Yes, My Darling Daughter (Warner Bros.) (1939)

Current Publicity Mat 204 — 30c HONEYMOON BOUND — Jeffrey Lynn and Priscilla Lane, screen's newest sweethear: team, wave goodbye and "happy landings" in a charming scene from "Yes, My Darling Daughter" opening at the Strand today. (Opening Day) All Star Romantic Comedy Opens at Strand Today Priscilla Lane and Jeffrey Lynn are romantically teamed again and some of the foremost practitioners of the art of light comedy are seen also in “Ves, My Darling Daughter,” the Warner Bros. film version of the successful stage play of the same name, which opens today at the Strand Theatre. The two young players who contributed such tender and moving moments in “Four Daughters” are themselves strictly comedians in their new team venture, and in their quest for laughs they have the expert assistance of such notables in the field as Roland Young, May Robson, Fay Bainter, Genevieve Tobin and Ian Hunter. The plot of the stage play by Mark Reed is followed rather closely in the screen version written by Casey Robinson, but points of emphasis have been lightened here and there to anticipate any possible objections by boards of censorship. “Yes, My Darling Daughter,” directed by William Keighley remains, however, a lively satire on persons who profess to have advanced views on the subject of marriage. As in the stage play hilarious complications ensue when the liberal views on such matters so often expounded by the mother of Miss Darling Daughter turn around, so to speak, and bite her. The daughter is played by Priscilla, and Jeffrey is the really highly moral young man with whom she tries to put into practice her mother’s professed views on love. Fay Bainter is mama, and May Robson is the wise grandmother who guesses that the stodg’y literary agent played by Roland Young was once the romantic young Greenwich Village poet who was the boy friend of Priscilla’s ma. Ian Hunter is the forthright banker who is Priscilla’s father and believes in the good institution of nice weddings. And Miss Tobin is the thricemarried aunt who can still be shocked. Even such an experienced and competent cast must have some direction, and that responsibility was entrusted to William Keighley, who demonstrated with his direction of “Brother Rat” that he knows his comedy. May Robson— Beloved Veteran A youthful and green reporter asked May Rchson the other day whether she had ever played on the stage outside of New York City. “Young man,” said May, “blindfold yourself. Face a map of the United States. In that map stick a pin. Wherever you stick that pin, I’ve played the nearest town, and can tell you the name of the theatre there, its manager, and the name of the hotel where I stayed.” May is used to questions like that, by this time. She has seen many generations of cub reporters get dry behind the ears and turn into old and cynical critics. Many of them are her friends. Meanwhile she continues to steal scenes in motion pictures. In her latest, “Yes, My Darling Daughter,” the Warner Bros. comedy coming to the Strand Theatre next Friday, she faced high-powered acting competition from Priscilla Lane and Jeffrey Lynn, Fay Bainter and Roland Young, Genevieve Tobin and Ian Hunter, troupers all. But they were ready to concede May any and all scenes in which she appeared and had anything to do. Miss Robson was born in Melbourne, Australia, April 19, 1865. Educated in England, France and Belgium, she made her American stage debut in 1883. That began an engagement with Charles Frohman’s Empire Stock Company in New York which terminated twenty-two years later. Her screen career began in 19382 with “The Angel of Broadway,” which was in the fifty-second year of her active service in the theatre. (Review) ‘Yes, My Darling Daughter’ Proves Year's Most Delightful Comedy Hit On Screen Priscilla Lane and Jeffrey Lynn Charm And Amuse In Strand's New Picture Priscilla Lane and Jeffrey Lynn for charm, and Roland Young, May Robson, Fay Bainter, Genevieve Tobin and Ian Hunter for laughs — that’s the dish of spicy entertainment that was set before the patrons of the Strand Theatre when “Yes, My Darling Daughter” opened there yesterday. The new picture, which was produced by Warner Bros., was adapted by Casey Robinson from Mark Reed’s very successful stage play of the same name, and it more than justifies the pleasurable anticipation which was aroused when the Warner studio bought the rights to the play. As in the case of every good screen adaptation of a stage success, the motion picture version of “Yes, My Darling Daghter” demonstrates that a good show can be even better when made into a film. Particularly is this true about a comedy of this type, in which so much that is very amusing could only be told about en the stage but is actually depicted in hilarious detail on the screen. It’s no surprise, of course, to be tcld that such distinguished exponents of the art of lght comedy as Messrs. Young and Hunter, and Miles. Robson, Bainter and Tobin give swell performances, and that the theatre almost explodes with laughter during some of Young’s fuzzy sallies. So all that should be said concerning them is that they more than fulfill the promise of amusing entertainment contained in their names. The real news, then, concerns the youngsters, Priscilla and Jeffrey. They were so charming and heart-warming a pair of young lovers in “Four Daughters” that their being teamed again was a matter as certain as the daily rising of the sun. Again, it must be said, they are an utterly winning young eouple. But they contribute much more than their charm to the proceedings. After all, their new picture is a comedy from start to finish and it is their task to be the center of all the comical complications which make up the plot. So it is nice to be able to say that they hold their own as comedians with those five expert veterans whose only job it is to be funny. They succeed glorious ly in the not too easy assignment of making the audience both like them and laugh at them. After she and her young man agree to run away together, her whole family, not to mention some of the family friends, take a hand in the situation, and there are complications galore, not the least amusing of which is daughter’s young man’s shocked indignation when no one in her family but her father seems to be properly shocked at what he thinks they should regard as a shocking situation. Namely, that he and his girl were running away. He’s even shocked by his girl friend, but with the aid of her wise old grandmother, the girl eventually gains her objective, which seems to have been lawful wedlock all along, despite what she has said about it. Every one of the immensely humorous possibilities of tne swiftly paced tale is realized to the utmost under the skillful direction of William Keighley, who thus adds another comedy triumph to his list. It’s the yes, go-see-it picture of the year! |CAUGHT ON THE SET Words and Music Priscilla Lane, who writes poetry for pastime and usually tears it up or hides it away, suddenly finds herself co-author of a song. Her sister, Leota, has composed music for one of her poems and the song, called “Al My Love,” is attracting considerable favorable comment. Priscilla’s latest Warner Bros. picture, “Yes, My Darling Daughter,” opens at the Strand Theatre today. In it, she plays a co-starring role with Jeffrey Lynn. Priscilla Lane, who was _ recently a guest at Virginia Military Institute, received a gold compact bearing the V.M.I. crest as a remembrance from the 750 cadets who go to school there, [10] Quite A Juggler For a scene of “Yes, My Darling Daughter,” the Warner Bros. comedy coming to the Strand Theatre today, Ian Hunter was supposed to run with a partlyfilled cocktail glass in his hand— and not spill the liquid or lose the cherry-on-toothpick. He tripped on a rug and fell flat in one “take” and plenty of witnesses will affirm that a miracle happened. He didn’t spill the cocktail —not even a drop —in falling! May Robson and her many, many Hollywood friends are making plans for a ‘diamond jubilee” to celebrate her seventyfifth birthday which historic occasion takes place this spring. Of "Yes, My Darling Daughter" Now Showing at the Strand Mat 30!1—45c (Top left) Jeffrey Lynn, taking a busman's holiday, snaps a photo of his screen sweetheart, Priscilla Lane. (Right) Director William Keighley yields his chair to a doggy visitor. Reason— the dog is the pet of his brand new bride, Genevieve Tobin. (Left) Priscilla Lane snatches a much-needed ‘forty winks’ between scenes of "Yes, My Darling Daughter." Company Divided Two units of “Yes, My Darling Daughter,” the Warner Bros. comedy opening today at the Strand Theatre, were working during one stage of production. Director William Keighley had the main company with Fay Bainter, Roland Young, Ian Hunter, Genevieve Tobin, and May Robson, while the young romantic leads, Priscilla Lane and Jeffrey Lynn, did some thrilling and amusing automobile road shots out on a nearby “location.” Jeffrey Lynn’s friends are willing to raise a thousand dollar pool, if necessary, to prove that he is the fastest half mile runner in Hollywood. He was star of the track team at Bates College.