An aspiring actress is offered the lead in a major new play, but discovers that her mother, a more seasoned performer, expects the same part. The situation is further complicated when they b... Read allAn aspiring actress is offered the lead in a major new play, but discovers that her mother, a more seasoned performer, expects the same part. The situation is further complicated when they both become involved with the same man.An aspiring actress is offered the lead in a major new play, but discovers that her mother, a more seasoned performer, expects the same part. The situation is further complicated when they both become involved with the same man.
- Ship's Steward
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaS.Z. Sakall's American film debut.
- GoofsWhen John Arlen enters Pamela's room with her dress; she is fixing her hair and a hand mirror is on the vanity table close to the table mirror. But on the next cut, the hand mirror has changed position and is now partially sticking over the edge of the table.
- Quotes
Karl Ober: I can't work in New York anyway. Is this place far from here?
Pamela Drake: Oh, no, Mr. Ober, it's only Maine. You know where Maine is!
Karl Ober: No.
Pamela Drake: Oh, it's practically a few minutes from here! You could write fine there.
Sidney Simpson: 'A few minutes'!
Pamela Drake: [to Sidney, blithely] Yes!
[to Ober]
Pamela Drake: That's all, really.
Karl Ober: [wagging his finger] Then it isn't quiet enough. I have to go further away from New York.
Pamela Drake: Oh, good - it *is* far away! Takes a whole day to get there.
[to Sidney, brightly]
Pamela Drake: Really, I'm an awful liar, aren't I?
Sidney Simpson: Yes.
- ConnectionsEdited into Gems of Song (1949)
- SoundtracksLove is All
(1940)
Music by Pinky Tomlin
Lyrics by Harry Tobias
Piano: Cecilia Loftus (uncredited)
Sung by Deanna Durbin (uncredited)
The plot involves aspiring actress Deanna being offered a part that was originally promised to her stage diva mom (Kay). Then, in Hawaii, the plot shifts to a romantic triangle as the two women grapple, not for a part, but for the attentions of a pineapple tycoon, Pidgeon, who's more interested in the mother. The inherent drama in such a situation is jettisoned in favor of standard Universal Pictures sitcom antics. Kay Francis overacts but is never given any good lines, forced too often to simply react to the bubbly, aggressive Deanna.
The first section of the film offers the flavorful ambiance of a theatrical milieu, both Broadway and regional theatre, but then, after Deanna's offered the part of St. Anne, the action shifts to a cruise ship, where Deanna meets Pidgeon, and finally to Hawaii where she reunites with Mom. Once Deanna boards the ship, she leaves behind her quirky boyfriend Freddy, an aspiring actor played by the funny Lewis Howard, who then disappears from the movie. Freddy has a great bit early on where he tries to impress a casting director by acting like a 'dope fiend' which is what he thought Deanna said when she told him to try out for the part of the Dauphin. He starts going into withdrawal tics, rubbing his nose and scratching his arms, a daring bit at a time when the Production Code strictly forbade drug references.
Norman Krasna's script (from a 'story' credited to three writers) offers plenty of bright dialogue and funny bits, but the shifts in setting make it play like three movies crammed into one. William Seiter's heavy-handed direction seems more intent on showing off the lavish (for Universal) sets and less on showing off the actors, giving a bloated feel to the whole enterprise. Deanna's earlier films were leaner, zippier and bursting at the seams with youthful energy. The soundtrack is short on original songs and big on choral standards: Deanna's big numbers are 'Loch Lomond' and 'Ave Maria.'
- BrianDanaCamp
- May 28, 2001
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- It Happened in Kaloha
- Filming locations
- Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawaii, USA(backgrounds)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $867,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 43 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1