Daughters Courageous (Warner Bros.) (1939)

ADVANCE PUBLICITY for “DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS” x “Daushters Courageous (Lead Story) xiger' brings east of “Four Daughters” in new heart-to-heart film Priscilla, Rosemary and Lola Lane, Gale Page, John Garfield, Jeffrey Lynn, Claude Rains are featured in the romantic family drama _ that has its first local showing at the Strand Theatre. Mat 302—45c Four Daughters in new hit — Gale Page, and Lola, Rosemary and Priscilla Lane in “Daughters Courageous." This year’s successor to last year’s memorable “Four Daughters,’ is another Warner Bros. picture of the joys and sorrows of an amusing and lovable family, entitled ‘Daughters Cour. ageous,” scheduled to open next Friday at the Strand Theatre. While it is in no sense a Ssequel to “Four Daughters,” since it concerns another family played by the same stars, but in a different setting, the new picture has many facets of resemblance. The most striking, and what will probably be the most satisfying, is the fact that every member of the cast of “Four Mat 119—15c¢ JOHN GARFIELD Daughters” has a part of equal importance and of a similar significance in the new production. To assure recapture of the charm which so distinguished last year’s picture, the studio assigned the same director, Michael Curtiz, to “Daughters Courageous” and even had the screen play written by a team of scenarists of which one member was also a co-author of last year’s “Four Daughters.” Priscilla, Rosemary and Lola Lane and Gale Page are again a quartette of lively and affectionate sisters in the new film, and they again have Claude Rains as their father. They also have the same suitors, John Garfield and Jeffrey Lynn vying for the hand of Priscilla, MeHugh courting Lola, and Dick Foran—this is a slight difference — trying to divide his affections between Rosemary and Gale. Even lovable May Robson is again in the cast, though she is not a member of the family this time, being an old servant who has been with them for many years, so many, in fact, that she feels she has the right to a loud voice in the family’s affairs. And then there are two newcomers to the cast, for this time the girls have a mother, who is Fay Bainter, and mother has a suitor, a well-to-do, eminently respectable citizen, played by Donald Crisp. There is nothing untoward in the girls’ mother having a suitor, because she has been divorced from their father for good and sufficient cause. It is the sudden and unexpected return of the girls’ father on the eve of their mother’s marriage to her safe and sane suitor that is the explosion which sets in motion an alternately amusing, exciting, tender, moving and noble tale. For the errant father is penitent and tired of travelling, and he wants nothing so much as to win the affection of the daughters he scarcely knows. With everything against him but the fact that he still possesses the disarming charm which first attracted the girls’ mother to him, the father succeeds nevertheless in winning the affection of the children he deserted and he soon has an important place in the household. In fact, it is evident to the girls’ mother that her former husband’s presence threatens not only the happiness of her coming marriage but also the safe and secure future that has been planned for each girl. His worst sin in her eyes is his encouragement of the infatuation of the youngest girl, Priseilla, for the young scapegrace portrayed by Garfield, a youth whom mother sees as very much like the man she first married. Priscilla has fallen head over heels in love with the selfish, vital and charming youngster, the son of a Monterey fisherman, and is ready to give up her home and family to elope with hin. “Daughters Courageous” is the kind of family story that really goes deeply into the type of problems that are of considerable interest to modern families. The question, for instance, of whether the girls’ father has the right to come back and claim his place in their home after his earlier desertion. Or whether the mother, Mat 102—15c JEFFREY LYNN who believes in allowing her daughters to lead their own lives, has the right to change her tactics and interfere when she sees her youngest child falling in love with the wrong kind of boy. The screen play, which was written by Julius J. and Phillip G. Epstein, the former of whom was a collaborator on “Four Daughters,” was suggested by a play written by Dorothy Bennett and Irving White. [6] CAST OF CHARACTERS Gabriel Lopez 2. 2. JOHN GARFIELD. Jim Masters Johnny Heming ee lage hi, Memeo CLAUDE RAINS ppbbrn AUN c oars onto ates a JEFFREY LYNN PCR STE dh aa a a FAY BAINTER Sam Sloane 0.200.050... ae ee, DONALD CRISP oS PNR RRR RR RRs / itil MAY ROBSON see, RANA DROID LAO) a Bt SS APOE Re EE FRANK McHUGH Eddie Moent 7.) att a a eae DICK FORAN DANG TiO oN Ra ct ey GEORGE HUMBERT Judge Hornsby The "Four Daughters" Buff Masters ............ Tinka Masters Finda Mastete 2... ao A ee wey Re LOLA LANE Cora Masters SE ie ee SON a PRISCILLA LANE PRODUCTION STAFF TEBE END Ss Ay cae ts Oeil roe MICHAEL CURTIZ {Julius J. and So ae Phillip G. Epstein {Dorothy Bennett and Pome See lirving: White Directed by Original Screen Play by Suggested by a Play by Nilisie sei Soin i ME a Max Steiner Photegraphy by2.0.2 008.00... James Wong Howe, A.S.C. Pet Ei poke oe oe SC a John Hughes Dialogue Director Film Editor ¢.c.7.....: Gawns Byes Sound by ch cm eas Irving Rapper scl RE Oe A ne Ralph Dawson sonia aie 6 tak ato, ue Howard Shoup {C. A. Riggs and \Oliver S. Garretson Orchestral Arrangements by 000.000.0000 Ray Heindorf ee Leo F. Forbstein are eS ie a ae Perc Westmore Musical Director ........... Makeup Artist ........ THE STORY (Not for publication). All the human, romantic and heart-warming qualities which made “Four Daughters” last year’s most delightful screen hit, are combined in this fresh and captivating tale which brings the same four daughters (Priscilla, Rosemary and Lola Lane and Gale Page) and their boy friends (John Garfield, Jeffrey Lynn, Frank McHugh and Dick Foran) back to the screen. This time it’s papa and mama whose problems most concern the girls, to say nothing of the ups and downs of their own romances. Deserting his wife (Fay Bainter) and family to keep a rendezvous with the universe, Claude Rains returns home just as his ex-wife is about to marry a steady and respectable business man. His mere, but very charming presence ali but upsets the romantic applecart of his former mate and his four daughters. The girls appoint themselves an “unwelcoming” commitiee to let papa No. 1 know he’s not wanted, but his charm eventually wins them over. Meanwhile, the baby of the family is about to wed a young wanderer like himself, and seems headed for the heartaches mama has suffered. The two charming scapegraces become pals, and before they have done too much damage, wander off together to keep a “date with the universe,” leaving mama and her four daughters to console themselves with their more placid romances. Length — 9638 feet Running Time — 107 mins.