His Butler's Sister

[1943]

I'm a big fan of musicals, romantic comedies, Deanna Durbin and Franchot Tone; so what better movie to talk about than one which combines them all.

If you're a fan of the movie, or its stars, I highly recommend visiting the Photo Gallery page to access the full size versions of the publicity stills. The crops here and on the storyline page don't do them justice, but for download time contraints it was a case of needs must.

The Characters

He is Charles Gerard (Franchot Tone) famed Broadway composer, but currently suffering from writers block.

His butler is Martin Murphy (Pat O'Brien). A man fond of the perks his role gives him when his employer is away, but also fond of gambling.

His butler's sister, or to be more exact much younger half sister, is Ann Carter (Deanna Durbin). An aspiring singer who, led by Martin to believe he is rich and successful, decides to use the money he has sent her to visit him and hopefully get her big singing break at the same time.

Deanna Durbin and Franchot Tone

Deanna Durbin

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Deanna Durbin is one of my favourite musical stars. Her soprano voice had a wonderful freshness and a clarity , but it wasn't just technical achievement. She also managed to convey the emotions of the songs and truly bring them to life for the audience.

She also brought a tremendous vivacity to the screen as an actress. A comic touch that was truly delightful, and made you wish you knew her characters in real life.

His Butler's Sister (1943, Universal Pictures) remains my favourite Deanna Durbin film. A romantic comedy with a great supporting cast, the chemistry between Deanna and Franchot Tone makes you just long for the couple to solve their misunderstandings and give us the wished for happy ending. Along the way we're treated to some wonderful performances by Deanna culminating in an emotional rendition of Puccini's "Nessun Dorma" (Pavarotti eat your heart out !)[The Story]

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