
The Reluctant Debutante (1958)
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- Approved
- 1h 34min
- Comedy, Romance
- 25 Dec 1958 (Brazil)
- Movie
- 2 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Complete, Cast awaiting verification
Rex Harrison | ... |
Jimmy Broadbent
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Kay Kendall | ... |
Sheila Broadbent
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John Saxon | ... |
David Parkson
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Sandra Dee | ... |
Jane Broadbent
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Angela Lansbury | ... |
Mabel Claremont
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Peter Myers | ... |
David Fenner
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Diane Clare | ... |
Clarissa Claremont
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Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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René Aranda | ... |
Quaglino Diner (uncredited)
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Georges Billy | ... |
Quaglino Diner (uncredited)
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Jean-Paul Blonday | ... |
Quaglino Diner (uncredited)
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Charles Cullum | ... |
English Colonel (uncredited)
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Henri Guégan | ... |
Man at the Airport (uncredited)
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Carl Jablonski | ... |
Dancer (uncredited)
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Roger LaVern | ... |
Soldier on Guard (uncredited)
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Ambrosine Phillpotts | ... |
Miss Grey (uncredited)
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Sheila Raynor | ... |
Broadbents' Maid (uncredited)
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Michel Thomas | ... |
Quaglino Diner (uncredited)
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Pierre Vaudier | ... |
Quaglino Diner (uncredited)
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Directed by
Vincente Minnelli |
Written by
William Douglas-Home | ... | (screen play) (as William Douglas Home) |
William Douglas-Home | ... | (play) (as William Douglas Home) |
Julius J. Epstein | ... | (writer) (uncredited) |
Produced by
Pandro S. Berman | ... | producer |
Kathryn Hereford | ... | associate producer |
Cinematography by
Joseph Ruttenberg | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
Adrienne Fazan |
Art Direction by
Jean d'Eaubonne |
Set Decoration by
Robert Christidès |
Makeup Department
John Truwe | ... | makeup artist |
Jean Paul Ulysse | ... | makeup artist |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William McGarry | ... | assistant director |
Art Department
Heinz Bonné | ... | poster artist : West Germany (uncredited) |
Sound Department
Guy Rophé | ... | sound mixer |
Guy Villette | ... | sound assistant |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Helen Rose | ... | wardrobe: Sandra Dee |
Music Department
Eddie Warner and His Orchestra | ... | dance music by |
Eddie Warner | ... | music arranger: dance music |
Jeff Alexander | ... | composer: stock music (uncredited) |
David Buttolph | ... | composer: stock music (uncredited) |
Bronislau Kaper | ... | composer: stock music (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1958) (United States) (theatrical)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1958) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer de Chile (1959) (Chile) (theatrical)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1959) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Metro (1959) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1959) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1963) (United States) (tv)
- Warner Home Video (2011) (United States) (DVD) (dvdr)
- MGM/UA Home Entertainment (United States) (VHS) (pan/scan)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Columbine Productions (courtesy of: Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall)
- Perspecta Sound (sound)
- Pierre Balmain, Paris (wardrobe: Kay Kendall, Angela Lansbury, Diane Clare)
- Rank Organisation (courtesy of: Kay Kendall)
- Westrex Recording System (sound recording system)
Storyline
Plot Summary |
Upon her banking executive father, Lord Jimmy Broadbent (Sir Rex Harrison) remarrying the second Lady Broadbent, Sheila (Kay Kendall), 17-year-old Jane Broadbent (Sandra Dee), who has been living in the States with her American mother since the divorce, pays her father a visit in London to meet Sheila. Her visit coincides with it being "the season" in London, when all the society debutantes hold their balls to "come out" as being ready to find suitable mates and marry. As her first act of being Jane's British stepmother, Sheila wants Jane to come out along with all her British peers. Sheila believes that someone like, if not David Fenner (Peter Myers) himself, a guard at Buckingham Palace, would be a suitable mate for Jane, but in attending some of the earlier season balls, Jane not only finds David Fenner a drip, but she also does not want to step on the toes of her first true friend in London, Clarissa Claremont (Diane Clare), who is in love with Fenner. In turn, Fenner doesn't seem to know that Clarissa as a potential mate even exists while he sets his sights on Jane. That doesn't stop Clarissa's scheming mother, Mabel Claremont (Dame Angela Lansbury), from preventing anything from happening between Fenner and Jane so that Clarissa can end up with Fenner. Instead, Jane seems to be falling for 23-year-old David Parkson (John Saxon), an Italian-American working as a drummer; his band plays at many of the social events among this circle. It isn't so much that he is a drummer, but Sheila buys into the rumors of David Parkson having been untoward to fellow deb Brenda Bassington in viewing him as unsuitable courting material for Jane. While he does what he needs to to appease his wife, Jimmy can see beyond the rumors eventually to get to the truth, specifically when he learns that Jane and Parkson, who he truly likes, are indeed in love. Jimmy must find a way to make Sheila see the truth about Parkson, just telling her which he knows will not do the trick. Written by Huggo |
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Taglines | MGM presents the Comedy-Romance in luscious COLOR! See more » |
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Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Did You Know?
Trivia | For years, John Saxon said he had been bothered by something about Sandra Dee during filming that he just couldn't put his finger on. Decades later, he figured out what it was: Dee's mother had lied about her age to get her more adult roles. She was only 16 years old at the time of filming. See more » |
Goofs | The date for Jane's ball is shown onscreen as being scheduled for a Monday. However in a scene set on a day that is stated to be the day before Jane's ball, Jimmy gets dressed to go to work. Jimmy is a banker. The day before the ball would have been a Sunday, when his bank would have been closed. Another clue that the filmmaker forgot which day the ball was on is that Jimmy complains he hasn't slept since Sunday. See more » |
Movie Connections | Referenced in Naked All-Star Bowling Competition (1982). See more » |
Soundtracks | Main Title See more » |
Quotes |
Sheila Broadbent:
No, darling, it's Jane. She's no good with men. She doesn't know any, and she doesn't want to know any. Jimmy Broadbent: Well, she's a wise girl. Sheila Broadbent: Oh, darling, it isn't funny. Now, you've got to talk to her. Jimmy Broadbent: Talk to her? Why should I? Sheila Broadbent: Well, because you're a man, and you can tell her what the young men want. Jimmy Broadbent: [leering undertone] My dear! Sheila Broadbent: Oh, don't be silly, darling, of course you can. I'm sure they don't change that much. Jimmy Broadbent: No, you bet they don't. See more » |