The Reluctant Debutante (1958)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Vincente Minnelli

Writers:

William Douglas-Home (play)
William Douglas-Home (screenplay)

Release Date:

9 March 1959 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

MGM presents the Comedy-Romance in luscious COLOR!

Plot:

Jimmy and Sheila Broadbent (Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall), welcome to London Jimmy's 17-year-old daughter...

Plot Keywords:

Debutante | Drummer | Ball | Eavesdropping | American Abroad

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Rex Harrison	...	Jimmy Broadbent
Kay Kendall	...	Sheila Broadbent
John Saxon	...	David Parkson
Sandra Dee	...	Jane Broadbent
Angela Lansbury	...	Mabel Claremont
Peter Myers	...	David Fenner
Diane Clare	...	Clarissa Claremont

Also Known As:

Mamá nos complica la vida (Mexico) (cable TV title) (Spain) [es]
Äiti tietää rakkaudesta (Finland) [fi]
A Estreante Endiabrada (Portugal) [pt]
Brotinho Indócil (Brazil) [pt]
Come sposare una figlia (Italy) [it]
Hvad ved mor om kærlighed? (Denmark) [da]
Qu'est-ce que maman comprend à l'amour? (France) [fr]
Vad vet mamma om kärlek? (Sweden) [sv]
Was weiß Mama von Liebe? (West Germany) [de]

Runtime:

94 min | 96 min (TCM print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Perspecta Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #19004)

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Avon Productions (II)

Trivia:

For years John Saxon said he had been bothered by something about Sandra Dee during filming that he just couldn't put his finger on. Decades later he figured out what it was - because she'd lied about her age, she was only 14 years old.

Quotes:

Sheila Broadbent: No, darling, it's Jane. She's no good with men. She doesn't know any, and she doesn't want to know any.
Jimmy Broadbent: Well, she's a wise girl.
Sheila Broadbent: Oh, darling, it isn't funny. Now, you've got to talk to her.
Jimmy Broadbent: Talk to her? Why should I?
Sheila Broadbent: Well, because you're a man, and you can tell her what the young men want.
Jimmy Broadbent: [leering undertone] My dear!
Sheila Broadbent: Oh, don't be silly, darling, of course you can. I'm sure they don't change that much.
Jimmy Broadbent: No, you bet they don't.

Movie Connections:

Remade as What a Girl Wants (2003)

Nobody Mentioned the Costumes

I can't add much to what has already been said of this delightful movie. But nobody has mentioned the costumes. It's astonishing to note that Balmain created the dresses for both Kay Kendall and Angela Lansbury. Nearly 50 years later, Kendall still looks ravishingly current in her haute couture day and evening wear. The magnificent red dress she wears in the first party scene is a perfect example and she had the stunning figure to enhance these wonderful costumes. Angela, who had a nifty figure herself, is a more full-figured woman. She's also playing a nasty bitch in this film, and her costumes reflect this aspect of her personality. Instead of looking chic, she looks dowdy.

Sandra Dee's costumes were created by MGM's Helen Rose. I didn't care for any of her daytime wear which was very much a product of the 50s, but it is with gowns that Rose's talent shines, and there's a lovely blue gown with tiny blue bows in the final scenes of this movie that you really notice, and Dee wears the dress like the prom queen she was.

Rex Harrison could wear stylish men's clothing with panache, and he does so here too.

I love this sophisticated movie, which I only discovered a few years ago. And the interior sets are equally beautiful.