Music director: Charles Previn. Music orchestrated by Frank Skinner. Singing coach for Miss Durbin: Andres de Segurola. Songs (all Durbin): "Because" by Guy D'Hardelot and Edward Teschemacher; "The Last Rose of Summer" by Thomas Moore and Richard Alfred Milliken.
Copyright 30 March 1939 by Universal Pictures Co., Inc. New York opening at the Rivoli: 17 March 1939. U.S. release: 24 March 1939. Australian release: 27 April 1939. 90 minutes. COMMENT: An absolute delight, Three Smart Girls Grow Up comes across as an amusing, immaculately produced fairy tale. True, the characters (aside from Miss Durbin herself) bear little relationship to those presented in the original Three Smart Girls, but the movie is all the better for this dichotomy. It's nice to see Nan Grey taking a major part in the proceedings instead of sitting on the sidelines, Charles Winninger acting occasionally with a bit of restraint (the scene in which he finally listens to the disturbed Durbin is one of the film's many great moments), and Nella Walker infusing her matronly study with a few flares of temper.
The rest of the players are likewise in excellent form, particularly Helen Parrish (a good lookalike for the replaced Barbara Read), Robert Cummings (at his most charmingly exuberant), William Lundigan (brilliantly outlining a handsome has-it-all with plenty of ingratiating surface charm but no depth), and of course Miss Durbin herself.
Someone (perhaps producer Pasternak) also had the good sense to persuade Koster to direct the movie with a bit of style for a change, and never mind the expense. Koster is often quoted as declaring that he hated to waste his energies planning camera movements when he could be coaching the players instead, but here he really lets himself go with sweeping tracking shots that really show off the sets and keep interest bubbling by giving added point, drama and humor to many of the scenes. This is a movie that moves!
Backed up by a high-class script, lavish production values and the expertise of skilled artisans like photographer Valentine, Miss Durbin has a vehicle worthy of her talents. She sings enchantingly too!
Copyright 30 March 1939 by Universal Pictures Co., Inc. New York opening at the Rivoli: 17 March 1939. U.S. release: 24 March 1939. Australian release: 27 April 1939. 90 minutes. COMMENT: An absolute delight, Three Smart Girls Grow Up comes across as an amusing, immaculately produced fairy tale. True, the characters (aside from Miss Durbin herself) bear little relationship to those presented in the original Three Smart Girls, but the movie is all the better for this dichotomy. It's nice to see Nan Grey taking a major part in the proceedings instead of sitting on the sidelines, Charles Winninger acting occasionally with a bit of restraint (the scene in which he finally listens to the disturbed Durbin is one of the film's many great moments), and Nella Walker infusing her matronly study with a few flares of temper.
The rest of the players are likewise in excellent form, particularly Helen Parrish (a good lookalike for the replaced Barbara Read), Robert Cummings (at his most charmingly exuberant), William Lundigan (brilliantly outlining a handsome has-it-all with plenty of ingratiating surface charm but no depth), and of course Miss Durbin herself.
Someone (perhaps producer Pasternak) also had the good sense to persuade Koster to direct the movie with a bit of style for a change, and never mind the expense. Koster is often quoted as declaring that he hated to waste his energies planning camera movements when he could be coaching the players instead, but here he really lets himself go with sweeping tracking shots that really show off the sets and keep interest bubbling by giving added point, drama and humor to many of the scenes. This is a movie that moves!
Backed up by a high-class script, lavish production values and the expertise of skilled artisans like photographer Valentine, Miss Durbin has a vehicle worthy of her talents. She sings enchantingly too!