Mad About Music (1938)

One of Durbin's Best

Mad About Music is one of Deanna Durbin's best films.
Durbin plays the daughter of a middle aged movie star, and to protect her mother's youthful image, she's sent to a girl's school in Switzerland. Here she writes herself phony letters from her imaginary father, a heroic explorer and game hunter. When a stranger (Herbert Marshall) comes to town she pretends he's her dad, to satsify her doubtful shoolmates. It's a typical comedy plot that gets a bit moving near the end, but Durbin's fine singing raises it above the level of the plot. In one of my favorite scenes she's about the get thrown off a train, and sings loudly to attract attention. May 21, 2006

wow

i have been watching this film for years at groms. it makes me glow November 3, 2001

Mad About Deanna

Durbin's best film, a totally illogical piece of nonsense set at a totally impossible girls' school in a Switzerland which only has existed in gingerbread houses. Parts of the school look like it was designed for the Seven Dwarfs. The plot, which has Deanna raised apart from her movie star mom who doesn't dare let the world know--gasp!--she has a teenaged daughter, makes NO sense at any level. Playing the mom, Gail Patrick looks like she's about to pause at any second, look straight at the camera and say, "How the Hell am I supposed to play this poor woman--she's an idiot and I'm obviously supposed to make her sympathetic." Durbin is darling, delightful, all pep and carbonation, and sings like an angel. She suffers beautifully when she suffers and can ride a bike and give out with the vocals at the same time (!). I love this totally screwy film. Did ANYONE believe ANY of it when it came out? Dunno but it was a GIGANTIC hit. October 24, 1999

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