Directed by Henry Koster
Written by Bruce Manning and Felix Jackson
Based on original by Ernst Marischka
a Joseph Pasternak production
Released Oct. 2, 1940
Prince Charming-Cinderella tale. Story picks up with Miss Durbin at
a
county fair where she buys a fortune card. Fortune teller informs
her that she will find an artist in Vienna, and a powerful personage will
insure her marriage and happiness. She hayrides to the city, is
befriended by kindly old baker, S.Z. Sakall, and meets an army drummer,
Robert Cummings, who turns out to be a composer.
When army regulations prevent his writing, Miss
Durbin inserts a copy of one of his waltzes in a salt stick which goes to
the Emperor. The latter is amused at the incident, accepts the
explanation of the girl, and winds up by being a kindly monarch who
commands the girl to sing the number at a palace ball, with Cummings
handling the accompaniment.
Corking
performance by S.Z. Sakall and tunes liberally sprinkled throughout the
running do much to overcome soft story. "It's Foolish But It's
Fun" is a sprightly tempoed song by Robert Stolz and Gus Kahn.
The also contribute "When April Sings" and "Waltzing in the
Clouds," latter carries a good waltz melody that gives it the best
chance for pop attention. "Blue Danube Dream" by Hans
Salter and Kahn may catch on moderately.
Sakall commands attention with his contribution
as the portly baker; Mischa Auer is on for substantial comedy in the early
reels, and then fades out. Cummings is okay as the romantic lead, while
Butch and Buddy appear for usual antics in the bakery.
Anne Gwynne is good as gold,
pursuing the titled Allyn Joslyn.
Henry
Stephensons' characterization of the Emperor makes the latter decidedly
human. The film provides class A production values throughout,
Joseph Valentine's photography being of outstanding merit. Sound
recording of the musical numbers and musical direction by Charles Previn
are topnotch.
Ms. Gwynne
and Ms. Durbin, working in the Viennese bakery that services the Royal Court, getting a full measure of the
charm of Robert Cummings. Take a look.
Robert Cummings
comes to believe his new love, Deanna Durbin,
is dating another man. This scene expresses his anger, while
Ms Durbin & Ms Gwynne, with help, devise a way to assist their
employer, in Vienna, Austria. Take a look
Full Storyline
In a mountain village close to Vienna, Ilonka Tolnay buys a
fortune card at a carnival
and receives the following fortune:
"Your future is in Vienna/Your husband will be an artist/Your
friend in need will be a great and powerful man/But be careful,
true love will hit you with a stick." An eminently practical young
country woman, Ilonka scoffs at the idea of ever going to Vienna
but, after a dizzying folk dance, falls asleep in a hay wagon
headed for Vienna.
When she awakens, she decides to continue on
her pre-destined path, and the kindly driver, baker Ladislaus
Tescheck, offers to let her stay with him at his bakery. Ilonka
shares a bedroom with Jenny (Anne Gwynne), who
lives and works in the bakery, and flirts
with the soldiers passing on parade in the street below. Drummer
Harry Marten looks up and sees Jenny smile and, thinking this an
invitation, brings her flowers at the bakery.
Jenny is flattered
by the attention, but when her boyfriend, Count Zorndorf, comes in
to see her, she pretends that Harry is there to see Ilonka. Harry
later sends a message to Jenny to meet him at the wine garden that
night, but the baker's mischievous nephews give the note to Ilonka.
She sheds her dirndl for one of Jenny's more sophisticated dresses
and awaits Harry, who is disappointed when he realizes that Ilonka
is his date for the evening. Ilonka's country ways embarrass
Harry, but when he is inspired to compose music, Ilonka
enthusiastically quiets the restaurant, and then gets the
orchestra to play his piece.
Ilonka, a beautiful singer herself,
considers musicians to be artists, and has fulfilled the
second
decree of her fortune by falling in love with Harry, whose true
love is music, not the military. That night, Ilonka receives
permission from Tescheck to stay longer at the bakery and unknown
to him, slips a note and Harry's composition into Tescheck's
special salt rolls which are intended for the Emperor. The note
informs the Emperor that a certain musician is being persecuted by
the army because he is not allowed to compose music while he is a
soldier.
The Emperor's officials arrest Tescheck for attempting to
poison the Emperor. Ilonka confesses her misdeed to Jenny, who,
through the count, arranges for Ilonka to meet the Emperor and
explain the situation. While Ilonka is at dinner learning the
proper etiquette with which to approach royalty, Tescheck's
nephews tell Harry that Ilonka is really from Vienna and is dating
another man. Furious, Harry shows up at the restaurant and pokes
fun at Ilonka and her companions and makes love to another woman.
Ilonka rebuffs him with a slap and, during her interview with the
Emperor, who is charmed by her sweet country ways, tells him she
was wrong about the composer. The Emperor releases Tescheck and
gives him the title of Court Baker, and later invites Ilonka to a
court ball. At first Ilonka refuses to go, intending to return
home, but seeing Tescheck's disappointment at missing the
opportunity of being her escort to the palace, attends the royal
ball.
Once there, the Emperor asks her to sing for him, and when Ilonka stands by the orchestra, she discovers that Harry is the
conductor and that the Emperor has set her up, knowing that she is
in love. While Ilonka sings Harry's waltz, Harry
accidentally hits her head with his baton. Realizing she has found
her true love, Ilonka forgives him, and they dance the waltz
together.
county fair where she buys a fortune card. Fortune teller informs
her that she will find an artist in Vienna, and a powerful personage will
insure her marriage and happiness. She hayrides to the city, is
befriended by kindly old baker, S.Z. Sakall, and meets an army drummer,
Robert Cummings, who turns out to be a composer.
Corking
performance by S.Z. Sakall and tunes liberally sprinkled throughout the
running do much to overcome soft story. "It's Foolish But It's
Fun" is a sprightly tempoed song by Robert Stolz and Gus Kahn.
The also contribute "When April Sings" and "Waltzing in the
Clouds," latter carries a good waltz melody that gives it the best
chance for pop attention. "Blue Danube Dream" by Hans
Salter and Kahn may catch on moderately.
and receives the following fortune:
"Your future is in Vienna/Your husband will be an artist/Your
friend in need will be a great and powerful man/But be careful,
true love will hit you with a stick." An eminently practical young
country woman, Ilonka scoffs at the idea of ever going to Vienna
but, after a dizzying folk dance, falls asleep in a hay wagon
headed for Vienna. 
When she awakens, she decides to continue on
her pre-destined path, and the kindly driver, baker Ladislaus
Tescheck, offers to let her stay with him at his bakery. Ilonka
shares a bedroom with Jenny (Anne Gwynne), who
lives and works in the bakery, and flirts
with the soldiers passing on parade in the street below. Drummer
Harry Marten looks up and sees Jenny smile and, thinking this an
invitation, brings her flowers at the bakery. 
to see her, she pretends that Harry is there to see Ilonka. Harry
later sends a message to Jenny to meet him at the wine garden that
night, but the baker's mischievous nephews give the note to Ilonka.
She sheds her dirndl for one of Jenny's more sophisticated dresses
and awaits Harry, who is disappointed when he realizes that Ilonka
is his date for the evening. Ilonka's country ways embarrass
Harry, but when he is inspired to compose music, Ilonka
enthusiastically quiets the restaurant, and then gets the
orchestra to play his piece.
second
decree of her fortune by falling in love with Harry, whose true
love is music, not the military. That night, Ilonka receives
permission from Tescheck to stay longer at the bakery and unknown
to him, slips a note and Harry's composition into Tescheck's
special salt rolls which are intended for the Emperor. The note
informs the Emperor that a certain musician is being persecuted by
the army because he is not allowed to compose music while he is a
soldier. 
confesses her misdeed to Jenny, who,
through the count, arranges for Ilonka to meet the Emperor and
explain the situation. While Ilonka is at dinner learning the
proper etiquette with which to approach royalty, Tescheck's
nephews tell Harry that Ilonka is really from Vienna and is dating
another man. Furious, Harry shows up at the restaurant and pokes
fun at Ilonka and her companions and makes love to another woman.
Ilonka rebuffs him with a slap and, during her interview with the
Emperor, who is charmed by her sweet country ways, tells him she
was wrong about the composer. The Emperor releases Tescheck and
gives him the title of Court Baker, and later invites Ilonka to a
court ball. At first Ilonka refuses to go, intending to return
home, but seeing Tescheck's disappointment at missing the
opportunity of being her escort to the palace, attends the royal
ball. 
orchestra, she discovers that Harry is the
conductor and that the Emperor has set her up, knowing that she is
in love. While Ilonka sings Harry's waltz, Harry
accidentally hits her head with his baton. Realizing she has found
her true love, Ilonka forgives him, and they dance the waltz
together.
