Good concept, poorly executed.

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

As Good As It Gets

The first must-see film of the year.

I wont make this a mushy mash note to the luminous Miss Durbin (though I do wish there was some way to let her know how lovely and loved her performances remain to this day)...Her last film is NOT a great classic OR the forgettable muddle it has been labeled by other reviews on this site...(spoiler alert...one of the "reviewers" misidentified who wins dear D. D. at the end...might I suggest a "reviewing").This is a sweet, lively, silly, but very entertaining little movie that does get a bit too wrapped up in it's enjoyably complicated plot.The chopping of the final number also hurts (one so wishes that it was on the DVD)...Still...a great supporting cast, three polished leading men...and the divine Miss D. make it a treasure...Goodnight Sweet Princess...We will always love you!

It must be reasons like FOR THE LOVE OF MARY that had Deanna packing her duds and leaving Hollywood for good. Seems that Universal was unable to offer her the kind of scripts she wanted which would offer her more substantial roles than this attempt at light-hearted screwball comedy that never once flies into orbit.The trouble, aside from some pedestrian direction by Frederick de Cordova and some unimpressive sets and costumes, is that the script is a muddled mess with a plot outline that almost defies description, it's so complicated. Naturally, within the bounds of screwball comedy, all the complications are supposed to make the story hilariously funny--but fail to do so, mainly because it's banal material lacking any real wit or wisdom.Deanna is a Washington miss who has connections well above those of the average switchboard operator, including Supreme Court judges and even the President who happens to listen in on one of her conversations and decides to meddle in her affairs in choosing the right man for a woman being chased by three men.DEANNA DURBIN sings some four or five songs nicely in her own lovely soprano voice but it's enough to try anyone's patience if they're waiting to hear her sing when the story is so pedestrian. JEFFREY LYNN as a lawyer suitor, EDMOND O'BRIEN as the eventual swain, and DON TAYLOR as one of the unlucky ones, are simply foils for Durbin with no depth to their roles. RAY COLLINS and HARRY DAVENPORT do what they can in lively supporting roles, but nothing really helps.Too bad for Durbin fans. She was still fetching to look at and used her voice beautifully but the material is fluff, nothing more, and certainly unworthy of her talents. No wonder she had enough.

What a way to go! "For The Love of Mary" was Deanna Durbin's swansong. She proves what a charming, sparkling entertainer she was in her role as Mary Peppertree, a White House operator. This film (in it's acting, casting of veteran character actors, such as Harry Davenport and Louise Beavers, and it's lyrical though swift pacing) really marks the end of romantic comedy as practiced by the practitioners of screwball comedy. Romantic comedies would never again be this light, unpretentious, and wholesome, in my opinion.Deanna Durbin shines as a comedic actress in this film as she never did as an adult performer because she never had a comedy script as bright and as fresh as this one. The chemistry between her and Edmond O'Brien is strong and sexy. This is one of the few romantic comedies to believably transport one to an idyllic world in which everyone can be lighthearted and in love with life if one were only in the right place and with the right kind of people."For The Love of Mary" deserves far more widespread viewing and critical praise than it currently has. It is great that it is now on video for all to appreciate.

After seeing one of Deanna Durbin's movies on tv I decided to buy a video and chose this one for a start. As I love music anyways, you can't go wrong with any selection of hers, such a lovely singing voice, she does credit to any song. The story is well acted by each, and it has a quick wit with an interesting twist at the end. Also it's nice to see Harry Davenport in a film I hadn't seen before; he's been a reliable staple in many good movies of that era. It's entertaining and leaves you with a happy feeling after. We need not take life so seriously because after all it can be lighthearted and cheerful too. This film proves it.