There are so many good things about this movie I wanted to like it more. The three central players are strong - Deanna Durbin as an aspiring actor, Charles Laughton as a star, Franchot Tone as a writer. Durbin cons Laughton's signature and uses it to launch her career... and that's about it for story. She gets cast in Tone's play and Tone sulks and he thinks Durbin is hot for Laughton.
Durbin and Laughton are wonderful together - actually Durbin is good with Tone too (the age difference doesn't bother me as as much this third time... at least he can act). Laughton is fun as an actor, the film has genuine Broadway flavour.
But the material is weak. I wish Laughton had been given more to do. Tone is an idiot for thinking Durbin would go for Laughton. I didn't like Durbin for pretending to kill herself to get Laughton to feel sorry for her,and that she got a role in a play via presenting a letter to Stanley Ridges and singing 'Danny Boy' to Laughton (it should have been a musical and she could have sung and then been cast... I would have bought that). I didn't like Tone for taking his name off his play because he thought Durbin was lying or for giving Durbin the lead because he thought she was suicidal.
Writing all this out it hit me... no one is acting professionally. I wish everyone had just acted more professionally and I would have bought it.
It's a shame because the handling is bright and the playing good.
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