FOR THE LOVE OF MARY (Universal-International, 1948), directed by Frederick De Cordova, with original screenplay by Oscar Brodney, goes on record as the final movie starring Deanna Durbin. Being Universal's main attraction since her studio debut in THREE SMART GIRLS (1936), elevating her status from teenager soprano to adult actress/singer, Durbin has come a long way since then, ranging from musicals, comedies and one "film noir" melodrama, all showcasing her personality and singing talents. Durbin remained popular with the public throughout her career. Though FOR THE LOVE OF MARY is no masterpiece in Durbin's resume of motion pictures, and her movie from start to finish, it's amusing fluff comedy that neither hurts nor helps her appealing reputation.
Set entirely in Washington, D. C., this 90 minute story revolves around Mary Peppertree (Deanna Durbin), a new White House employee where her father, Timothy (Griff Barnett) works as a guard. She shares her duties with other girls as a switchboard operator for the President of the United States. Having previously worked two years for the Supreme Court, and broken her engagement to Justice Department Attorney Philip Manning (Jeffrey Lynn) for his supposed involvement with a Miss Wentworth, Mary's next male problem turns out to be Donald Paxton (Don Taylor), an ichthyologist constantly calling and wanting to be connected to the president involving political issues, but is refused connection by orders of her supervisor, Miss Harkness (Katherine Alexander). Donald, better known as a "fish peddler," happens to be arrogant and persistent, using his whims on Mary to get to speak to the president, but to no avail. Learning that Mary, single and living at home with her father, to have no escort to an upcoming ceremony, the president hires Lieutenant Thomas J. Farrington (Edmond O'Brien), a Naval aid for the White House as her date. Situations arise when Samuel Litchfield (Frank Conroy), a newspaper publisher, discovers Farrington, who is engaged to his daughter, Doris, spending time with Mary. As much as Mary has allowed herself to help Donald, and Philip still wanting to marry her, complications ensue as Farrington professes his love for her along with Donald, a American citizen having served in the United States Navy during World War II, to be deported. Co-starring Ray Collins (Harvey Elwood, the president's secretary); Harry Davenport (Justice Peabody); Louise Beavers (Bertha, the cook); and Hugo Haas (Gustav Heinrich, a foreign born restaurant proprietor wanting to become a United States citizen).
While FOR THE LOVE OF MARY could have been a straight comedy with no song interludes involved, no Durbin movie would be complete without any, including "Viennese Waltz," "On Moonlight Bay," "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen," "Let Me Call You Sweetheart," "On the Wings of a Song" and Largo Al Factotum from THE BARBER OF SEVILLE.
With Durbin's Mary character with a profession that requires her to be single, and having more men than she can handle at one time, she also acquires hick-ups whenever emotionally upset. As much as Harry S. Truman was president of the United States in 1948, his character is never addressed by name but only as "Mr. President." Never seen, his presence is felt solely through his unseen association with Mary by playing matchmaker. Of the three beaus in Mary's life, Don Taylor gathers the most attention.
The thing about Deanna Durbin movies is the fact that in spite of her great popularity, her movies, no matter how popular they once were, have had its limitations on television. FOR THE LOVE OF MARY is no exception. Nearly unfamiliar even to some film scholars, at least the movie itself has found its way though availability on both video cassette and DVD formats, along with some public television broadcasts in the 1980s, and finally on Turner Classic Movies cable channel (TCM premiere: September 11, 2022). For a light comedy that could have been better scripted, it doesn't diminish those for the love of Deanna. (**1/2)
