[4] According to MGM records it earned $1,555,000 in the US and Canada and $1,425,000 elsewhere resulting in a loss of $355,000. The Reluctant Debutante is a 1955 play by the British playwright William Douglas Home. With Rex Harrison, Kay Kendall, John Saxon, Sandra Dee. "Year Of Profitable British Films." 0:31 In desperation, she turns to her mother, but the advice she receives may do more harm than good. [5], This article is about the film. Sheila believes that someone like if not David Fenner (Peter Myers) himself, he a guard at Buckingham Palace, would be a suitable mate for Jane. An Englishman wakes in a hotel bedroom suffering from amnesia and sets out to find his identity. The Reluctant Debutante, at times, feels like something in Minnelli’s wheelhouse, yet at other times comes off like a foreign studio produced it, a la the Rank Organisation or Gainsborough Pictures. Web. Sheila, as her first act of being Jane's British stepmother, wants Jane to come out along with all her British peers. Drama. TMDb Score. The Reluctant Debutante book. However, because of Harrison's tax problems, the film had to be made in Paris. Jimmy and Sheila Broadbent, welcome to London Jimmy’s 17-year-old daughter, Jane. The Reluctant Debutante The actor cared for Kendall until her death at the age of 32. High-school life and the prejudices and moral values of small town USA during the 1950s. Sheila's plans fail miserably. Director: Vincente Minnelli Writer: William Douglas-Home From a play: The Reluctant Debutante by William Douglas-Home Dance Music and Arrangements by: Eddie Warner and His Orchestra Producer: Pandro S. Berman Keywords: Romantic Comedy Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Real-life husband and wife Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall are cast as newly wed Jimmy and Sheila Broadbent, two of London's more attractive aristocrats. (1958). The Reluctant Debutante book. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. A teenage American girl while visiting her father, is thrown into London society during the "Debutante Season". The Reluctant Debutante - Feature Clip - YouTube It’s social season in London, and amid the swirl of coming-out balls the aristocratic Broadbents (real-life marrieds Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall… When The Reluctant Debutante premiered at the Radio City Music Hall, critics raved about its sophisticated humor and Harrison and Kendall's deft comic team work. Ship This Item — Qualifies for Free Shipping Buy Online, Pick up in Store Check Availability at Nearby Stores. Read 3 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Certificate: Passed Jane's visit coincides with it being "the season" in London: when all the society debutantes hold their balls to "come out" as being ready to find a suitable mate and marry. He tracks down his wife but soon learns that the job she saw him leave for every morning did not exist. The Reluctant Debutante is a 1958 American Metrocolor comedy film in CinemaScope directed by Vincente Minnelli and produced by Pandro S. Berman from a screenplay by Julius J. Epstein and William Douglas-Home based on Douglas-Home's play of the same name. The music score is by Eddie Warner and the cinematography by Joseph Ruttenberg. Upon her banking executive father, Lord Jimmy Broadbent (Sir Rex Harrison) remarrying who is now the second Lady Broadbent, Sheila (Kay Kendall), seventeen-year-old Jane Broadbent (Sandra Dee), who has been living in the States with her American mother since the divorce, pays her father in London a visit so that she can meet Sheila. Members save with free shipping everyday! The Reluctant Debutante (14-Aug-1958). At a private psychiatric clinic, the daily dramas and interactions between the doctors, nurses, administrators, benefactors and patients are accentuated by the personal and family crises of these individuals. 13 of 15 people found this review helpful. A new senior at a boy's prep school, finds himself harassed by the machismo culture of his classmates and the unfeelingly behavior by his father, only being treated with decency by his roommate and with affection by the coach's wife. HoloLens PC Mobile device Xbox 360 Trailer. Parkson's reputation is undeserved, but Sheila is convinced otherwise. 72. Rent $1.99 On a Sunday, Eileen Tyler, still a virgin, leaves Albany to visit her airline pilot brother in New York but a chance encounter with a man on a city bus threatens to derail her upcoming marriage to boyfriend Russ. THE RELUCTANT DEBUTANTE (1958) Directed by: Vincente Minnelli Starring: Rex Harrison, Kay Kendall, John Saxon, Sandra Dee, Angela Lansbury Country: USA . The film stars Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall — whom he had married in 1957 after they worked together on The Constant Husband (1955) — with featured performances by John Saxon, Sandra Dee, and Angela Lansbury. Her early death was a real loss. [2] She only completed one more film, Once More With Feeling, before her death the following year. Title: She tries to keep him away from Jane while her garrulous friend Mabel schemes to secure David Fenner for her own daughter, Clarissa. Use the HTML below. The Reluctant Debutante (1958) 2/2. T Film. The Reluctant Debutante (1958) 1/2. Younger generation vs. "older" folks on vacation at an Italian villa. The Reluctant Debutante (1958) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Comedy is in season for The Reluctant Debutante, a rib-tickler of societal foibles and follies given spirited direction by Vincente Minnelli and featuring a full dance card of deft badinage. For other uses, see. As stated in the film, 1958 was the last year for the British society custom of an official debutante season, which was then abolished by Queen Elizabeth II. The Reluctant Debutante. Jane Broadbent (Sandra Dee) is an independent-minded teenager who moves to London to live with her aristocratic father, Jimmy (Rex Harrison), and stepmother, Sheila (Kay Kendall). This FAQ is empty. The Reluctant Debutante is a vintage example of the sort of elegant, witty "polite" comedy that Hollywood used to pull off so well. Rent $2.99. MGM presents the Comedy-Romance in luscious COLOR! In attending some of the earlier season balls, Jane not only finds David Fenner a drip, but she also does not want to step on the toes of her first true friend in London, Clarissa Claremont (Diane Clare), who is in love with ... John Saxon, ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ Star, Dies At 83, Todos los hombres sois iguales: Mamá nos complica bastante la vida. Rich socialite Chantal marries Eugene, a photographer, and everything seems blissful until her envious friend attempts to break them up. A sportswriter and a fashion-designer marry after a whirlwind romance, and discover they have little in common. Bored at the first London ball of the season, Lord Jimmy (Rex Harrison) meets unattached David (John Saxon), whom he introduces to his daughter Jane (Sandra Dee), as she chats with his wife Sheila (Kay Kendall, the real Mrs. Harrison), in Vincente Minnelli's The Reluctant Debutante, 1958. The Reluctant Debutante 1958 Trailer HD - Rex Harrison - Kay Kendall. Huggo, I saw this one during its first-run release at the Beverly Theatre in Beverly Hills, Calif. View production, box office, & company info. BruceCatherine6779. Paperback $ 12.99. 11 July 2012. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Reluctant_Debutante_(film)&oldid=1017133819, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 11 April 2021, at 01:06. Teaser Trailer. Sheila, as her first act of being Jane's British stepmother, wants Jane to come out along with all her British peers. 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. Jane is bored by the debutante balls she attends and the young men she is introduced to, but she becomes interested in a drummer named David Parkson who has a reputation for leading young women astray. I won’t go into the story’s Cinderella aspect except to say that when the film’s big twist came around, I couldn’t believe the way the movie dodged any kind of thoughtful conflict. The Reluctant Debutante is a vintage example of the sort of elegant, witty "polite" comedy that Hollywood used to pull off so well. Among MGM's A-list ingredients was the casting of Kay Kendall, whose elegance and comic verve made this confection as enjoyable as one could have hoped. This title appears to be available on video only in a VHS version, which no doubt means that it is probably not letterboxed. Sign in to Purchase Instantly. Written by The Reluctant Debutante is a 1958 American Metrocolor comedy film in CinemaScope directed by Vincente Minnelli and produced by Pandro S. Berman from a screenplay by Julius J. Epstein and William Douglas-Home based on Douglas-Home's play of the same name. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. The Reluctant Debutante (1958) "MGM presents the Comedy-Romance in luscious COLOR!" Here are the movies we're most excited for in 2021. DonaldRandy8182. Americans, especially in the South, know of the debutante, but … NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959) Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock Starring: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Martin Landau Country: USA - Order by Phone 1-800-336-4627 Whether you watch weekly or want to join in for the big finish, get ready for these big Spring TV and streaming finales. [3], The Reluctant Debutante was the 12th most popular film at the British box office in 1959. The Reluctant Debutante is refreshing and prettily dressed, a colorful, saucy film version of the William Douglas Home stage trifle. Read 4 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Embarrassed about bringing him back to her tiny apartment that she ... See full summary ». The Reluctant Debutante - DVD-R (1958) for $11.10 from OLDIES.com Comedy Amid the swirl of coming-out balls the aristocratic Broadbents are intent on giving their American-educated 17-year-old daughter Jane the right entry into society and a proper upper-class beau. Available on. The CinemaScope projection there was top-notch, doing full justice to Minnelli's always creative use of the wide screen. The Reluctant Debutante is a vintage example of the sort of elegant, witty "polite" comedy that Hollywood used to pull off so well. 44:32. A teenage American girl while visiting her father, is thrown into London society during the "Debutante … Sheila believes that someone like if not David Fenner (Peter Myers) himself, he a guard at Buckingham Palace, would be a suitable mate for Jane. The Reluctant Debutante Movie (1958) - Rex Harrison, Kay Kendall, John Saxon The Reluctant Debutante is an immensely enjoyable comedy with some genuinely hilarious moments and delightful performances that cannot be beat. Directed by Vincente Minnelli. He also inherits an Italian dukedom which makes him a better "catch" than David Fenner and satisfies Sheila's concerns for Jane's social status. 51:22. The Reluctant Debutante movie (1958) - Clip. The music score is by Eddie Warner and the cinematography by Joseph Ruttenberg. Add the first question. Harrison had learned from Kendall's doctor that she had been diagnosed with myeloid leukemia, a fact that was kept from Kendall, who believed she was suffering from an iron deficiency. See details. Joan Howell, a young and pretty maid-for-hire, meets and begins dating wealthy New York City businessman Tom Milford. [1], Variety called it "refreshing and prettily dressed". Comedy is in season for The Reluctant Debutante, a rib-tickler of societal foibles and follies given spirited direction by Vincente Minnelli and featuring a full dance card of deft badinage. When 17-year-old Jane Broadbent comes to London to live with her wealthy father Lord Jimmy Broadbent, her stepmother Lady Sheila feels compelled by her own social aspirations to introduce Jane to society. The film was shot on location in England and Paris. ‘The Reluctant Debutante’ by Vibha Batra is a peek into the world of glamourous social events, but with a twist. Real-life husband and wife Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall are cast as newly wed Jimmy and Sheila Broadbent, two of London's more attractive aristocrats. English 1723515736. Its USP is that it transports the reader to the days of yore when noblewomen were introduced to polite society as debutantes while being set against a completely modern backdrop. Jane's visit coincides with it being "the season" in London: when all the society debutantes hold their balls to "come out" as being ready to find a suitable mate and marry. The Reluctant Debutante 256. by Becky Lower. To complicate matters, an upper-class man with perfect credentials, David Fenner, relentlessly pursues Jane although she openly detests him. The Reluctant Debutante simply uses the outdated, class-based Season as a backdrop for light-comedy charades. While visiting Sheila has the idea of making Jane a debutante, an idea Jane resists. Comedy is in season for The Reluctant Debutante, a rib-tickler of societal foibles and follies given spirited direction by Vincente Minnelli and featuring a full dance card of deft badinage.& **Please be aware that this is a manufactured on demand disc that was created using a DVD-R disc. Struggles bring them closer together. An anthology film consisting of three very different stories about love set in Europe and told in flashback. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. The Reluctant Debutante is a 1958 American Metrocolor comedy film in CinemaScope directed by Vincente Minnelli and produced by Pandro S. Berman from a screenplay by Julius J. Epstein and William Douglas-Home based on Douglas-Home's play of the same name. "There oughta be a law!". Even Jane Broadbent passively accepts the system. Jane is from Jimmy’s first marriage to an American and has come to visit her father and the step-mother she has never met. In 2003 the film was remade as What a Girl Wants, starring Colin Firth and Amanda Bynes. It was the second of three movies Sandra Dee and John Saxon made together. Times [London, England] 1 Jan. 1960: 13. Warner Archive has brought us a Blu-Ray with an excellent A/V presentation that allows the film to look the best it ever has. After a married woman and her lover murder her cruel husband, they find themselves targeted by someone who is aware of their crime. 3:13. Comedy is in season for The Reluctant Debutante, a rib-tickler of societal foibles and follies given spirited direction by Vincente Minnelli and featuring a full dance card of deft badinage. The … Overview System Requirements Related. Upon her banking executive father, Lord Jimmy Broadbent (Sir Rex Harrison) remarrying who is now the second Lady Broadbent, Sheila (Kay Kendall), seventeen-year-old Jane Broadbent (Sandra Dee), who has been living in the States with her American mother since the divorce, pays her father in London a visit so that she can meet Sheila. Description. Was this review helpful to you? In Washington, D.C. during World War II, Jamie Rowan enters into a loveless marriage with scientist Pat Jamieson and becomes his assistant. In HD. The setting is London's debutante season amidst the last presentation at Court in 1958. How I wish she had lived to make many more screen memories. The Times Digital Archive. 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