Three Smart Girls

Three Smart Girls
Universal, 1936, B/W, 86 minutes, ***
Released December, 1936

Deanna's first feature film made her an instant star. She plays Penny Craig. Penny and her two sisters (played by Nan Grey and Barbara Read) attempt to break up their father's (Charles Winninger) plans to marry a golddigger (Binnie Barnes) and reunite him with their mother (Alice Brady). Deanna is bouncy and bubbly and really cute. The rest of the cast is great, too!

Edna Mae Durbin started her movie career at MGM. While there, she made a short film with Judy Garland called Every Sunday. But her contract was dropped shortly thereafter (it's not clear exactly why this happened) and Universal snapped her up and she was assigned to Joe Pasternak who groomed her for stardom. Later, Pasternak moved to MGM where he headed up a musical comedy unit second only to Arthur Freed's unit.

Associate Producer: Joseph Pasternak
Executive Producer: Charles R. Rogers
Directed by: Henry Koster
Assistant Director: Frank Shaw
Original Story and Screen Play: Adele Commandini
Music: Bronislaw Kaper & W. Jurmann
Lyrics: Gus Kahn
Musical Director: Charles Previn
Song Score: Gus Kahn, Walter Jurmann and Bronislau Kaper
Art Supervision: John Harkrider
Associate: Jack Otterson
Gowns: Albert Nickels
Sound Supervision: Homer Tasker
Special Effects: John P. Fulton
Photographer: Joseph Valentine
Film Editor: Ted Kent

Awards: Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Original Story (Adele Commandini) and Best Sound Recording

Cast: Binnie Barnes [Donna Lyons], Charles Winninger [Judson Craig], Alice Brady [Mrs. Lyons], Ray Milland [Lord Michael Stuart], Mischa Auer [Count Arisztid], Ernest Cossart [Binns], Lucile Watson [Martha], John King [Bill Evans], Nella Walker [Dorothy Craig], Hobart Cavanaugh [Wilbur Lamb], With the Three Smart Girls Nan Grey [as Joan], Barbara Read [as Kay], and Universal's New Discovery Deanna Durbin [as Penny], Additional Cast: Dennis O'Keefe [Club Extra], Gladden James [Waiter], Wade Boteler [Sergeant], Lane Chandler [Cop], Charles Coleman [Butler], Franklin Pangborn [Jeweler], Albert Conti [Count's Friend]

Musical Program: [0:01] My Heart Is Singing (sung by Deanna Durbin on a sailboat with her sisters); [0:23] Someone to Care for Me (sung by Binnie Barnes sort of Marlene Dietrich style); [0:31] Someone to Care for Me (sung by Deanna Durbin); [0:40] Dance Specialty (instrumental played by Orchestra, danced by dance couple specialty); [1:14] Il Bacio (sung by Deanna Durbin at the Police Station)