Sent off to a Swiss boarding school because her teenage presence is a detriment to the glamour-girl image her actress mother's agent wants for her, Gloria Harkinson (Deanna Durbin) has invented a make-believe life for herself. Although her Navy flier father died when she was a baby, she has never revealed that to her friends and, instead, has bragged that he is an important explorer. Through weekly letters presumably from her dad, Gloria charms her schoolmates with tales of his African adventures. One girl, however, doesn't believe a word Gloria says and is determined to prove she's lying.
Having made the claim that her father would be stopping at the school for a 1-hour visit, Gloria suddenly finds herself in completely over her head. With all the students and even the headmistress congregating at the train station to welcome Mr. Harkinson, Gloria realizes the need to produce a father.
Composer Richard Todd (Herbert Marshall), who has traveled to Switzerland for a bit of R & R, alights the train at the school's stop, and Gloria immediately pounces on him, hugging him and welcoming him to town. She convinces him to pose as her father, and though he is at first reluctant, he may just end up embracing the role. How it all plays out is the balance of the film.
Nominated for four Academy Awards, Mad About Music is a sweet, enjoyable, very charming film. Herbert Marshall is his dashing, wonderful self, and Deanna is pure delight. She sings several songs, including "I Love to Whistle" and "Ave Maria." This is a very solid, entertaining, 3-star viewing experience.
Out on DVD, this film should be fairly easy to track down. I think it's a film all Deanna Durbin fans will want to see.
Happy viewing!!
