted by Jose Iturbi)
[1:21] Sweethearts (sung by Jeanette MacDonald with Jose Iturbi on piano, solo violinist and Orchestra)
[1:25] Allegro Appassionato (played by Jose Iturbi at the piano)
[1:27] Route 66 (sung by Jane Powell and Pat Hyatt dubbing for Ann Todd followed by Boogie piano solo by Jose Iturbi)
[1:43] Springtide (sung by Jeanette MacDonald and Jane Powell -- beautiful!)
[1:48] Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony (excerpt played by Orchestra Conducted by Jose Iturbi)
[1:53] Finale: The Dickey-Bird Song (sung by Jane Powell, Pat Hyatt dubbing for Ann Todd, Beverly Jean Garbo dubbing for Mary Eleanor Donahue and Jeanette MacDonald with Jose Iturbi)
Also: short excerpts of Hungarian Fantasy; Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 11 in A
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