His Butler's Sister

Deanna Durbin was blossoming quite nicely into adulthood by the time His Butler's Sister was made. A pity that a whole bunch of talented people were wasted on this one.

Deanna's traveling east to live with her stepbrother, Pat O'Brien, and she thinks he's rich. He's not rich, he just works for the rich, specifically as Franchot Tone's butler. She finds out the truth when she arrives, but Tone is also a Broadway author.

But O'Brien doesn't want her to sing at all. Because Tone is bothered by would be performers all the time, O'Brien figures his own job will be in jeopardy. So he explains her presence in the apartment by saying she's a maid who he's just hired.

Sheer and utter nonsense. Tone's a guy who knows this is part of the game he's in, so what is the big deal?

Deanna sings some nice tunes in this, especially Victor Herbert's When You're Away. And her youthful spirits make some real believers in the other butlers of the building, Akim Tamiroff, Hans Conreid, Alan Mowbray. Walter Catlett has a nice bit as a producer with more than musicals on his mind.

If you're a fan of Deanna's though you will like it.