This is a delightful musical comedy set in the 19th century Austrian Alps and Vienna. It's one of the series that starred Universal's young singer, Deanna Durbin. She is Ilonka Tolnay, a lass on her way to a village carnival to sell a goat. After having her future picked out by a raven, she meets a prospective buyer and then does a cultural fast dance on a wager with him. Afterward, exhausted, she plops down on a hay wagon and falls asleep. When she awakens, a few hours later, It's evening and the owner of the wagon tells her they are approaching Vienna. Well, since her fortune predicted she would meet and fall in love with an artist in Vienna, she decides to take the man up on his offer to stay at his bakery and work for him.
In short order, her artist turns out to be a bass drummer in a military parade band that passes by the bakery each day. He has some problems with his officers because he's always composing new tunes, which interfered with his duties. The baker has been the supplier of the special salt cakes for the emperor. One comical situation after another brings the couple together. She goes before he emperor, and the baker is chosen the official baker of the emperor. But, this is after some scares and the arrest of the baker - all due to the mishaps and foibles of the young lass. And, this is a musical, so songs are part of the plot.
It's a fun story and film that co-stars Robert Montgomery as Corporal Harry Marten, and has a fop cast of supporting comedy actors of the day. S. Z. Sakall is the baker, Latislav Teschek, Mischa Auer is Gustav, Walter Catlett is the Headwaiter, Reginald Denny is The Major, and Henry Stephenson is Emperor Franz Joseph. Of course, Durbin's beautiful voice and singing alone make this a movie worth watching.
The film opens with Durbin and her goat in tow. She is walking barefoot and carrying her boots, while singing a funny song, in which "snails go whizzing by." She haggles with a fortune hawker who has a raven that picks a card out with a person's fortune written on it. Her fortune reads,, "Your future lies in the city of Vienna. Your husband will be an artist. Your friend in need will be a great and powerful man. But be careful, your love will hit you with a stick." Each of these pieces comes about with humor.
Latislav has two young boy nephews staying with him and working for him. When he and Ilonka arrive at his bakery, the two boys have been singing and dancing, and Latislav chastises them. The first one says, "We were working, uncle." The second adds, "We only weren't working when you were watching us."
This movie received four academy award nominations, for music and camera work. The DVD I saw had a poor quality. But this is film that anyone who enjoys musicals and comedies should enjoy. Here are a couple favorite lines from this film.
The Major, to Cummings' character, "Come here, Corporal Marten. How long have you been in this army?" Corporal Marten, looking a clock on the wall, "One yar, eight months, 17 days, six hours, and 32 minutes, sir." Spoken like a true solder who want wait to get out.
Latislav, to Ilonka, "Watch Jenny. Watch the customers Be a regular watchdog."
In short order, her artist turns out to be a bass drummer in a military parade band that passes by the bakery each day. He has some problems with his officers because he's always composing new tunes, which interfered with his duties. The baker has been the supplier of the special salt cakes for the emperor. One comical situation after another brings the couple together. She goes before he emperor, and the baker is chosen the official baker of the emperor. But, this is after some scares and the arrest of the baker - all due to the mishaps and foibles of the young lass. And, this is a musical, so songs are part of the plot.
It's a fun story and film that co-stars Robert Montgomery as Corporal Harry Marten, and has a fop cast of supporting comedy actors of the day. S. Z. Sakall is the baker, Latislav Teschek, Mischa Auer is Gustav, Walter Catlett is the Headwaiter, Reginald Denny is The Major, and Henry Stephenson is Emperor Franz Joseph. Of course, Durbin's beautiful voice and singing alone make this a movie worth watching.
The film opens with Durbin and her goat in tow. She is walking barefoot and carrying her boots, while singing a funny song, in which "snails go whizzing by." She haggles with a fortune hawker who has a raven that picks a card out with a person's fortune written on it. Her fortune reads,, "Your future lies in the city of Vienna. Your husband will be an artist. Your friend in need will be a great and powerful man. But be careful, your love will hit you with a stick." Each of these pieces comes about with humor.
Latislav has two young boy nephews staying with him and working for him. When he and Ilonka arrive at his bakery, the two boys have been singing and dancing, and Latislav chastises them. The first one says, "We were working, uncle." The second adds, "We only weren't working when you were watching us."
This movie received four academy award nominations, for music and camera work. The DVD I saw had a poor quality. But this is film that anyone who enjoys musicals and comedies should enjoy. Here are a couple favorite lines from this film.
The Major, to Cummings' character, "Come here, Corporal Marten. How long have you been in this army?" Corporal Marten, looking a clock on the wall, "One yar, eight months, 17 days, six hours, and 32 minutes, sir." Spoken like a true solder who want wait to get out.
Latislav, to Ilonka, "Watch Jenny. Watch the customers Be a regular watchdog."