Nice girl
Encyclopedia
Nice Girl? is a 1941 musical film about a girl and her two sisters. She is the nice girl of the family, but when Richard Calvert Franchot Tone
comes into town to give her father a scholarship for his dietary studies, she finds her opportunity to get some scandal in her life. It stars Deanna Durbin
, Franchot Tone
, Robert Stack
and Walter Brennan
.
), delivering mail to the Dana household and particularly to Cora (Helen Broderick
), the maid who he is in love with. Professor Oliver Dana (Robert Benchley
) is the head of the household. The oldest sister is Sylvia (Anne Gwynne
), an actress, and the youngest is Nancy (Ann Gillis
), who is a bit of a flirt and has all the boys fighting over her. The middle sister Jane (Deanna Durbin
), the “nice girl”, makes her entry singing the song “Perhaps” to the rabbits she takes care of. Her father is trying to write a book about diet and is testing it on rabbits. Don Webb (Robert Stack
) is her boyfriend, an avid car buff.
One day, Richard Calvert (Franchot Tone
) visits the Danas to study what Professor Dana is practicing with the rabbits. The three daughters are instantly enamored with him and do all they can to impress him. The family gets together with Jane playing the piano and singing “Beneath the Lights of Home”, accompanied by Oliver, Nancy, and Sylvia.
There is a Fourth of July celebration in which Oliver Dana gives a speech. After a bit of dancing, Jane sings “Old Folks at Home
”. Don lends Jane the car to take Richard to the train station, but she decides to stop being a “nice girl” and drives him to New York. When they get there she changes into some clothes that belong to Richard’s sister and then plays a song on the piano, “Love at Last” while she sings and Richard comes down and sees her at the piano. Richard quickly sees that she is trying to not be a “nice girl”, but both of them realize that she is just playing a game and not really being who she is. So she leaves his house and drives back home, still wearing Richard’s sister’s pajamas. She gets into town but the car runs out of gas and she manages to wake up the entire neighborhood. They all see that she is no longer a “nice girl,” and rumors start to fly instantly. Jane locks herself in her room until her father gives her a telegram from Richard.
Jane decides to face the music and go to the benefit for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
, but doesn’t realize that everyone thinks that she and Richard are engaged. She sings “Beneath the Lights of Home” at the benefit. Everyone congratulates her afterwards about her engagement, but she thinks they are just fooling her. She goes to Don for comfort, and he agrees that it’s all nonsense and of course Richard wouldn’t go for her. Jane gets angry at that and decides to show Don. She tells him that she is engaged to Richard and Don storms off. Right at that time Oliver and Richard come to the benefit. They congratulate Prof. Oliver (for the engagement of his daughter to Richard Calvert), but he is confused and thinks that they are congratulating him for getting his fellowship. Jane intercepts them and tells Richard that everyone thinks they are engaged. They fake a big quarrel so that they can break their engagement.
Menwhile, Don has enlisted in the army, and Jane goes to see him to explain what happened. When she goes, Don tells her that he loves her. They kiss (off-screen) and then she goes and sings for the enlisted men and Don the song “Thank You America.” The end of the movie concludes with Jane singing “There’ll Always be an England”.
Franchot Tone
Franchot Tone was an American stage, film, and television actor, star of Mutiny on the Bounty and many other films through the 1960s...
comes into town to give her father a scholarship for his dietary studies, she finds her opportunity to get some scandal in her life. It stars Deanna Durbin
Deanna Durbin
Deanna Durbin is a Canadian-born, Southern California-raised retired singer and actress, who appeared in a number of musical films in the 1930s and 1940s singing standards as well as operatic arias....
, Franchot Tone
Franchot Tone
Franchot Tone was an American stage, film, and television actor, star of Mutiny on the Bounty and many other films through the 1960s...
, Robert Stack
Robert Stack
Robert Stack was an American actor. In addition to acting in more than 40 films, he was the star of the 1959-1963 ABC television series The Untouchables and later served as the host of Unsolved Mysteries.-Early life:...
and Walter Brennan
Walter Brennan
Walter Brennan was an American actor. Brennan won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor on three separate occasions, which is currently the record for most wins.-Early life:...
.
Cast
- Deanna DurbinDeanna DurbinDeanna Durbin is a Canadian-born, Southern California-raised retired singer and actress, who appeared in a number of musical films in the 1930s and 1940s singing standards as well as operatic arias....
as Jane Dana - Franchot ToneFranchot ToneFranchot Tone was an American stage, film, and television actor, star of Mutiny on the Bounty and many other films through the 1960s...
as Richard Calvert - Walter BrennanWalter BrennanWalter Brennan was an American actor. Brennan won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor on three separate occasions, which is currently the record for most wins.-Early life:...
as Hector Titus - Robert StackRobert StackRobert Stack was an American actor. In addition to acting in more than 40 films, he was the star of the 1959-1963 ABC television series The Untouchables and later served as the host of Unsolved Mysteries.-Early life:...
as Don Webb - Robert BenchleyRobert BenchleyRobert Charles Benchley was an American humorist best known for his work as a newspaper columnist and film actor...
as Prof. Oliver Dana - Helen BroderickHelen BroderickHelen Broderick was an American film and stage actress known for her comic roles, especially as a wisecracking sidekick.-Career:...
as Cora Foster - Ann GillisAnn GillisAnn Gillis , sometimes credited as Anne Gillis or Ann Gilles, is a retired actress, starting her career in the early 1930s as a child actress and ending in 1947. She later came back into acting for a small part in 2001: A Space Odyssey in 1968...
as Nancy Dana - Anne GwynneAnne GwynneAnne Gwynne was an American film actress of the 1940s. Known as one of the first scream queens because of her numerous appearances in horror films, the actress-model was also one of the most popular pin-ups of World War II....
as Sylvia Dana - Elisabeth RisdonElisabeth RisdonElisabeth Risdon was an English film actress. She appeared in over 140 films between 1913 and 1952. An attractive beauty in her youth she usually played in society parts...
as Martha Peasley - Nana BryantNana BryantNana Bryant was an American film actress. She appeared in over 100 films between 1935 and 1955.She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and died in Hollywood, California. Her grave is located at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery....
as Mary Peasley - Georgie Billings as Pinky Greene
- Tommy Kelly as Ken Atkins
- Marcia Mae JonesMarcia Mae JonesMarcia Mae Jones was an American actress whose prolific career spanned 47 years.-Career:Jones made her film debut at the age of two in the 1926 film Mannequin...
as Girl
Plot
The musical starts with the busybody postman who reads everybody’s mail, Hector (Walter BrennanWalter Brennan
Walter Brennan was an American actor. Brennan won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor on three separate occasions, which is currently the record for most wins.-Early life:...
), delivering mail to the Dana household and particularly to Cora (Helen Broderick
Helen Broderick
Helen Broderick was an American film and stage actress known for her comic roles, especially as a wisecracking sidekick.-Career:...
), the maid who he is in love with. Professor Oliver Dana (Robert Benchley
Robert Benchley
Robert Charles Benchley was an American humorist best known for his work as a newspaper columnist and film actor...
) is the head of the household. The oldest sister is Sylvia (Anne Gwynne
Anne Gwynne
Anne Gwynne was an American film actress of the 1940s. Known as one of the first scream queens because of her numerous appearances in horror films, the actress-model was also one of the most popular pin-ups of World War II....
), an actress, and the youngest is Nancy (Ann Gillis
Ann Gillis
Ann Gillis , sometimes credited as Anne Gillis or Ann Gilles, is a retired actress, starting her career in the early 1930s as a child actress and ending in 1947. She later came back into acting for a small part in 2001: A Space Odyssey in 1968...
), who is a bit of a flirt and has all the boys fighting over her. The middle sister Jane (Deanna Durbin
Deanna Durbin
Deanna Durbin is a Canadian-born, Southern California-raised retired singer and actress, who appeared in a number of musical films in the 1930s and 1940s singing standards as well as operatic arias....
), the “nice girl”, makes her entry singing the song “Perhaps” to the rabbits she takes care of. Her father is trying to write a book about diet and is testing it on rabbits. Don Webb (Robert Stack
Robert Stack
Robert Stack was an American actor. In addition to acting in more than 40 films, he was the star of the 1959-1963 ABC television series The Untouchables and later served as the host of Unsolved Mysteries.-Early life:...
) is her boyfriend, an avid car buff.
One day, Richard Calvert (Franchot Tone
Franchot Tone
Franchot Tone was an American stage, film, and television actor, star of Mutiny on the Bounty and many other films through the 1960s...
) visits the Danas to study what Professor Dana is practicing with the rabbits. The three daughters are instantly enamored with him and do all they can to impress him. The family gets together with Jane playing the piano and singing “Beneath the Lights of Home”, accompanied by Oliver, Nancy, and Sylvia.
There is a Fourth of July celebration in which Oliver Dana gives a speech. After a bit of dancing, Jane sings “Old Folks at Home
Old Folks at Home
"Old Folks at Home" is a minstrel song written by Stephen Foster in 1851. It was intended to be performed by the New York blackface troupe Christy's Minstrels. E. P. Christy, the troupe's leader, appears on early printings of the sheet music as the song's creator...
”. Don lends Jane the car to take Richard to the train station, but she decides to stop being a “nice girl” and drives him to New York. When they get there she changes into some clothes that belong to Richard’s sister and then plays a song on the piano, “Love at Last” while she sings and Richard comes down and sees her at the piano. Richard quickly sees that she is trying to not be a “nice girl”, but both of them realize that she is just playing a game and not really being who she is. So she leaves his house and drives back home, still wearing Richard’s sister’s pajamas. She gets into town but the car runs out of gas and she manages to wake up the entire neighborhood. They all see that she is no longer a “nice girl,” and rumors start to fly instantly. Jane locks herself in her room until her father gives her a telegram from Richard.
Jane decides to face the music and go to the benefit for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...
, but doesn’t realize that everyone thinks that she and Richard are engaged. She sings “Beneath the Lights of Home” at the benefit. Everyone congratulates her afterwards about her engagement, but she thinks they are just fooling her. She goes to Don for comfort, and he agrees that it’s all nonsense and of course Richard wouldn’t go for her. Jane gets angry at that and decides to show Don. She tells him that she is engaged to Richard and Don storms off. Right at that time Oliver and Richard come to the benefit. They congratulate Prof. Oliver (for the engagement of his daughter to Richard Calvert), but he is confused and thinks that they are congratulating him for getting his fellowship. Jane intercepts them and tells Richard that everyone thinks they are engaged. They fake a big quarrel so that they can break their engagement.
Menwhile, Don has enlisted in the army, and Jane goes to see him to explain what happened. When she goes, Don tells her that he loves her. They kiss (off-screen) and then she goes and sings for the enlisted men and Don the song “Thank You America.” The end of the movie concludes with Jane singing “There’ll Always be an England”.