Something in the Wind

After seeing her Three Smart Girls on the same DVD, I watched the other of Deanna Durbin's movies on it-this one, Something in the Wind. Made more than a decade after the previous one I mentioned, Ms. Durbin is no longer a young teen here but quite an alluring adult. She sings both her familiar opera songs and some more contemporary music of the time to fine effect. One of her costars is Donald O'Connor, just out of the military and doing his funny enough shticks-some of which may be familiar to modern viewers if they've seen Singin' in the Rain. Another of Ms. Durbin's costars one may be familiar with here is Charles Winninger-who I just watched play her father in TSG-playing Donald's Uncle Chester. No, she doesn't end up with Donald but the leading man named John Dall. Don't really want to reveal the plot which isn't really all that believable, just turn your brain off and enjoy Something in the Wind.

Few I suspect at Universal Studios thought that Something In The Wind would be one of Deanna Durbin's last films. If they thought that they might have taken more care with her material.

Teaming Deanna with Donald O'Connor another one of their juvenile mainstays was probably inevitable. Both O'Connor and Deanna are served well by the songs obviously written both in mind. Deanna's Turntable Song sold a few records back in the day and O'Connor's I Love A Mystery song and routine are well suited to his talents. But the highlight is an aria from Il Trovatore that Durbin sings with Jan Peerce of the Metropolitan Opera playing an opera singing cop.

The plot is truly a silly one. Older brother John Dall comes marching into Deanna's radio studio all full of himself demanding that she cease and desist demands for payments that his grandfather has been paying regularly to her. In fact grandfather was making payments to Durbin's aunt Jean Adair and a cursory examination of the records would show that the payments started before Durbin was born. But no one said Dall was too bright.

In any event this stupid error becomes the basis for the rest of the film causing complications for Dall, Durbin and O'Connor playing Dall's younger brother. Dall also has a fiancé played by Helena Carter who takes a dim view of it all as does his grandmother Margaret Wycherly.

Others besides Durbin and O'Connor fans might like Something In The Wind. But both have done better work than this.

Deanna Durbin was a HUGE star in the 1930s-40s--and for a while she was the highest paid actress in Hollywood. However, today most folks probably haven't heard of her. This is because Miss Durbin walked away from her film career when she was in her 20s and going strong-- apparently because she got bored with films and the very formulaic films they put her in over the years. This sort of problem is pretty obvious in "Something in the Wind"--a film where Durbin did quite well but the writing of the film was clearly well below her. Little did Universal Studios realize that in giving her crap scripts like this, they were also pushing their big money-maker out the studio door!

The film begins with Mary Collins (Durbin) leaving work at the radio station when an obnoxious and ill-informed lawyer accosts her and tries to get her to sign some release. She has no idea WHAT he's talking about and finds his comments insulting. However, when she gets home, she learns from the aunt that the lawyer mistook Mary for the aunt--who is also named Mary! It seems that long ago, Aunt Mary was involved with some rich guy but he dumped her and married another woman to please his snobby family. Apparently out of feelings of guilt, the old man had been sending Aunt Mary checks...and the man's family ASSUMED that the money was hush money!

Here is where it starts to get a tad dumb. Because Mary wouldn't talk with the lawyer, the family has her kidnapped and they once again ask young Mary to take some sort of settlement to shut up and go away forever in order to 'preserve the family name'. Out of anger, she lies- -telling them that she had the old man's baby!! Now, she insists they give her a million bucks! She has no intention to take the money--she just wants to make the jerks sweat.

Contrived? Yup! But it gets much worse--as the handsome son inexplicably and very, very, very quickly falls in love with Mary (Durbin--not the old lady!). In addition, there is tons of music and dancing--so much so that it really looks like padding since the plot is so thin. So why does it still manage to get a 5? Well, Durbin, when not singing, is very funny and proves she was simply too good for this tripe.

Most of the reviewers before mine here have nailed this film, with little difference in most ratings. It is really a bad plot with an even worse screenplay. That is for the story with the young Mary Collins getting kidnapped by the descendants of the wealthy Read patriarch who recently died. The comedy writers must have been on strike, because silly and dopey plots at times have been saved by at least some witty and funny dialog. But this film's script is dull as well as dumb.

It's too bad, because those were the days before Universal was a major studio, and it really did owe its survival to Deanna Durbin. As others have noted, had the studio provided quality scripts and roles for Durbin, she likely would not have walked away from Hollywood and a film career in her late 20s. And movie fans of the 20th century and beyond could have had some more memorable movies - perhaps musicals, to enjoy.

But, even as weak and poor as the plot was, this film didn't flop at the box office. Durbin considered it a dud, and while it wasn't a big hit, fans still turned out for the musical show. And that's truly what saves this film and even earns it a high mark from me - at 7, because of the very good song and dance numbers. Durbin sings several songs, including her hit tune, "Round 'n Round 'n Round" (the Turntable Song), and Donald O'Connor gives a dazzling performance of "I Love a Mystery." For as good as Durbin's singing is with popular music, the routine that helps put this film over just for its musical showcase is the duet she sings with Metropolitan Opera singer and star Jan Peerce - an aria from "Il Travatore."

I am one of those fans who enjoys the good and great musicals of the past. And, I too would like to have seen more films with Deanna Durbin. She not only had a superb voice, but she was a very good actress, especially in comedy. It's a stretch to rate this movie a 7 for the plot and screenplay overall, but the music and dance are exceptional for a musical revue film, and the stars are deserving at least.

Here are some lines that show the level of comedy in this goofy plot

Orchestra leader at the Fashion Show, after a fanfare, announces "And now for our new collection of evening gowns. These gowns are designed to ensure that large amounts of money change hands. The fainthearted are advised not to look."

Mary Collins, "Why, you old crook." Uncle Chester Read, "Heh, at your service, my dear."

Mary Collins, "Would you swindle your own flesh and blood?" Uncle Chester, "It's ever so more simple than swindling strangers."

Those who know DD from her "little Miss fixit" movies of the 1930s will be very surprised by this film. She is now an adult, styled very much to look like an even more attractive Gale Storm, and she turns out to be both a very fine actress in romantic comedy and, low and behold, one very sexy singer. Her performance of "Thank you Daddy" is right up there with Rita Hayworth's classic Gilda performance. Frankly, she is far more interesting in this movie, at least to an adult male, than she was in those cute 1930s movies.

Donald O'Conner is also VERY good in this movie. "I love a mystery" is, indeed, a harbinger of what he will do, that much better, in Singing in the Rain. It's not at that level, but it's very good.

The character actors and actresses all deliver fine performances.

And Jan Peerce as the jail keep is not to be missed. I grew up on his recordings, when he and Tucker were the two great American tenors. Believe me folks, he was indeed great, the equal of any of his European contemporaries. He does the "Miserere" with DD here, and it's good. Interestingly, she does not take the alternate high note in the last repeat, as was customary in those days and as Kitty Carlile (sp?) does in A Night at the Opera (and Rosa Ponselle does in her recording with Caruso). It's great to have a chance to see Peerce again "live."

The weak elements here are the male romantic lead, as noted by other reviewers, who is a dud, and the music. If this had had a score as memorable as some of Judy Garland's movies of the same era, it would be as memorable as those. DD does a remarkable job with what she's given, but in terms of music, she isn't given much.

I like the teenage DD movies. They're fun. But this shows that DD was better as an adult than as a child star, and that's staying a lot.

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I watched this again tonight, and really enjoyed it. Durbin really is more interesting as an adult than as a child star. And she really does a bang-up job of "Thank you Daddy." On second viewing, it's less Rita Hayworth in Gilda than Mary Martin in one of her "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" numbers.

The things that keep this from being a great movie have been pointed out by others: the script is weak, the music, though it several times comes close to being memorable, never really is; and the leading man has no chemistry at all. Durbin does a great job with mediocre material, as does O'Connor, but that won't make a silk purse out of a piglet's ear.