The Reluctant Debutante (1958)

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

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:

At the first ball, the song Jane is dancing to is "The Boy Next Door." The song is from Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), also directed by Vincente Minnelli.

Quotes:

Sheila Broadbent: What! David Fenner? Let me speak to him again. David, this is Sheila. About your mother, darling...
David Fenner: Well, I'm afraid she's dead, actually.
Sheila Broadbent: Yes, I know, darling, that's why I'm so sorry about asking you to give her my love.
David Fenner: I'm afraid I can't, because she's dead.
Sheila Broadbent: I know, darling, that's why I'm so sorry. It was such a silly mistake to make.
David Fenner: Well, she couldn't help it, actually.

Movie Connections:

Remade as What a Girl Wants (2003)

Kay Kendall is divine!

As others have noted, the plot is pretty slight, but it's a charming film, thanks to the effortless performances of Rex Harrison, Kay Kendall, and Angela Lansbury. The adults run away with this movie, rather like Beatrice and Benedick own 'Much Ado About Nothing,' even though Hero and Claudio are really the plot. The mile-a-minute dialogue between the older generation outshines the tame goings-on between Sandra Dee (who is completely adorable) and John Saxon (ditto). The reviewer who called Peter Meyers a Mortimer Snerd look-alike was spot on; he's so hilariously boring!

But to return to the exquisite Kay Kendall--her comic timing is superb and so is her dress sense! She looks totally fabulous in this film. It's terribly sad to see it and realize that she had not long to live. Film comedy lost a jewel in her.

According to the closing credits of 'What Every Girl Wants', 'The Reluctant Debutante' inspired that lamentable movie. Don't watch that; watch this!