It Started With Eve (1941)

Among Deanna Durbin's happiest memories of Hollywood would be her two-film collaboration with actor Charles Laughton: 1946's minor Broadway-set comedy Because of Him and this imaginatively scripted gem that remains one of Durbin's best vehicles. In It Started with Eve, Deanna is enlisted to pose as fiancée to Robert Cummings, who's trying to please his (apparently) dying father Laughton. Avoid the Sandra Dee remake I'd Rather Be Rich, and enjoy the clever plot twists and three good tunes found in the original, which marked Durbin's last pre-war picture and the end of her golden age at Universal. --Steven Smith Amazon.com

Deanna Durbin and Charles Laughton, an unlikely pairing in a movie, deliver the goods in It Started With Eve

Would anyone not take a bet that a 20-year-old young woman would be mincemeat if she tried to take a film away from the skilled and hammy hands of Charles Laughton, especially when Laughton, to modern eyes, looks suspiciously like he's playing Tim Conway playing one of Conway's old, tottering geezers? It Started With Eve, an attractive romantic comedy, stars Deanna Durbin, Robert Cummings and Charles Laughton. It was a shame Laughton wasn't a few years younger. He and Durbin turn out to be quite a pair, both of them adept at delivering smart lines, doing subtle double-takes or moving from subversive good cheer to tear-jerker moments of sincerity. They dominate the film and they do it as equals. Robert Cummings was a skilled light-weight lead. Here. as in so many of his films, he just doesn't have the leading-man gravitas to appear as anything but an earnest puppy. When he shares a scene with either Laughton or Durbin, he makes a pleasant second banana.

It Started With Eve begins with Jonathan Reynolds (Laughton), a rich old tycoon, apparently on his death bed. When his son, Jonathan Junior (Cummings), comes rushing in from a trip to Mexico, old Jonathan asks to meet young Jonathan's new fiance, who has come to New York with him, accompanied by her mother. Young Jonathan tries to contact his fiance, can't reach her, and believing his father is now dying, happens upon Anne Terry (Durbin), a hat-check girl. He rushes Anne to the side of his father and introduces her as his fiance. But the next day his father recovers. Now young Jonathan has his fiance he can't let his father meet, and his father wants to keep seeing Anne, thinking she's the fiance. The movie's an hour-and-a-half of mistaken identity and screw-ball encounters. Love finally wins out, but only after Laughton plays matchmaker and Durbin sings two or three songs. Along the way we have some clever lines ("The trouble with being sick is you have to associate with doctors!"), a good deal of skullduggery as Laughton contrives to smoke the cigars his doctor forbids him, and a fast pace set by director Henry Koster. Laughton, of course, overacts but gets away with it. He also has a comb-up hair style that, if he were a foot shorter, would let him pass for a munchkin. He does a lot of stooped-over shuffling, squinting from under his eye-brows, and little bits of business that we wind up hardly noticing when Durbin is around. She must have been quite a challenge for him. Durbin, at 20, is no longer the child star. She's well-nigh gorgeous, with a figure that could make staring illegal. She is natural and straight-forward, and completely self-assured. She's one of the few actresses who could get away with sniffing mightily or falling down next to a piano and make us smile just at her style. She was, in a word or two, sui generis. And for those who admire subversive scene-stealers, the movie has that master, Walter Catlett, playing Dr. Harvey. Catlett was in hundreds of films, usually playing blowhards or flustered shysters. He's a bit subdued here, but just the sound of his voice is enough to make me smile.

The movie is a bit of froth, expertly served. If it's a little dated, well, so am I. It's one of the six Deanna Durbin films on two DVD discs which make up the Deanna Durbin Sweetheart Pack. The picture transfer looks very good. There are no extras. December 12, 2007

Just What the Doctor Ordered

When a man (Robert Cummings) visits his dying father (Charles Laughton), he is requested to bring his fiancée for his father to meet for the first time before he passes away. The man is beside himself because he cannot find Gloria, his fiancée, who went out shopping with her mother. Instead, he pays a girl (Deanna Durbin) who works at the hotel to pose as his fiancée for the night, since his father will never know the difference. She takes the job so that she can go visit her family in Ohio with the money. However, the girl's wholesome looks and vibrant personality charm the old man and he makes a full recovery, leaving the man with an interesting situation.

This film is very funny throughout. The charade is the most obviously humorous part, but other minor parts evoke laughter as well. The newspapermen are funny, Laughton's desire for a cigar is funny, and Durbin's tenacity when it comes to music is funny.

Durbin is outstanding in this film. She is realistic and mature, making her character quite believable despite the hair-brained situation. It makes it easy to understand why the old man would like her so much. She is sweet and sincere, a "good girl," but by no means an annoying one. She is also playful and likeably heartbreaking at times.

Laughton is almost unrecognizable at times in his old man makeup. He plays the amusing sick man to the hilt in a way reminiscent of Lionel Barrymore. He is subtlety cute and funny at the same time, and obviously very sensitive but honest underneath the playful exterior.

Cummings has good chemistry with Durbin and is effective in his emotional scenes. However, he takes a backseat to the other stars.

The music in Durbin's films is almost as important as the story. She sings three in this film. The first is "When I Sing" which sounds startlingly familiar to the "Once Upon a Dream" song from Sleeping Beauty. The process of preparing for the song is quite funny. The second song is a jumpy Spanish number. It shows off Durbin's many talents including that of vocal, piano, and energetic presence. The last song is "Goin' Home," a dreamy weepy song that has too obviously been dubbed.

Overall, this film is delightful, and although the music is adequate, it is not wonderful. For those who are not a fan of Durbin's operatic voice, this could be a positive aspect of the film, but for those who cherish it, it might be a bit disappointing. November 20, 2005

Interesting and fun comedy drama with good music.

It Started With Eve is a comedy drama with an original situation, kept interesting by great performances. Charles Laughton is a wealthy old man who demands to meet his son's fiancee from his deathbed. He's expected to expire within hours, but his son (Robert Cummings) can't locate his fiancee, who's gone out with her mother. He wants the old man to die happy, so in an act of desperation he hires a hat check girl (Deanna Durbin) to pose as his fiancee. He introduces her to his father, and everthing seems to go off well - until the next moring, when the old man not only doesn't die, but asks to see the girl again. The deception continues as he makes a speedy recovery. Laughton is great fun to watch, Durbin beautiful to listen to (she sings 3 songs), and Cummings and the rest of the cast provide competent performances to make the movie work. It's not quite as funny as it might have been, but still a treat to watch throughout. June 10, 2005

A Funny and Charming Classic

Deanna Durbin was always fabulous and on this outing has a nice script and fine support from Charles Laughton and Robert Cummings, making this one of her best. This film is warm, funny and delightful. Durban even gets to do a few beautiful songs that are worked into the story in a natural way. This is really a very funny comedy with many fine moments that will leave you smiling when it's over.

Jonathan Reynolds (Charles Laughton), an irracible, rich and socially prominent tycoon, is on his death bed. His son Jonathan Jr. (Robert Cummings) rushes home from Mexico with his new fiance Gloria (Margaret Tallichet) to see him before he dies, an event the papers can't wait for. But when the old man wants to meet young Jonathan's bride to be, she and her hideous mother have left the hotel to go shopping. A desparate Jonathan talks coat check girl Anne Terry (Deanna Durbin) into pretending to be Gloria for $50.00. It is money she needs for train fare back to Shelbyville because she is abandoning her dreams of singing stardom, which are going nowhere.

A teary eyed Anne has a warm and instant connection with old man Jonathan, who adores her and makes an unexpected recovery thanks to her charm and warmth. This causes complications for Jonathan, who has to catch Anne at the train station twice in order to keep the charade going! The interplay between the two as they start bickering about it is priceless. Even when the old man overhears them and knows the truth he goes along because he can see she's the right girl for his son Jonathan Jr., and the daughter-in-law he wants.

Of course, Jonathan Jr. still thinks he wants to marry the real Gloria and there is a subplot about a party which will be attended by Stokowski and Heifetz, friends of the old man. Anne may finally get her chance to be noticed. But she is too sweet to go through with it and plans on returning home to Shelbyville, prompting the wise old Jonathan to hatch up a little plan of his own.

A night on the town where a delightful Durbin teaches Laughton to do the Conga in a swank nightclub is a particular highlight of this stellar film. Deanna's tearful rendition of "Goin' Home" is another. There is also an hilarious fight scene with Durbin and Cummings chasing each other all over the place that involves biting and pinching which will surely leave you on the floor!

This is one of Durbin's best films. She had a flair for light comedy and a warmth and sincerity to her acting. You can't miss this one if you love Durbin or enjoy a great comedy. This is a classy production and a chance to see for yourself the always wonderful Deanna Durbin, always and forever, "The Last Rose of Summer." April 9, 2005

Tons of laughs and great music!

This movie is hysterically funny and cute. A hilarious Charles Laughton leads the crew along with the ever lovely Deanna Durbin. It has great music, acting, and comedy. Deanna shows off her gorgeous voice and her excellent piano skills especially while singing a little Spanish song called "Clavelitos." Robert Cummings is adorable as Laughton's soon -to -be -married son. Lots of funny scenes and cute dialogue. Buy this movie and laugh all your troubles away! December 27, 2002

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