Customer Reviews

Something in the Wind

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It's wonderful whole new audiences are discovering the inimitable Deanna Durbin. This is my favorite of all her films. It's a strong story, with an excellent supporting cast and Deanna at her breeziest (she isn't Little Miss Fixit here). As for the music, "Something in the Wind" should have been a number one song but languished until many years later the Four Freshmen recorded it. Deanna does a lot of pop in this film in a lower register than her operetta/opertic performances and is saucy and persuasive. As usually, she's gorgeous and wears gorgeous fashions. And as usual she makes more of the script than was on paper. The something in the wind here is a delightful entertainment.

"Something in the Wind" has to be one of Deanna's most underrated movies (the other being "The Amazing Mrs. Holliday"). Any fan of romantic musical comedies would love this fun-filled tale of a radio disc jockey (Durbin) who is kidnapped by a wealthy family under the impression that she is carrying their deceased patriarch's love child! This was definitely a change of pace for the usually sweet and innocent Deanna Durbin, whose long untapped comic abilities are finally put to good use. Her feisty character not only gets to sing more jazzy songs (including the toe-tapping "The Turntable Song," the sassy "You Wanna Keep Your Baby Lookin' Right" and the breezy "Something in the Wind") as well as opera (a powerful rendition of "Il Miserere" with Jan Peerce). With the always lovable Donald O'Connor (whose frenzied "I Love a Mystery" number is an obvious pre-cursor to his "Make 'Em Laugh" routine in the classic "Singin' in the Rain"), "Something in the Wind" turns out to be one of Deanna Durbin's best!

Deanna Durbin traded opera for pop, and sentimental for sassy, in this bright and bouncy comedy. This was the truly fun side of Durbin and she is radiant in a film that lets her really shine. This was Donald O'Connor's first film after leaving the service and he has never been better. John Dall is also terrific in director Irving Pichel's breezy and charming film that is fun to watch.

Based on a story by Fritz Rotter and Charles O'Neal, the screenplay of Harry Kurnitz and William Bowers has just the right touch, giving each member of the great cast some fine and funny moments. It also gives Donald O'Connor an opportunity to do a routine about radio mysteries that rivals his work in "Singin' In the Rain." Charles Winninger and Jean Adair are splendid also, as are the songs by Johnny Green and Leo Robin. For those fond of Deanna Durbin, but looking for something a bit lighter musically than is her usual film fare, "Something In the Wind" is your ticket.

Everything about this film is a delight, especially its star. Dressed by Orry Kelly and with a new hair style by Carmen Dirigo, the "new" Durbin, as advertisements touted her, loosens up and has a ball in a film that is breezy from start to finish. Opera fans aren't slighted as she gets to sing a beautiful version of "Miserere" with Met star Jan Peerce, but it can't keep this film from having fun for long. Deanna gets to sing "The Turntable Song" and the romantic "Something In the Wind" between the comical situations. She also gets to do the suggestive "Don't You, Daddy?" as she has some fun making John Dall's character squirm.

Deanna is disc jockey Mary Collins. She does 60 minutes of music every morning at 10:00 on WFOB, which includes her singing pop numbers like "The Turntable Song" in her stocking feet. She really needs a sponsor and has an audition for one that gets sidetracked when a rich society fella named Donald (John Dall) pops into the station informing her of her benefactor's death, and accusing Mary of being less than virtuous in obtaining his help.

Mary blows him off in a huff since she doesn't have a clue what he's talking about, only to discover later that it is her aunt Mary (Jean Adair) who had been receiving the money used to raise her. It seems she had been engaged to the deceased in question. She was not of his station and when he married another, regret prompted him to support Mary all through the years to help raise her niece.

Thinking the old man had a young thing on the side because both Mary and her aunt have the same name, his wealthy heirs are looking to pay her off to avoid scandal. The feisty Mary refuses to discuss it, so Donald and Charlie (Donald O'Connor) kidnapp her! It's just to get her to talk about signing papers and how much it will cost them to get her to go along, of course, but since Mary doesn't care much for these snobs, she has some fun asking for a million. She'll need that much at least in order to raise her ficticious "love child!"

Donald is engaged to the very suitable Clarissa, but it's Charlie who is in love with her, and when he and Mary hit it off they hatch a scheme to get both what they want. As it always does, things get complicated when Mary realizes she isn't acting anymore and really does like Donald. Donald has the same thought but Mary is made to feel unworthy so runs back home after singing the sad but lovely, "It's Only Love."


Don't shed any tears yet, however, as it only takes about two seconds for the scoundrel in the family, Charles Winninger, to see a financial windfall. The old rascal, Chester, has Mary put in jail until she signs those papers and agrees to give him half! She wangles a phone call after a duet with guard Jan Peerce, only to get in touch with a very tight Donald and Charlie, who can't seem to piece it all together. Dall and O'Connor are hilarious here but have to sober up quickly if everything is going to work out like it's supposed to in the movies!

Donald O'Connor and The Four Williams Brothers get to sing a soft version of "The Turntable Song" and Deanna gets to play against type in this film both Durbin fans and classic film fans will love. Though available as one of the films in the "Sweethearts" dvd collection of films, the vhs is a bit superior and highly recommended for Deanna's fans. "Something In the Wind" is something really special among Durbin's films and you don't want to miss out on all the fun.

Something in the Wind is a fun movie and a great example of a typical Deanna Durbin film. It has music, a great cast, and a fun but unimportant storyline that shows Durbin's knack for comedy. It starts with radio personality Mary Collins (Durbin) whose life is changed when a wealthy man accuses her of being his newly deceased grandfather's mistress. She learns that they have mistaken her for her aunt who had a romance with the old man when she was young. To get back at the ill-intending family, Durbin plays along and plans to teach them a lesson. In the process, she gets involved in a love triangle that includes the two young men of the house, Donald (John Dall) and Charlie (Donald O'Connor).

Durbin and O'Connor entertain through song with several great numbers. Durbin's range goes from pop music ("The Turntable Song") to opera ("Il Miserere"). O'Connor is great in his animated "I Love a Mystery."

Reviewers have not been kind to Deanna Durbin's post-1946 films so this may be the best of her last 3 or 4 films. The plot is silly and light as a feather but painless and on the plus side is a very good score by Johnny Green and Leo Robin, the manic energy of Donald O'Connor and Deanna, herself who is in very good form vocally.

i really enjoyed this movie a lot mostly because of the music. although she has an operatta voice she shows she can sing something other than opera. with her singing in this
movie it makes it very enjoyable. the movie is so enjoyable with a very young donald o'connor singing and dancing. this is such a fun movie with all the chaos going on. just like all her movies it has a little of bit of everything for everyone, comedy, drama, singing. i feel that is what makes her movies like this one so enjoyable. the plots aren't always the best but the movies are still enjoyable and so much fun to watch.

SOMETHING IN THE WIND (1947) was an attempt by Universal at getting their premier songbird, Deanna Durbin, away from operatics and into a more 'middle of the road' popular style of music. The result was this cute romantic comedy about switched identities and family intrigue.

Mary Collins (Deanna Durbin) is a bright young radio disc-jockey who lives with her elderly aunt, Mary Senior (Jean Adair). When the patriarch of the rich Read family passes away, he leaves a large chunk of his estate to Mary Senior--his one-time mistress! But thanks to a case of mixed identities, the younger Mary is the one who's implicated in the Read family scandal!

Donald O'Connor, Universal's promising young musical star of the period, is Deanna's appealing costar in this bright, sassy musical comedy. Things get off to a brilliant start when Deanna swings her way through "The Turntable Song"; and O'Connor's zany dancing skills are later showcased in "I Love a Mystery". The score also includes "Something in the Wind" and "It's Only Love". Deanna also gets to share a memorable scene with legendary opera tenor Jan Peerce.

Definitely one for the Deanna devotee in your family!

"Something in the Wind" has to be one of Deanna's most underrated movies (the other being "The Amazing Mrs. Holliday"). Any fan of romantic musical comedies would love this fun-filled tale of a radio disc jockey (Durbin) who is kidnapped by a wealthy family under the impression that she is carrying their deceased patriarch's love child! This was definitely a change of pace for the usually sweet and innocent Deanna Durbin, whose long untapped comic abilities are finally put to good use. Her feisty character not only gets to sing more jazzy songs (including the toe-tapping "The Turntable Song," the sassy "You Wanna Keep Your Baby Lookin' Right" and the breezy "Something in the Wind") as well as opera (a powerful rendition of "Il Miserere" with Jan Peerce). With the always lovable Donald O'Connor (whose frenzied "I Love a Mystery" number is an obvious pre-cursor to his "Make 'Em Laugh" routine in the classic "Singin' in the Rain"), "Something in the Wind" turns out to be one of Deanna Durbin's best!

When Mary Collins strides out utterly confident on stage to sing, I had a momentary flashback to Ethel Merman in 1959 striding down the theater aisle and calling, "Sing out, Louise, sing out!" Mary Collins, I mean Deanna Durbin at 26, was a supremely confident actress and singer, and there are a few times when you wouldn't want to get in her way. Balancing that are things Merman didn't have...a warm personality, a lovely face, a smile that could win you over and a voice that wouldn't break your eardrums. Merman was an amazing, one-of-a-kind performer; so was Deanna Durbin. What they share is a perfect confidence in their talent.

With Something in the Wind, audiences were watching a romantic comedy with songs featuring a mature young woman they'd been in love with since she was 15. Alone among the child stars of the Thirties, Deanna Durbin grew up on screen while maintaining her stardom, her poise and her box office clout. Here, as Mary Collins, she's a disc jockey who discovers that her aunt who raised her, also named Mary Collins, had been receiving regular checks from a wealthy industrialist. They had once been in love but the marriage plans had been broken up by his family. The whole thing was platonic, but when the old man died his will stated that the financial arrangements must continue. But now the young scion of the family, Donald Read (John Dall), wants to stop the arrangement and pay Mary Collins off. He wants no scandal. He thinks our Mary has been his grandfather's friend. He doesn't realize our Mary has an aunt with the same name. Mary doesn't know what he's talking about but is furious at the implication. Donald is a prig and engaged to a well-bred socialite. His grandmother is a woman who believes breeding is all. His younger brother, Charlie (Donald O'Connor), is much more unconventional. After our Mary is kidnapped and at first kept at the Read family mansion until she agrees to the arrangement, we are in for over an hour of romantic mix-ups, complicated machinations, a perfect lawyer (blind and deaf), six songs by Durbin, three songs and comedy routines by O'Connor, and then true love finding a way. What does the movie add up to? For firm Deanna Durbin fans, a delight. For those who simply like her a lot, a mixed bag.

On the plus side are Durbin and O'Connor. One almost wishes they'd been the happy couple at the end. Durbin sings everything from a bit of Verdi to a down-and-dirty "You want to keep your baby lookin' right, doncha, Daddy?" Her personality shines through. She's funny and sincere. O'Connor is O'Connor and he's great. He has one number, "I Love a Mystery," which is almost a rehearsal for his "Make 'Em Laugh" routine in Singin' in the Rain. The songs, by Johnny Green and Leo Robin, are just fine, with two better than just fine numbers, "The Turntable Song" and "Something in the Wind." And one unexpected and stylishly handled bit features a cameo by Jan Peerce, the great American tenor who had a long career at the Met, as a singing jailer. Durbin is in the jail. It's not long before before they're sharing a duet from Il Trovatore and arguing about who stepped on whose obbligato.

But the movie begins to get tedious when the Mary Collins mix-up is finally discovered, love between Mary and Donald emerges and serious complications concerning proper family breeding sets in. Most problematic is John Dall as Donald Read, the stuffy hero who learns to love. Dall always seemed to me to be not only a limited actor but a man who, just as Lawrence Harvey always seemed genuinely unlikeable, always seemed genuinely artificial. He was unnerving as the artificially sincere killer-for-thrills in Rope a year later, but here he creates a big hole in the movie. He simply isn't interesting enough or strong enough to compete in the comedy or romance departments with Durbin.

Something in the Wind is a pleasant movie. It's part of the Deanna Durbin Sweetheart Pack of six of her movies on two DVDs. As for Durbin, the next year, 1948, she made her last two movies. Then she got married, packed her bags, moved to France and never looked back.