Four Daughters or Young at Heart
Posted: March 16th, 2010, 12:36 am
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For a long time, I've been silently comparing these two movies. If I were asked to choose one over the other, I would have a hard time because there are some things I like better about one movie over the other, and vice a versa. I'm ignoring the fact that Young at Heart is basically a musical showcase for Doris Day, because Four Daughters had no such character, instead I'm basing it on strictly dramatic appeal and effect. I don't know why, but the writers also changed everybody's name, and I'm not sure which one is Lola Lane and the other non-related fourth girl (who I believe is the operatic singer who left home).
The Cast:
Doris Day (Laurie - Ann) Priscilla Lane. I like Doris better as Laurie, the one who falls for the music arranger. Doris is good, this was made in the days before her quest to be the oldest virgin in movies. Both ladies are bright and perky, and both are cheerful to look at. My only preference for Doris is making the audience believe she really loved Barney (before the accident), whereas Priscilla was always carrying the torch for Felix. Also, I wish the writers had made more of the bracelet than they did in Four Daughters.
Ethel Barrymore (Aunt Ettie - Aunt Etta) May Robson. This is strictly a personal preference for the lady, Ms. Barrymore. I don't care what she is doing, she is the best. May Robson is great also, but I just admire Ethel like a Goddess.
Dorothy Malone (Fran - Theo) Lola Lane. Dorothy wins on this one. She is much more cruel to poor Alan Hale than Lola is to her Ben, but how mean can one be to Frank McHugh?
Robert Keith (Dad) Claude Raines. Claude is wonderful. Thoughtful and fatherly when needed, but jovial, and funny when everyone else is teasing him. Seeing Claude getting his hair messed and tickled by the girls while he giggled is almost sacriligious, and almost as hard to believe, but there it is right on film.
Gig Young (Alex - Felix) Jeffrey Lynn. Jeffrey all the way. Handsome, suave and most debonair. I like Gig, but he doesn't have that 'something' that Jeffrey had.
Frank Sinatra (Barney - Mickey) John Garfield. Sorry to great fans of the great John Garfield, but Frank Sinatra adopted the sad sack charisma in everything he did, down to having the cigarette sticking to his lip. He moved, walked, talked, and played the piano like a guy who is waiting for the hammer to fall on his head. I don't know if he got any awards for this part, but he should have.
Michael Curtiz directed the 1938 version, and Gordon Douglas directed the 1954. I know Curtiz re-did a couple of his earlier films, and I wonder why he didn't do this one. Actually the script was better, they went a little more into detail about each character, and the family back story. Starting out with the birth of the puppies and keeping the dog in throughout the movie was a great connector. In Young at Heart the family seemed closer and more loving to each other. That in itself is odd since Four Daughters are actually sisters in real life. I have to admit the ending for Four Daughters fits the climax very well, but on the other hand, the ending of Young at Heart does the same thing.
Does anyone have any comments to add? I would like to know what others think of these movies. Actually, both are favorites of mine, and I'm curious what others think.
.
For a long time, I've been silently comparing these two movies. If I were asked to choose one over the other, I would have a hard time because there are some things I like better about one movie over the other, and vice a versa. I'm ignoring the fact that Young at Heart is basically a musical showcase for Doris Day, because Four Daughters had no such character, instead I'm basing it on strictly dramatic appeal and effect. I don't know why, but the writers also changed everybody's name, and I'm not sure which one is Lola Lane and the other non-related fourth girl (who I believe is the operatic singer who left home).
The Cast:
Doris Day (Laurie - Ann) Priscilla Lane. I like Doris better as Laurie, the one who falls for the music arranger. Doris is good, this was made in the days before her quest to be the oldest virgin in movies. Both ladies are bright and perky, and both are cheerful to look at. My only preference for Doris is making the audience believe she really loved Barney (before the accident), whereas Priscilla was always carrying the torch for Felix. Also, I wish the writers had made more of the bracelet than they did in Four Daughters.
Ethel Barrymore (Aunt Ettie - Aunt Etta) May Robson. This is strictly a personal preference for the lady, Ms. Barrymore. I don't care what she is doing, she is the best. May Robson is great also, but I just admire Ethel like a Goddess.
Dorothy Malone (Fran - Theo) Lola Lane. Dorothy wins on this one. She is much more cruel to poor Alan Hale than Lola is to her Ben, but how mean can one be to Frank McHugh?
Robert Keith (Dad) Claude Raines. Claude is wonderful. Thoughtful and fatherly when needed, but jovial, and funny when everyone else is teasing him. Seeing Claude getting his hair messed and tickled by the girls while he giggled is almost sacriligious, and almost as hard to believe, but there it is right on film.
Gig Young (Alex - Felix) Jeffrey Lynn. Jeffrey all the way. Handsome, suave and most debonair. I like Gig, but he doesn't have that 'something' that Jeffrey had.
Frank Sinatra (Barney - Mickey) John Garfield. Sorry to great fans of the great John Garfield, but Frank Sinatra adopted the sad sack charisma in everything he did, down to having the cigarette sticking to his lip. He moved, walked, talked, and played the piano like a guy who is waiting for the hammer to fall on his head. I don't know if he got any awards for this part, but he should have.
Michael Curtiz directed the 1938 version, and Gordon Douglas directed the 1954. I know Curtiz re-did a couple of his earlier films, and I wonder why he didn't do this one. Actually the script was better, they went a little more into detail about each character, and the family back story. Starting out with the birth of the puppies and keeping the dog in throughout the movie was a great connector. In Young at Heart the family seemed closer and more loving to each other. That in itself is odd since Four Daughters are actually sisters in real life. I have to admit the ending for Four Daughters fits the climax very well, but on the other hand, the ending of Young at Heart does the same thing.
Does anyone have any comments to add? I would like to know what others think of these movies. Actually, both are favorites of mine, and I'm curious what others think.
.