Customer Reviews

Four Daughters

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was John Garfield's first part in a film, and it made him an overnight star; the audience loved him, and he broke the mold of the leading man image, with his surly arrogance, and brooding look. The film also changes tone from a sweet family film, to a melodrama, when he makes his entrance 1/3 of the way into the plot. He plays a talented but down-and-out pianist, a man whose attitude makes him a perennial loser.

Based on a Cosmopolitan Magazine story, "Sister Act", by Fannie Hurst, and directed by Michael Curtiz, it features the lovely Lane sisters, Gale Page, and Claude Rains, as a musical family that also includes May Robson as the very amusing "Aunt Etta".
Priscilla Lane is the sister with the central part, as she is the one in the love triangle between Garfield, and Jeffery Lynn. Lynn is excellent, and had the looks that the movie studio thought would assure him stardom, but though he was in several fine films, seldom had top billing in them.

Nominated for the 1938 Oscars in the categories of Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Garfield), Best Screenplay and Sound, it has a fine Max Steiner score, a few musical numbers, and wonderful performances. It is an entertaining classic which is sometimes touching, always charming, and a must for Garfield fans.

Four Daughters is the story of the Lemp family, a family of musicians living in a university town, their young boarder named Felix Detz, and his friend the tragic loner, Mickey Borden, who enters into their lives. The film follows their relationships, friendships, and romances as they try to find out what will make them, and each other, truly happy.

For me, in terms of what I love in a film, this is a nearly perfect movie, nothing an extra half hour and some plot retinkering couldn't fix. It's a poignant and lively romantic drama, has an amazing ensemble of actors who all have outstanding ooze-off-the-screen chemistry, and every scene is a joy to watch because these actors and director Michael Curtiz knew how to work a shot and fill it up with life, just life, lots of life. Classic flicks excel at this kind of mis-en-scene almost theatrical "teamwork", used for even your most ordinary shot in the most ordinary movie, and it's something that, to our detriment, can be found in nary an American film these days.

The film has extremely sharp and clever dialogue, a story that's emotionally compelling and lucid, and very complex, vivid characters considering how short the movie is (1 hr, 30 min) and how convoluted it is (very!). The part of Mickey is the standout thundercloud character in what is a witty romantic ensemble film, and it's easy to see how John Garfield's performance catapaulted him to stardom. But the filmmakers didn't seem to know what to do with Mickey and I don't think give the character his proper dues. All would have been fine if they'd added a little more time to the film, taken the more complex route for some plot elements involving Mickey, and taken some stuff out.

Still, the enigmatic and tragic Mickey is a wonderful, deep character and only adds to the colors and shades of life this film presents to us. Personally my favorites in the film are the luminous Priscilla Lane and very gorgeous and dashing Jeffrey Lynn. They both play very jolly young people in love and absolutely glow onscreen, and their repartee is delightful. Claude Rains is a gem bringing a paternal stability and grace to the film.

All in all it's a beautiful, simple film about life that is sheer joy to watch.

(And someone could seriously write a paper on how the flick is an analogy of, statement about, and big screen balm for the Depression and The New Deal. It speaks a lot about accentuating the positive and the nature of hope and pluck.)

So you start this movie thinking it's going to be another happy go lucky late 1930's flick with singing and romance. everything is going nicely, with everyone headed towards a predictable ending when all of a sudden, John Garfield shows up, exuding sex appeal and bringing in a character who seems awfully out of time, in a very good and interesting way. then you're watching a different movie. this flick is out of its genre, and what was an easily forgettable movie becomes something very different. Unfortunately, cooler heads prevail, and the young Lemp daughter, who followed her heart and ran off with Garfield's self loathing Mickey, returns to her safe home and the stable mediocre composer. Oh well. I love this movie anyway, for it's entertaining, if sometimes sad, story. A depression era picture in that it takes place in a happy town, with a happy family who are obviously not hit by hard financial times, (except for Mickey, but he's never had good luck anyway) and actually doing well. The story never gets too serious or realistic. Watch it for John Garfield. Some say he's the best part of the film (my view) or that he's the one thing that brings it all down, so there's a contraversy going on. Judge for yourself, or have a party and debate with friends. either way, the guy did go on to have a pretty excellent career, until he was labeled a communist and died prematurely of a heart attack. Check him out when he was new and different.

What starts as a homespun comedy-drama and then halfway turns into a melodrama made a major star of John Garfield - justly so. But Jeffrey Lynn is not to be dismissed as the object of affection of the four daughters. Lynn is very handsome and has charm to burn. Although Garfield received most of the kudos, Lynn became a major leading man at Warner Bros. as a result of this film.

Michael Curtiz insisted on location shooting for the picnic scene, making it the best part of the film. Throughout, the craftsmanship is enough to inspire awe. A piece of pulp fiction by Fanny Hurst has been turned into a cinema masterpiece.

This was the first "Rebel Without a Cause" and it was released before World War II. "Four Daughters" came out in 1938. This was John Garfield's first movie role. When he first appears on screen, about one-third of the way into the film, the mood of this movie changes, big time. What was a light and simple movie becomes actually somewhat dark and even complex. Garfield creates a character on screen that captures your attention and keeps you guessing. The other key characters all seem to be living in a kind of fantasy world, the world of "Father Knows Best", while Garfield appears alone, dark and disconnected from everyone and living in the world we know today as film noir.

Clearly Brando, Dean, and those "rebels" that followed in the 1950's movies were copying the style, the mood, the look of John Garfield from this film. He was the first young movie "rebel" who is alone and searching for meaning in his life and having a tough time. What a surprise to find a dark character like this in a movie that starts off so happy and go-lucky.

Enjoy the film.

It's hard to believe but trust me on this one, FOUR DAUGHTERS is one of the best pictures of its era. At first you will severely resist the charms of the four eponymous daughters, and their father, an amateur musician played by Claude Rains with a pasted on Tyrolean mustache and every affectation known to man. He leads his daughters in family musicales. Ann, the youngest (the blonde) plays the violin; Thea (the plainest) plays the piano; that's Emma playing the harp, and Kay is the vocalist. Kay has a lovely voice but not enough get up and go to leave her comfortable family circle and try to make a career for herself in the professional world of singing. Oddly enough, Kay (Rosemary Lane) is not in the movie very much. They could have skimped and done it with "Three Daughters," but however I'm glad they had four of them in the movie, even though there were only 3 Lane sisters to play the parts and they had to go outside the family and bring in the luminous Gale Page to play the oldest sister, Emma.

Before long you will find yourself surrendering to the nonstop family byplay and overlapping conversations that will remind you of a slightly later Howard Hawks film like HIS GIRL FRIDAY, or the 70s films of Robert Altman. You will miss fully half the dialogue, which is a shame; it's fantastically clever and amusing and hits all the right emotional bases. Because of this, it's hard to judge how good the different Lane sisters are at acting. I can see some critics dismissing them all out of hand, as they barely seem able to speak clearly; they mumble like refugees from the Actors Studio. However, Priscilla Lane at any rate should have gotten the Oscar for her part as the young girl, initially looking forward to a spinsterhood spent with her adored older sister Emma, but who nevertheless finds herself passionately drawn to two very different men, and torn between them so that you really care what she is going to do, almost as though she were no fictional character but a friend of yours. Will she go with Felix, or with Mickey Borden?

What a dilemma! Felix is incomparably blithe, speedy, and optimistic, full of fun, "aglow," and it doesn't hurt that Jeffrey Lynn, the little known actor who plays him, is gorgeous like Matthew McConaughey or Paul Newman on their very best day on earth. Then there's Felix's dour pal Mickey, played by John Garfield in his best John Leguizamo manner, all 30s slang, all gloomy guts, doing his proletariat loser thing, the kind of cursed altar boy a girl just wants to protect with all her heart and soul.

FOUR DAUGHTERS has a strange, passionate beauty, and an emotional connection with its audience that is very rare indeed, particularly as it is built on this incredibly witty and dapper Noel Coward style dialogue. It is directed by Michael Curtiz and it is a masterpiece of US cinema.

I very higholy recommend this one. Claude Raines plays the father of four daughters. It's romantic as well as dramatic. In my opinion John Garfield is the best in the film, and really makes the film worth seeing all the more. He plays a misunderstood and romantic composer.

Most people my age (21) have never heard of John Garfield but they are missing out on one of the greatest actors of film history. At the age of 14, John Garfield was my first celebrity crush and he made me love movies.

Four Daughter is his first and perhaps his greatest film (Although he is perhaps more famous for his movie "The Postman Only Rings Twice"). Ironically enough, Warner Brothers assumed that this film would shoot Jeffrey Lynn to stardom however, it was John Garfield who became the superstar. Because of Garfield's surprising popularity due to this film, WB quickly put together "Daughters Courageous" with an almost identical cast.

The film centers around four musically talented sisters and their respective romances, though specifically the sister, Ann Lemp (Priscilla Lane) and the two men who love her: John Garfield and Jeffrey Lynn.

John Garfield is explosive as the brooding, cynical composer who pretty much assumes that the "fates" are out to get him (Perhaps the greatest scene in the movie is where Garfield is at the piano explaining to Lane why the fates wouldn't let him win the upcoming music competition that he is composing a song for, "They've been at me now nearly a quarter of a century. No let-up. First they said, "Let him do without parents. He'll get along." Then they decided, "He doesn't need any education. That's for sissies." Then right at the beginning, they tossed a coin. "Heads he's poor, tails he's rich." So they tossed a coin... with two heads. Then, for a finale, they got together on talent. "Sure," they said, "let him have talent. Not enough to let him do anything on his own, anything good or great. Just enough to let him help other people. It's all he deserves." Well, you put all this together and you get Michael Bolgar.")

Four Daughters would pretty much be just another "schmultzy" tear-jerker without John Garfield who completely steals the film the moment he enters and it's no surprise that when he died at the young age of 38, his funeral was the most attended celebrity funeral at that time, with more people in attendance than at Rudolph Valentino's.

I highly recommend this movie- the only problem I have with it is the bittersweet ending. If you want a happier movie, albeit cornier, try the Doris Day, Frank Sinatra musical remake, "Young at Heart"

Claude Rains stars as the father of four pretty, musically talented daughters who learn all about the complications of love. The Lane Sisters - Lola, Priscilla, and Rosemary, along with Gale Page, play the loving sisters. Of these, the non-Lane, Page, gives the best performance as the down-to-earth oldest sister, pursued by one man, but in love with another. It's a quiet, touching performance. The men in their lives are Jeffrey Lynn, Frank McHugh, Dick Foran, and John Garfield. Garfield is easily the standout among the boyfriends, his hardened-by-life musician a precursor to the Method actors of the Fifties. In a way, he clashes with the idealized family presentation and sweet goodness of this unbelievable family, yet it also helps to ground the film in reality. It is sentimental, but everyone performs earnestly and the music adds to the atmosphere. It's a very easy way to spend ninety minutes.

A lightly amusing little flick in which the three Lane sisters (Rosemary, Lola and Priscilla) were showcased together. The ambitious daughter, Thea Lemp (Lola Lane) wants money and comfort; she marries a kindly business man who is not too bright. The oldest daughter Emma (Gale Page) loves a composer, although she's being courted by a florist. The youngest and prettiest daughter Ann (Priscilla Lane) wins the same composer's love at a family picnic; she prepares happily to wed him. A friend of the composer, Mickey Borden (Garfield) brings trouble to the Lemps when he falls in love with Ann............. The plot of FOUR DAUGHTERS (which was written by the durable Fannie Hurst) is quiet, simple and sometimes sentimental. The love stories of the four musical daughters of a musical father are related with so much charm and touching humanity by a group of young actresses - some of which made their debuts here - that it emerged as a distinct triumph in the Hollywood of 1938. Because of this little film, top-rank stardom was predicted for both John Garfield (accurately) and Priscilla Lane (somewhat less accurately). FOUR DAUGHTERS has significance beyond its pictorial charm. Its happily fulfilled trust in fresh faces encouraged other studios to develop new talent. Its absence of great spectacle and glitter induced there producers to rely more heavily on sound human narrative, good characterisations and beautifully photographed records of everyday life.