In reality its claim to fame is being the one and only starring. The reluctant debutante 1958 approved 1h 34min comedy, romance 25 december 1958 brazil a teenage american girl while visiting her father, is thrown into london society during the debutante season. When the reluctant debutante premiered at the radio city music hall, critics raved about its sophisticated humor and harrison and kendalls deft comic team work. Rex harrison, kay kendall, john saxon, sandra dee en angela lansbury. Metrograph is a new manhattan movie theater devoted to screening archivequality 35mm prints and new films in stateoftheart digital projection. Comedy is in season for the reluctant debutante, a ribtickler of societal foibles and follies given spirited direction by vincente minnelli and featuring a. The reluctant debutante 1958 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Het scenario werd destijds uitgebracht in nederland. The reluctant debutante is a vintage example of the sort of elegant, witty. The reluctant debutante letterboxd your life in film. The reluctant debutante is a 1955 play by the british playwright william douglas home.
The reluctant debutante film by minnelli 1958 britannica. It was first performed for a tryout week at the theatre royal brighton after william douglashome spotted the untrained 17yearold actress anna massey and brought her in to audition for the title role. Other than kendall, one thing i loved is this is just soooo british. The reluctant debutante 1958 01011958 us comedy, romance 1h 34m user score. Its a brilliant minnelli film with wonderful color, costuming and quick clever humor. Reallife husband and wife rex harrison and kay kendall are cast. If you like classic films, good acting and british humor, you will love this movie. Epstein and william douglashome based on douglashomes play of the same name. An american teenager sandra dee visiting her father rex harrison and stepmother kay kendall in london is hurled into the debutante season. For one thing, the cast is amazingly attractive with kay kendall.
Jane broadbent sandra dee is an independentminded teenager who moves to london to live with her aristocratic father, jimmy rex harrison, and stepmother, sheila kay kendall. Other articles where the reluctant debutante is discussed. The reluctant debutante is a 1958 american metrocolor comedy film in cinemascope directed by vincente minnelli and produced by pandro s. All were at the top of their form, and their combined efforts in the reluctant debutante would add further luster to their reputations. Rex harrison stars with kay kendall film has its premiere at the music hall. The reluctant debutante dvd shop the best classic films. The reluctant debutante film the reluctant debutante is a 1958 american metrocolor comedy film in cinemascope directed by vincente minnelli and produced by pandro s. Jimmy and sheila broadbent, welcome to london jimmys 17yearold daughter, jane. The reluctant debutante 1958 stream and watch online. The reluctant debutante by vincente minnelli rex harrison. Jane is from jimmys first marriage to an american and has come to visit her father and the stepmother she has never met. The reluctant debutante is a vintage example of the sort of elegant, witty polite comedy that hollywood used to pull off so well. The reluctant debutante 1958 directed by vincente minnelli. Its social season in london, and amid the swirl of comingout balls the aristocratic broadbents reallife marrieds rex harrison and kay.
But to the reluctant debutante, i saw this film recently at the national film theatre in london and, as always, in spite of the excellent performances from the other cast members, including of course kays husband rex harrison and angela lansbury, who unfortunately is not given that much to do, i found myself just watching kay. I love this sophisticated movie, which i only discovered a few years ago. The reluctant debutante film from wikimedia commons, the free media repository. The year before we found out gidget is the one for me, sandra dee was playing in this romcom with quite the polished pedigree. Voir film the reluctant debutante en streaming vf, film the reluctant debutante gratuitement, telecharger film the reluctant debutante en entier, regarder film the reluctant debutante en francais. The reluctant debutante 1958 the movie database tmdb. The class satire the reluctant debutante 1958 seemed humble compared with the lavish gigi, but this english comedy of manners was a fairly expensive production.
The reluctant debutante is a 1958 american comedy film directed by vincente minnelli. The music score is by eddie warner and the cinematography by joseph ruttenberg. Learn more about the reluctant debutante and releases of this film on dvd, bluray, vhs and more on filmogs. The film itself is an adaption by its author william douglas home of his play of the same title that had been modestly successful in both. The reluctant debutante 1958 journeys in classic film. Of course, it is not a significant film in the history of cinema, but good luck finding many as charming. Vincente minnelli gigi, reluctant debutante at the stanford theatre leslie caron stars in gigi, an mgm musical directed by vincente minnelli, screenplay and lyrics by. Metrograph is a new manhattan movie theater devoted to screening archive quality 35mm prints and new films in stateoftheart digital projection. The reluctant debutante is refreshing and prettily dressed, a colorful, saucy film version of the william douglas home stage trifle. Watch the reluctant debutante online stream full movie. A great chamber piece with great dialogue and delivery, its fun and funny. Husband and wife rex harrison and kay kendall star in this effervescent metrocolor comedy, which takes place during the 1958 london debutante season before the last presentation at court.
See the full list of the reluctant debutante cast and crew including actors, directors, producers and more. One of the heartbreaks in watching the film is knowing that this was one of kay kendalls final roles. Whereas the surface slickness of the gigi sets and costumes served to enhance that films tragic air, in reluctant debutante that same floweriness is being brashly shownup, in a sort of neofrank tashlin vein. Reluctant debutante, the 1958 movie clip married to a banker. The half hour that takes place all in the apartment over the.
On 30 june 1955 mgm bought the film and stage rights to this hit london success with the aim of taking it to broadway. While sandra is often remembered for the films she made with james darren, troy donahue and her husband and great love bobby darin, she was also teamed in her early days at universal with fellow. The reluctant debutante is een amerikaanse filmkomedie uit 1958 onder regie van vincente minnelli. Rex harrison could wear stylish mens clothing with panache, and he does so here too. It shows us london in the height of the social season in the splendor and snobbery of the debutante era, portrayed superbly throughout with deft one line quips at which rex harrison and kay kendall are masters. Jane, of course, has her own ideas about these matters and an eye for a guy john saxon whos a drummer in the dance band. Her mom from hell is a marvelously creepy example of what mothers will do when they love both their sons and. Although they last appeared together in a film the constant husband some.
Reallife husband and wife rex harrison and kay kendall are cast as newly wed jimmy and sheila broadbent, two of londons more attractive aristocrats. Lord broadbent rex harrison and second wife sheila kay kendall, harrisons wife have just picked up his daughter jane sandra dee at the airport when relative mabel angela lansbury and daughter clarissa diane clare pounce, in the reluctant debutante, 1958. Comedy is in season for the reluctant debutante, a ribtickler of societal foibles and follies given spirited direction by vincente minnelli and featuring a full dance card of deft badinage. Her breathless delivery and his expert reactions to the insanity she created made for high comedy, and the film was the second most successful mgm release to play that theatre. Comedy is in season for the reluctant debutante, a ribtickler of societal foibles and follies given spirited direction by vincente. In his first film since his triumph in my fair lady, harrison is his usual suave, urbane self as the concerned father, and dee shows more acting skill than shed. Debutante is the story of londons social season, a.
The charm of the reluctant debutante lies within the sublime casting of reallife husband and wife rex harrison and kay kendall, who both breeze through the proceedings with panache, throwing off the scripts bon mots with great enthusiasm. The reluctant debutante is a 1958 metrocolor comedy film in cinemascope directed by vincente minnelli and produced by pandro s. The reluctant debutante, dvd, remastered, manufactured on demand, comedyclassic, 883316311509. According to the closing credits of what every girl wants, the reluctant debutante inspired that lamentable movie. Komedie romantiek film geregisseerd door vincente minnelli. Released 1958, the reluctant debutante stars rex harrison, kay kendall, sandra dee, john saxon the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 34 min, and received a score of out of 100 on metacritic. Watch the reluctant debutante starring rex harrison in this comedy on directv. Reluctant debutante, the 1958 movie clip married to. Its terribly sad to see it and realize that she had not long to live. The tonal opposite of gigi can be found in the reluctant debutante, a nonromantic romance about the fall and decline of the british empire. The reluctant debutante 1958 cast and crew moviefone. Vincente minnellis the reluctant debutante may feature dee, but its hard to say this is truly her movie. The reluctant debutante may never be one of your top favorite movies but it is an utter delight, a good 50s film, one of those utterly perfect rainy sunday afternoon experiences. The reluctant debutante dvd, 2011 for sale online ebay.
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