The Gay Sisters (1942)

Fiona, Evelyn and Susanna are sisters. Their mother dies on the Lusitania, their father is killed in France, they must manage their Fifth Avenue mansion by themselves. Fiona marries Charles... See full summary »

Director:

Irving Rapper

Writers:

Lenore J. Coffee (screenplay), Stephen Longstreet (novel)

Stars:

Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, Geraldine Fitzgerald

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Fiona Gaylord
George Brent	...	Charles Barclay
Geraldine Fitzgerald	...	Evelyn Gaylord
Donald Crisp	...	Ralph Pedloch
Gig Young	...	Gig Young
Nancy Coleman	...	Susie Gaylord
Gene Lockhart	...	Herschell Gibbon
Larry Simms	...	Austin
Donald Woods	...	Penn Sutherland Gaylord
Grant Mitchell	...	Gilbert Wheeler
William T. Orr	...	Dick Tone
Anne Revere	...	Miss Ida Orner
Helene Thimig	...	Saskia (as Helen Thimig)
George Lessey	...	Judge Barrows
Charles Waldron	...	Mr. Van Rennseler (as Charles D. Waldron)

Storyline

Fiona, Evelyn and Susanna are sisters. Their mother dies on the Lusitania, their father is killed in France, they must manage their Fifth Avenue mansion by themselves. Fiona marries Charles Barclay in order to get an inheritance and he begins a campaign to obtain the mansion to level it for real estate development. She vows that this will never happen.

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Plot Keywords:

inheritance | will | real estate | lusitania | wine | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 August 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

As Três Herdeiras

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Warner Bros. bought the rights to Stephen Longstreet's novel for $35,000.

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Quotes

Charles Barkley: Fiona, I love you.
Fiona Gaylord: I hate you.
Charles Barkley: Wouldn't have me if I was the last man on earth, would you?
Fiona Gaylord: No.
Charles Barkley: Good, we can go somewhere from there. I was afraid you might have grown indifferent to me.

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Connections

Referenced in Death in Hollywood (1990)

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Soundtracks

"Frühlingslied (Spring Song), Op. 62, No. 6"
(1842) (uncredited)
Written by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
In the score during the farm sequence

User Reviews

Now we know where Gig Young got his name

It's a little disconcerting to have a character named Gig Young in a movie...played by Gig Young. But this film is where Gig got his name and also a nice career boost after playing small parts under another name.

I'm going to go against the majority of the other comments and state that I really enjoyed this film, mainly because of the vibrant performance of Barbara Stanwyck as Fiona. She was funny, angry, vulnerable, caring, and feisty as the oldest of three daughters whose mother died on the Lusitania, and whose father was later killed during Woar War I.

As the "man" of the house, Fiona has stood steadfast for years against settling her father's will which would therefore allow a Donald Trump type named Charles Barclay to get the family home. But Fiona's keeping a secret as to why she hates Barclay so much. Geraldine Fitzgerald is the middle, flirty sister, who is married to an Englishman but craves her youngest sister's boyfriend (Gig Young).

If you're a Stanwyck fan, this is a no miss.