It's another Christmas holiday for Deanna Durbin, and this time, she's got a fun script and the perfect atmosphere. She's just passing 125th Street when she witnesses a man being bludgeoned with a crowbar. Reading a murder mystery novel at the time before she glances out at East Harlem, she is full of ideas of how to solve the crime on her own. Through the aide and blockage of a superb supporting cast, Durbin turns this into a very entertaining mystery comedy with a few songs added. Coming from the A unit of a B grade studio that specialized in similar situations in their bottom of the bill programmers, this is the type of crowd pleaser that I will be reminded of every time I walk underneath the trestle at 125th and Park Avenue, just down the street from where I live.
Durbin is continuing to play the ambitious "Little Miss Fix It" whose determination to become involved in her favorite passion (crime solving) and becoming a thorn of the sides of everyone she crosses. There's David Bruce, the poor mystery novelist he stalks; Patricia Morison, a glamorous actress. Jacqueline De Witt as his Eve Arden like secretary; Edward Everett Horton as her father's nervous assistant; Elizabeth Patterson as the imperious sister of the murder victim (Thurston Hall), and William Frawley as a harassed cop. Crashing the reading of Hall's will, she becomes involved more than she intended, encountering Ralph Bellamy as Hall's flip nephew and Dan Duryea as his seemingly shady brother, Maria Palmer as a nightclub singer who got more than just flowers from the deceased, with Allen Jenkins as the chauffeur, all a bit suspicious as potential suspects.
With a cast like this (which I've edited due to space issues), it seems a bit overstuffed by talent, yet the spooky atmosphere mixed with comedy makes this a top of the line variation of "The Cat and the Canary" theme. Durbin once again proves what an able comedian she could be, whether pretending to be a comfy chair (complete with seat cover) or giving a hard time to the always in the wrong spot Horton. She sings a Beautiful version of "Silent Night" during a call to her unseen father as the sinister Jenkins stalks her. She then sings a sultry "Gimme a Little Kiss" at a nightclub after locking Palmer in her closet. This is one of Durbin's best films, certainly close to the top as she began to wrap up her film career. A perfect rainy day diversion for any season, actually night or day.
Durbin is continuing to play the ambitious "Little Miss Fix It" whose determination to become involved in her favorite passion (crime solving) and becoming a thorn of the sides of everyone she crosses. There's David Bruce, the poor mystery novelist he stalks; Patricia Morison, a glamorous actress. Jacqueline De Witt as his Eve Arden like secretary; Edward Everett Horton as her father's nervous assistant; Elizabeth Patterson as the imperious sister of the murder victim (Thurston Hall), and William Frawley as a harassed cop. Crashing the reading of Hall's will, she becomes involved more than she intended, encountering Ralph Bellamy as Hall's flip nephew and Dan Duryea as his seemingly shady brother, Maria Palmer as a nightclub singer who got more than just flowers from the deceased, with Allen Jenkins as the chauffeur, all a bit suspicious as potential suspects.
With a cast like this (which I've edited due to space issues), it seems a bit overstuffed by talent, yet the spooky atmosphere mixed with comedy makes this a top of the line variation of "The Cat and the Canary" theme. Durbin once again proves what an able comedian she could be, whether pretending to be a comfy chair (complete with seat cover) or giving a hard time to the always in the wrong spot Horton. She sings a Beautiful version of "Silent Night" during a call to her unseen father as the sinister Jenkins stalks her. She then sings a sultry "Gimme a Little Kiss" at a nightclub after locking Palmer in her closet. This is one of Durbin's best films, certainly close to the top as she began to wrap up her film career. A perfect rainy day diversion for any season, actually night or day.