The style of "Three Daring Daughters" is very unusual. For much of the film, it's like two separate films occurring at the same time....and one of them probably wasn't absolutely necessary.
When the story begins, Louise (Jeanette MacDonald) is attending the graduation of one of her three daughters. However, she soon collapses...overwhelmed with fatigue by trying to be the perfect mother. Her doctor suggests she take a cruise...alone. Since the daughters are all older (approximately 12-18), she can leave them and embark on her journey. During the trip, Louise meets José Iturbi and the world famous pianist and conductor is smitten with her. After a whirlwind romance, the divorcee marries Iturbi.
All this seems just great...except that during Louise's absence, the daughters get the insane notion that their mother is sad because her ex-husband is no longer in her life. So, they conspire to bring dad home...not realizing he's apparently a louse. What's gonna happen when mom and her new husband returns??
The plot involving the daughters and their father is generally unnecessary. I much preferred watching Irubi and MacDonald and their relationship. It was nice seeing two middle aged and 'normal looking' folks fall in love...and Iturbi was surprisingly good (and quite urbane) playing a version of himself. I say 'version' because in real life, of course, MacDonald was married to Gene Raymond and it's all rather fanciful....but nice. In addition, how these older kids reacted once they meet Irubi...well, they just seemed like obnoxious jerks and their parts were not written well.
This is a movie I loved and hated. I loved the relationship, felt the daughters were not necessarily needed in the film and were underwritten AND I hated some of the singing. I know that MacDonald and Jane Powell were very popular back in the day...but their high-pitched singing frankly was painful to hear in most of the songs. I like opera and liked Iturbe's music...but I did NOT like their singing in the least. Painful is probably a NICE way to refer to the singing....I actually could be FAR more descriptive but won't!
Overall, a very mixed bag...a film that overall is watchable but nothing more. And, if they'd just stuck to the romance and avoided the rest, it would have been a great film.
When the story begins, Louise (Jeanette MacDonald) is attending the graduation of one of her three daughters. However, she soon collapses...overwhelmed with fatigue by trying to be the perfect mother. Her doctor suggests she take a cruise...alone. Since the daughters are all older (approximately 12-18), she can leave them and embark on her journey. During the trip, Louise meets José Iturbi and the world famous pianist and conductor is smitten with her. After a whirlwind romance, the divorcee marries Iturbi.
All this seems just great...except that during Louise's absence, the daughters get the insane notion that their mother is sad because her ex-husband is no longer in her life. So, they conspire to bring dad home...not realizing he's apparently a louse. What's gonna happen when mom and her new husband returns??
The plot involving the daughters and their father is generally unnecessary. I much preferred watching Irubi and MacDonald and their relationship. It was nice seeing two middle aged and 'normal looking' folks fall in love...and Iturbi was surprisingly good (and quite urbane) playing a version of himself. I say 'version' because in real life, of course, MacDonald was married to Gene Raymond and it's all rather fanciful....but nice. In addition, how these older kids reacted once they meet Irubi...well, they just seemed like obnoxious jerks and their parts were not written well.
This is a movie I loved and hated. I loved the relationship, felt the daughters were not necessarily needed in the film and were underwritten AND I hated some of the singing. I know that MacDonald and Jane Powell were very popular back in the day...but their high-pitched singing frankly was painful to hear in most of the songs. I like opera and liked Iturbe's music...but I did NOT like their singing in the least. Painful is probably a NICE way to refer to the singing....I actually could be FAR more descriptive but won't!
Overall, a very mixed bag...a film that overall is watchable but nothing more. And, if they'd just stuck to the romance and avoided the rest, it would have been a great film.