A violinist and his brother guide one's son through his crush on the family maid in 1920s Ottawa.
Charles Boyer
Jacques Bonnard
Louis Jourdan
Uncle Desmond Bonnard
Marsha Hunt
Susan Bonnard
Bobby Driscoll
Robert 'Bibi' Bonnard
Linda Christian
Mignonette Chappuis
Kurt Kasznar
Uncle Louis Bonnard
Marcel Dalio
Grandpere Bonnard
Jeanette Nolan
Felice Bonnard
Jack Raine
Mr. Frye - School Principal
Richard Erdman
Alfred Grattin
Marlene Cameron
Peggy O'Hare
Gene Collins
Jimmy Bishop
Annabel Faber
Yvonne Bonnard
Kathryn Sheldon
Miss Tate - Schoolteacher
Edward Clark
Dr. Marchaud
Maurice Marsac
The Great Gaspari
Will Wright
Family Doctor
Eugene Borden
Monsieur Lafayette - Grocer
Director
Richard Fleischer
Screenplay
Earl Felton
Story
Robert Fontaine
Theatre Play
Samuel A. Taylor
December 8, 2024
7
Aside from "Treasure Island" (1950) this might be my favourite film featuring the charming Bobby Driscoll. He's the teenage "Robert/Bibi" who is completely oblivious to the affections of his next door neighbour because he only has eyes for the new maid "Mignonette" (Linda Christian). His obsessiveness starts to affect his schoolwork, and when the lovelorn "Peggy" (Marlene Cameron) doctors a rather risqué copy of "Paris Match" and gets him into hot water, things get so serious as to require the intervention of his dad (Charles Boyer) and two uncles (Louis Jourdan and Kurt Kasznar). They question him about the naughty photos and respect his denial whilst also clocking really quite quickly just what is troubling their young charge. Boyer is also on good form here, and I thought Richard Fleischer's amiable direction allowed the deftly adapted script to tell us a story of pubescent love mixed with familial concern and affection and peppered with some lovely, quite witty, observational humour. Driscoll was seventeen or so when he made this, so he probably had some genuine hormones to add to this genuinely quite enjoyable comedic drama. Don't be put off by the rather ropey title track, it's really quite good fun, this.
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$0.00
Revenue:
$0.00