"Spring Parade" (1940)

Deanna looking cute in a babuska (head scarf)

In this cute film set in Austria, Deanna plays a farm girl named Ilonka. One day she goes to a carnival and meets a fortune teller who tells her (among other things) that she will find her husband in Vienna; the next day she travels there and is determined to fulfill the prophecies.

Deanna's character is somewhat carefree, and it's not explained whether or not she had any work or family obligatons back in her unprounouncable village home.

Once in Vienna, she lands a job as an assistant in a local bakery run by the always entertaining S.Z. Sakall. Other bakery employees include Anne Gwynne (Jenny) and the baker's young nephews, played by Butch and Buddy (Kenneth Brown and Billy Lenhart), child stars at the time that never became famous as a team. They were prominently featured on posters for the movie (see the poster below). I wonder what happened to them; I couldn't find much to read about them on the internet.

The spring parade of the title refers to a parade of soilders that passes by the bakery every day. One of the soilders (Robert Cummings) flirts with Jenny, but she has her eye on another man (a Count in fact, Count Zorndorf, played by Allyn Joslyn). Deanna becomes smitten with the soilder, and inspires him to compose songs, including "Waltzing in the Clouds", which Deanna sings.

She also sings two other songs: "When April Sings" and "It's Foolish But It's Fun", which is a great song to describe this movie. There are some funny shennegans and a few cases of mistaken identity, including a scene where the baker gets arrested and Deanna has to clear up matters with the Emperor.

Cameo appearances by Samuel S. Hinds, Franklin Pangborn and Mischa Auer, who buys Deanna's goat at the carnival.

Nominated for 4 Academy Awards:

Best Cinematography
Best Sound
Best Score (Charles Previn)
Best Song ("Waltzing in the Clouds")


For more photos from Spring Parade, check out this link which will take you to the gallery on the Deanna Durbin Devotees site.

Read Laura's review here. 

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Deanna Durbin in "Nice Girl?" (1941)

Deanna and Robert Stack are together again in a delightful little rom-com from '41 (released several months before the US entered into WW2). Not to be confused with "Three Smart Girls", "Nice Girl?" also features a trio of sisters (Deanna, Anne Gwynne, and Ann Gillis), daughters of high school principal (Robert Benchley), who is obsessed with nutrition so much that he's working on a book. One day a handsome chap (Franchot Tone) comes to the house to do business with the father, and all the girls are smitten by him, including the flirty youngest sister Nancy, played by scene stealing Ann Gillis. Gillis is the only actress in the prinipal cast other than Deanna still living. Her credits include "Little Orphan Annie" (1938) as Annie, "Bambi" (1943) as the voice of Adult Faline, and "2001" (1968) as Poole's mother.

In a small role is Walter Brennan as a nosey mailman.

Stack plays Deanna's boyfriend, and Deanna sings a handful of tunes in this that are delightful to listen to as always. (pun intended)

The film ends with Deanna singing "Thank You America". Another ending for British audiences has Deanna singing, "There'll Always Be An England".

Watch Both Versions here:'

Update: Amanda recently posted some interesting information about a third version - in Spanish! I didn't know about that one, and I haven't found any footage of it yet.

For more about Nice Girl (1941):
Laura has written a great review of Nice Girl on her blog

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