(aka 100 Men and a Girl)
In this peculiar but charming feature, Deanna Durbin’s most popular film of the Depression era, the child-star plays the daughter of a poor and unemployed violinist (Adolphe Menjou) whose friends are also out of work. Determined to find work for him and 99 of his closest friends, Durbin solves all the problems. She maneuvers 100 unemployed musicians, led by herself, into an encounter with Leopold Stokowski (played by himself).
Their performance of Liszt’s “Second Hungarian Rhapsody” wins Stokowski over, and as a result, he becomes their conductor.
The film combines classical music as well as songs especially written for Durbin.
Oscar Nominations
Universal
Picture, produced by Charles R. Rogers and Joe Pasternak
Original Story: Hans Kraly
Score: Charles Previn, as head of Universal’s Music Department
Sound Recording: Homer G. Tasker
Film Editing: Bernard W. Burton
Oscar Awards
Score
Oscar Context
In 1937, the Best Picture Oscar went to Warner’s noble biopicture, “The Life of Emile Zola.”
William A. Wellman and Robert Carson received the Story Oscar for “A Star Is Born;” Thomas Moulton won the Sound Oscar for “Hurricane;” and Gene Milton won the Editing award for Frank Capra’s “Lost Horizon.”
Deanna Durbin’s contribution to the film and to Universal’s welfare during the Depression was recognized by the Academy with an Honorary Oscar.