Mad About Music (1938) User Reviews

Attractive characters, lovely music, and a wonderful performance from Deanna Durbin

[csteidler · 8/10 · 18 November 2012]

Deanna Durbin is irresistible as 14-year-old Gloria Harkinson. Living at a ritzy girls' school in Switzerland and blessed with friends and talent, Gloria is nevertheless lonely for a parent—and gets herself into a mess by writing herself letters from her imaginary big-game-hunter father.

Composer Richard Todd (Herbert Marshall) steps off a train in the small Swiss village and finds himself recruited to play the role of that father; Marshall gives a most charming performance as the initially reluctant phony parent who rather quickly takes to Gloria and looks to help her out.

Durbin sings beautifully….the picture opens with a bicycle-riding gang of girls singing "I Love to Whistle"; she sings "Ave Maria" in front of a boys choir; and she performs a beautiful number called "Chapel Bells" with Marshall (a composer, after all) sitting at the piano.

A strong cast includes Gail Patrick as Gloria's movie star mother—although she misses her daughter, she follows the guidance of her agent (William Frawley), who thinks his "glamor girl" client's fans would be shocked if it were known that she even had a daughter. Arthur Treacher is amusing as Marshall's (very) English valet.

The best supporting roles belong to the kids: Jackie Moran as Gloria's young would-be suitor; Marcia Mae Jones as her loyal friend Olga; and especially Helen Parrish as Felice—suspicious from the start of Gloria's tales about her father, she is eventually softened by kindness received.

The plot is of course fantastic, but when characters are this charming, who cares? It all comes across as the kind of thing we would love to believe if only it could be true. –And I guess that's what the movies are all about.

One of the best!

[JohnHowardReid · 8/10 · 23 October 2017]

Director: NORMAN TAUROG. Screenplay: Bruce Manning and Felix Jackson. Based on an original screen story by Marcella Burke and Frederick Kohner. Photography: Joseph Valentine. Film editor: Philip Cahn. Art directors: Jack Otterson and John Ewing. Costumes: Edith Head, Vera West. Vocal supervision: Charles E. Henderson. Music: Frank Skinner. Music director: Charles Previn. Songs: "I Love To Whistle" (Durbin accompanied by school girl chorus; reprized by Harmonica Band, Durbin and entire cast except Treacher), "Serenade To the Stars" (Durbin with piano accompaniment; reprized by Durbin with full orchestra), "There Isn't a Day Goes By" (Harmonica Band only), "Chapel Bells" (Durbin), — all by Jimmy McHugh (music) and Harold Adamson (lyrics); Gounod's "Ave Maria" (Durbin and the Vienna Boys' Choir). Assistant director: Frank Shaw. Sound recording: Joseph Lapis and Bernard B. Brown. Producer: Joseph Pasternak. Executive producer: Charles R. Rogers.

Copyright 11 March 1938 by Universal Pictures Co., Inc. New York opening at the Roxy, 11 March 1938 (ran 2 weeks). U.S. release: 4 March 1938. Australian release: 26 May 1938. 10 reels. 96½ minutes.

SYNOPSIS: Boarding school girl manufactures an explorer father.

NOTES: Academy Award, Deanna Durbin, for her "significant contribution in bringing to the screen the spirit and personification of youth and as a juvenile player setting a high standard of ability and achievement".

Also nominated for Original Story (Boys Town), Cinematography (The Great Waltz), Art Direction (The Adventures of Robin Hood), Music (Alexander's Ragtime Band).

Remade in 1956 as The Toy Tiger.

COMMENT: Despite its dated, old-hat story, "Mad About Music" is still amusing and entertaining. Fortunately, it is directed at a fast enough clip to maintain the interest and the cast is a delight. Christian Rub has a nice part which he plays to the hilt, while Pangborn makes entrances and exits in his usual splendidly flurried manner. Helen Parrish is most effective as the spiteful Felice, and — though he tends to overdo it — Treacher has some capital moments. Good old ever-reliable Herbert Marshall carries off his stooge role with customary ease.

True, neither Gail Patrick nor William Frawley are particularly convincing, but — praise be! — their roles are limited to the front and end of the picture.

As for Deanna, she is of course absolutely marvelous. At both singing and fibbing she is an absolute charmer. The songs are wonderfully pleasant.

Production values are top-drawer (despite obvious Swiss mountain backdrops and a Paris process screen). Over-misty photography tends to date the film in some sequences, though Valentine's lighting is consistently most attractive. The fine sets deserved their Academy nomination.

Noted around Hollywood for his easygoing nature and his ability to gain the confidence and rapport not only of his co-workers (they literally fought to get on his set) but of children, teenagers and "difficult" stars (like Elvis Presley), director Norman Taurog has handled all his chores with artistry and skill.

Cute precursor to 'Kathleen'

[HotToastyRag · 6/10 · 2 June 2021]

In another delightful Deanna Durbin vehicle, she stars as a lonely girl in boarding school who lies about her parents. Her mother is a famous actress in Hollywood, but since she isn't allowed to let her fans know she's old enough to have a teenaged daughter (orders of her manager William Frawley) she forces Deanna to keep it a secret. With no father to talk about either, Deanna makes one up. She forges letters and finds fake photographs, making up stories that her father is an explorer on safari, entertaining most of the girls in her school. One girl, Helen Parrish, doesn't believe her, and she humiliates Deanna by exposing one of the fake photographs. Spurred on, Deanna lies and pretends her father is coming to visit her at the school!

Armed with a bouquet of flowers and all her classmates behind her, she goes to the train station to wait for an unsuspecting man traveling alone. In walks Herbert Marshall - and the stage is set. It's no wonder Herbert Marshall was cast as Shirley Temple's father in 1941's Kathleen, a film with a very similar premise. He's just delightful and perfect casting as a father figure. I love him in comedies, for he's so charming and sweet. He manages to make it look like he's amused without breaking character, with is a thin line to cross.

Deanna's lovely voice is showcased in this movie, of course, and you'll get to see some lovely Hollywood sets of Switzerland. Elisabeth Risdon is the headmistress of the school, Arthur Treacher is Bart's manservant, and Marcia Mae Jones is Deanna's best friend. This one isn't as funny as Kathleen, but it is a good precursor and entertaining every time Bart opens his mouth.

Deanna'll Fix It

[boblipton · 6/10 · 12 September 2022]

Widow Gail Patrick shows up at agent William Frawley's office, anxious to work for her and her babe in arms. Frawley tells her she can't be a young, glamorous movie star with a baby, so they park the infant in Switzerland. Fourteen years later, Miss Patrick (who was ten years older than Miss Durbin) is a successful glamor star, and her daughter is Deanna Durbin at a girls school in Switzerland, who makes up stories about her father, the explorer.

After some issues with her fellow student, Miss Durbin is with them at the train station, and announces Herbert Marshall is her father. He goes along with the gag, but Miss Durbin keeps showing up, much to the confusion of his valet, Arthur Treacher. They part, but then Deanna learns her mother is going to be performing in Paris, so off she goes, only to run in again to Marshall.

Little Miss Fix-it eventually fixes everything, sing "Ave Maria" and "I Love To Whistle", charms groundskeeper Christian Rub, and so does everything that her fans loved to see her doing. It's pleasant, it's fun, and will surprise no one.

Swiss Miss

[lugonian · 9/10 · 23 March 2002]

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** "Mad About Music" (Universal, 1938), directed by Norman Taurog, is Deanna Durbin's third feature film, and ranks one of her finest in many ways, especially with a delightful storyline and Durbin's likable charm, but unfortunately, this is one overlooked treasure from the golden age of teenage musicals.

The story opens with Gwen Taylor (Gail Patrick), a celebrated movie actress, placing her hand prints in the cement block at Grauman's Chinese Theater. Unknown to many, Gwen has been separated from her daughter for ten years because of her great popularity, and finds that she cannot reveal to her fans that a glamor girl like herself is a mother of a 14-year-old girl. Gloria Harkinson (Deanna Durbin), the daughter in question, is being educated at a Swiss school for girls. Well liked by her classmates, she is immensely disliked by one in particular, Felice (Helen Parrish), who is not only jealous of her popularity around school, but is very eager to learn more about Gloria's questionable family background, especially when she refuses to believe that Gloria's father is a famous African explorer. To cover up her lies, Gloria has her middle-aged friend, Pierre (Christian Rub) back her up by writing letters to her, signing them from "her Dad." Because her little white lies are getting her deeper and deeper in trouble, Gloria, realizing that she is being followed by her classmates as she is heading for the train station, suddenly approaches a man named Richard Todd (Herbert Marshall), and his valet, Tripps (Arthur Treacher). Before Todd realizes what has happened, the distinguished gentleman finds himself suddenly acting as Gloria's father and coming to her school where he impresses the girls by talking about his "hunting adventures in Africa." More problems arise when Gloria learns that her mother is visiting in Paris, and must manage to sneak away from the school without arousing any more attention.

The storyline to "Mad About Music" may sound corny in print, but in reality, it is highly amusing and entertaining throughout its 98 minutes screen time, and it's easy to see why Durbin became such a box office attraction, having both voice and personality. The supporting cast consists of a younger William Frawley playing Dusty Turner, Gwen Taylor's agent; Marcia Mae Jones as Olga, Gloria's best friend; Elisabeth Risdon as the school official; Jackie Moran and Charles Peck as military academy students interested in Gloria and Olga; Franklin Pangborn seen briefly as the hotel manager; plus a cameo appearance by Sidney Grauman of Grauman's Chinese Theater in the opening segment of the story. One scene finds Frawley's character in a sentimental moment as he tells Gloria that she mustn't see her mother, as much as he knows in his heart that seeing her mother would mean a lot to her. The way this scene is handled is well done, showing the warmer side of Frawley, a fine character actor known for his grumpiness and his sarcastic comedic one-liners, especially used to great advantage in the immortal long running TV series from the 1950s, "I Love Lucy," starring Lucille Ball. It is also interesting to see the young and sassy Gail Patrick cast against type playing a mother.

New songs by Harold Adamson and Jimmy McHugh include: "I Love to Whistle," "Ave Maria" (by Charles Francois Gounod); "Chapel Bells" "I Love to Whistle" and "Serenade to the Stars." Aside from Durbin's singing, the Capps Barros Harmonica Players also participate in a song number.

"Mad About Music" resembles the story lines used by MGM, especially those Jane Powell Technicolor musicals of the late 1940s, mainly because it was produced by Joe Pasternak, who brought over his charm of teenage musicals from Universal to MGM, revamping the formula he originated in the Durbin films. Universal-International would remake "Mad About Music" as "The Toy Tiger" (1956) featuring Jeff Chandler, Laraine Day and Tim Hovey in the Marshall, Patrick and Durbin roles. While "The Toy Tiger" did get some television exposure on American Movie Classics in the 1990s, "Mad About Music" at present, did not. This Durbin original is available on video cassette and DVD, and made its Turner Classic Movies cable channel premiere September 11, 2022. After watching this, it would be impossible not to become "Mad About Deanna." (****)

Is the Durbin version any better?

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 16 September 2022]

One of Jane Powell's earliest films was "Delightfully Dangerous" and I was not exactly bowled over by it. Apparently, it was a remake of "Mad About Music" but instead of starring Powell, it starred Universal's big young singing star, Deanna Durbin.

The film finds young Gloria at an exclusive girls school in Switzerland. It seems her mother is a Hollywood star who has dumped her there where she is very lonely. This is made worse by the school bully who inexplicably hates this sweet young lady. So, to combat boredom and being so alone, Gloria creates a fictional father...complete with all sorts of exploits. She tells the girls that he's a big game hunter in Africa...and the bully demands Gloria show that he's real, as the bully suspects Gloria's made him up...which she has. So, she could either come clean about him or continue with the lie...and so she doubles down and tells everyone he's coming for a visit! So, she then heads to the train station and convinces a total stranger (Herbert Marshall) to accompany her. He has no idea about the lie and her classmates, at least temporarily, are appeased. But this certainly can't go on forever...so what's next?

This is an enjoyable film, though if you watch it there are two nagging problems that are bound to enter your mind. First, the man she convinces to be her father. He agrees to help her but there is no logical reason for this. Second, if you think about it, the idea of an adult man hanging out with a 14 year-old he doesn't even know AND tells everyone he's her father...well, that's mega-creepy! If you can manage to look past this, the film is enjoyable and fun...and weird.

Feelgood film

[Philipp_Flersheim · 8/10 · 14 September 2021]

One of Deanna Durbin's early films, and one that showcases her acting and singing abilities like few others do. Watch out for how her facial expression changes when Herbert Marshall is about to expose her storytelling and then re-considers, or when she sings the serenade to the stars and is about to burst into tears. She was definitely one of the best teenage actors Hollywood ever attracted. Her singing is awesome, too, especially Gounod's Ave Maria: I never heard it sung better. Herbert Marshall is perfect for the role of willing Ersatz-father, and it is a pleasure to see Gail Patrick cast against type. Still, it is Deanna's film - next to her, all others, no matter how experienced, are no more than supporting actors.

Pure fun mistaken identity film

[blott2319-1 · 8/10 · 15 January 2022]

I am a sucker for mistaken identity comedies, because it's always fun to see the awkward interactions that are created by each new scene as the person in question slowly realizes what is happening. Mad About Music has a crazy setup and for a good portion of the first act I was worried I wouldn't enjoy it. I understand the urge that kids feel to lie to their peers so that they aren't seen as different or lesser people. But the compounding fibs that Deanna Durbin's character tells in Mad About Music get to be more than any rational person's suspension of disbelief would allow. I was struggling to believe these girls thought she was being truthful in any way. However, once Herbert Marshall entered the film all was forgiven. Every far-fetched lie became worth it as he stumbled through becoming this man he was forced to portray.

Perhaps even funnier than the situation created in Mad About Music are all the little scenes with Arthur Treacher who gets caught in the middle of everything and must try to figure out what is going on with his employer. Every single scene with him made me laugh, and it's often the little throwaway lines that I found the funniest. If I could help in rewriting this film at all, though, I would shave some time off the beginning and put it onto the ending. They spend a little too long building up the conflict between Durbin and the other girls in her school, and not long enough resolving her relationship with her mother. I was watching the clock as the reunion with her mom approached and I could tell there wasn't going to be enough time to make it feel as heartfelt and warm as I wanted. Still, there's enough that entertained me in Mad About Music that I'm willing to forgive a rushed final act.

clean touching fun teen girl mayhem

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 16 September 2022]

Movie star Gwen Taylor (Gail Patrick) has a secret daughter, 14-year-old Gloria (Deanna Durbin). Gloria lives in an all-girls boarding school in Switzerland. She never met her late navy pilot father but has fabricated a fictional living father to the other girls. She is forced to construct more and more elaborate lies until she picks Richard Todd (Herbert Marshall) at random to play the part. Luckily, he is willing to play along.

This got four smaller Oscar nominations. Deanna Durbin is cute and sweet. She's showing off her operatic voice. The whistle song is pretty catchy although too much of it can be very repetitive. The story has some teen girl mayhem which reminds me of various Disney teen misadventures. It's a very touching story of family dysfunction with an emotional ending.

Tasteless

[iliakhachidzegeocrusader · 3/10 · 19 December 2018]

Tasteless movie with bad singing and worse acting or overacting

Deanna Durbin's Third Big Hit, Starring an A-Listed Actor

[springfieldrental · 8/10 · 12 December 2023]

Universal Pictures spared no expense when it came to support its new teen sensation. After her first two movies became socko hits, the studio went all out in Deanna Durbin's third film, February 1938's "Mad About Music." Universal just re-signed Durbin to an adult-like salary of $1,250 per week with a $10,000 bonus for each of the films she made, an astronomical figure in those days for a girl just turning 16.

Durbin is known as the actress who saved Universal from bankruptcy. Her "Mad About Music" was 13th in the year's box office rankings. The film gave her a boast in confidence after rejected by Walt Disney as the voice of Snow White after he felt her voice was "too old" for the part. The studio assigned the Durbin film A-listed Herbert Marshall, whose services were much sought after, to play her fictitious father. Contemporary columnist Edwin Schallert noted, "The demand for Herbert Marshall's talents continues to spread far and wide. Even the newer and younger leading women, it is felt, need to have his proficient romanticism displayed in their pictures."

Universal spent a ton of buckaroos to construct a Swiss village on its studio lot for "Mad About Music," where Durbin's character Gloria Taylor attends school in Switzerland. Her mother in the film, Gwen (played by Gail Patrick, who was in real life only 10 years older than Durbin), is a Hollywood star whose studio as well as her manager Dusty Turner (William Frawley) want to keep secret the fact she has a daughter. Gloria's father died in the war when she was a baby, but incredulously she feels the need to invent a story that her father is alive and is a big-time explorer. One of her so-called friends, Felice (Helen Parrish), doesn't believe her story, forcing Gloria to say her father's arriving on a train to visit her. She picks a man at random at the station, who happens to be Richard Todd (Marshall), a music composer. Once he discovers Gloria's predicament, he goes along with her tall tale, with hilarious results.

Norman Taurog had just finished directing the first color-film version of Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer in 1938's "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." "Mad About Music" showcased several Durbin songs, including one backed by The Vienna Boys Choir, touring in California at the time of the production.

The Academy Awards nominated "Mad About Music" in five categories, including Best Art Direction for the Swiss village sets. Joseph Valentine earned a nomination for Best Cinematography, Frank Skinner and Charles Previn (Andre's cousin) for Best Music Scoring, and Marcella Burke and Frederick Kohner for Best Original Story.