Four Daughters (1938)

Adam Lemp, the Dean of the Briarwood Music Foundation, has passed on his love of music to his four early adult daughters - Thea, Emma, Kay and Ann - who live with him and his sister, the ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Julius J. Epstein (screen play), Lenore J. Coffee (screen play) (as Lenore Coffee)

Stars:

Claude Rains, John Garfield, Jeffrey Lynn

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Claude Rains	...	Adam Lemp
Jeffrey Lynn	...	Felix Deitz
John Garfield	...	Mickey Borden
Frank McHugh	...	Ben Crowley
May Robson	...	Aunt Etta
Gale Page	...	Emma Lemp
Dick Foran	...	Ernest
Vera Lewis	...	Mrs. Ridgefield
Tom Dugan	...	Jake
Eddie Acuff	...	Sam
Donald Kerr	...	Earl
Priscilla Lane	...	Ann Lemp
Rosemary Lane	...	Kay Lemp
Lola Lane	...	Thea Lemp

Storyline

Adam Lemp, the Dean of the Briarwood Music Foundation, has passed on his love of music to his four early adult daughters - Thea, Emma, Kay and Ann - who live with him and his sister, the girls' Aunt Etta, in the long time family home. Of the four, Kay has the greatest promise as a musical performer, specifically as a singer. Theirs is a loving family, however much the girls exasperate their father with their love of popular music, since he loves only the classics, most specifically Beethoven. The girls support each other however they can, but each is an individual with her own distinct personality and wants, including the type of man each wants as a husband. Practical but deep in her heart romantic Emma has long been courted by their next door neighbor, unassuming florist Ernest Talbot, and clever Thea wants to be Mrs. Ben Crowley, he a wealthy up and coming banker with prospects. Only the youngest, the fun loving Ann, states that she doesn't want to get married. Their collective ...

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Plot Keywords:

daughter | composer | source music | orchestral music score | classical music | 

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Genres:

Drama | Music | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

9 August 1938 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fire døtre

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was originally set to be a much bigger production and a vehicle for Errol Flynn. However, when he dropped out, the film was retooled into something a bit more modest. Nevertheless, it went on to be a big box office hit and scored five Academy Award nominations.

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Quotes

Adam Lemp: I'm going down to the Hall of Records to strike my name off your birth certificates!

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Connections

Followed by Four Wives (1939)

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Soundtracks

Mickey Borden's Theme
(1938) (uncredited)
Music by Max Rabinowitz

User Reviews

John Garfield At His Best!

Most people my age have never heard of John Garfield but they are missing out on one of the greatest actors of film history. At the age of 14, John Garfield was my first celebrity crush and he made me love movies.

Four Daughter is his first and perhaps his greatest film (Although he is perhaps more famous for his movie "The Postman Only Rings Twice"). Ironically enough, Warner Brothers assumed that this film would shoot Jeffrey Lynn to stardom however, it was John Garfield who became the superstar. Because of Garfield's surprising popularity due to this film, WB quickly put together "Daughters Courageous" with an almost identical cast.

The film centers around four musically talented sisters and their respective romances, though specifically the sister, Ann Lemp (Priscilla Lane) and the two men who love her: John Garfield and Jeffrey Lynn.

John Garfield is explosive as the brooding, cynical composer who pretty much assumes that the "fates" are out to get him (Perhaps the greatest scene in the movie is where Garfield is at the piano explaining to Lane why the fates wouldn't let him win the upcoming music competition that he is composing a song for, "They've been at me now nearly a quarter of a century. No let-up. First they said, "Let him do without parents. He'll get along." Then they decided, "He doesn't need any education. That's for sissies." Then right at the beginning, they tossed a coin. "Heads he's poor, tails he's rich." So they tossed a coin... with two heads. Then, for a finale, they got together on talent. "Sure," they said, "let him have talent. Not enough to let him do anything on his own, anything good or great. Just enough to let him help other people. It's all he deserves." Well, you put all this together and you get Michael Bolgar.") Four Daughters would pretty much be just another "schmultzy" tear-jerker without John Garfield who completely steals the film the moment he enters and it's no surprise that when he died at the young age of 38, his funeral was the most attended celebrity funeral at that time, with more people in attendance than at Rudolph Valentino's.

I highly recommend this movie- the only problem I have with it is the bittersweet ending. If you want a happier movie, albeit cornier, try the Doris Day, Frank Sinatra musical remake, "Young at Heart"