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The Reluctant Debutante ()


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While visiting her father, an American teenage girl is thrown into London society during its "Debutante Season."

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Complete, Cast awaiting verification

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Jimmy Broadbent
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Sheila Broadbent
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David Parkson
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Jane Broadbent
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Mabel Claremont
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David Fenner
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Clarissa Claremont
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
René Aranda ...
Quaglino Diner (uncredited)
Georges Billy ...
Quaglino Diner (uncredited)
Jean-Paul Blonday ...
Quaglino Diner (uncredited)
Charles Cullum ...
English Colonel (uncredited)
Henri Guégan ...
Man at the Airport (uncredited)
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(uncredited)
Carl Jablonski ...
Dancer (uncredited)
Roger LaVern ...
Soldier on Guard (uncredited)
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Miss Grey (uncredited)
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Broadbents' Maid (uncredited)
Michel Thomas ...
Quaglino Diner (uncredited)
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Quaglino Diner (uncredited)

Directed by

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Vincente Minnelli

Written by

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William Douglas-Home ... (screen play) (as William Douglas Home)
 
William Douglas-Home ... (play) (as William Douglas Home)
 
Julius J. Epstein ... (writer) (uncredited)

Produced by

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Pandro S. Berman ... producer
Kathryn Hereford ... associate producer

Cinematography by

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Joseph Ruttenberg ... director of photography

Editing by

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Adrienne Fazan

Art Direction by

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Jean d'Eaubonne

Set Decoration by

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Robert Christidès

Makeup Department

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John Truwe ... makeup artist
Jean Paul Ulysse ... makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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William McGarry ... assistant director

Sound Department

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Guy Rophé ... sound mixer
Guy Villette ... sound assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Helen Rose ... wardrobe: Sandra Dee

Music Department

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Eddie Warner and His Orchestra ... dance music by
Eddie Warner ... music arranger: dance music
Jeff Alexander ... composer: stock music (uncredited)
David Buttolph ... composer: stock music (uncredited)
Bronislau Kaper ... composer: stock music (uncredited)
Crew believed to be complete

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Upon her banking executive father, Lord Jimmy Broadbent (Sir Rex Harrison) remarrying the second Lady Broadbent, Sheila (Kay Kendall), 17-year-old Jane Broadbent (Sandra Dee), who has been living in the States with her American mother since the divorce, pays her father a visit in London to meet Sheila. Her 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 suitable mates and marry. As her first act of being Jane's British stepmother, Sheila wants Jane to come out along with all her British peers. Sheila believes that someone like, if not David Fenner (Peter Myers) himself, a guard at Buckingham Palace, would be a suitable mate for Jane, but 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 Fenner. In turn, Fenner doesn't seem to know that Clarissa as a potential mate even exists while he sets his sights on Jane. That doesn't stop Clarissa's scheming mother, Mabel Claremont (Dame Angela Lansbury), from preventing anything from happening between Fenner and Jane so that Clarissa can end up with Fenner. Instead, Jane seems to be falling for 23-year-old David Parkson (John Saxon), an Italian-American working as a drummer; his band plays at many of the social events among this circle. It isn't so much that he is a drummer, but Sheila buys into the rumors of David Parkson having been untoward to fellow deb Brenda Bassington in viewing him as unsuitable courting material for Jane. While he does what he needs to to appease his wife, Jimmy can see beyond the rumors eventually to get to the truth, specifically when he learns that Jane and Parkson, who he truly likes, are indeed in love. Jimmy must find a way to make Sheila see the truth about Parkson, just telling her which he knows will not do the trick. Written by Huggo

Plot Keywords
Taglines MGM presents the Comedy-Romance in luscious COLOR! See more »
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Parents Guide View content advisory »
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Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Qu'est-ce que maman comprend à l'amour! (France)
  • Mamá nos complica la vida (Spain)
  • Hvad ved mor om kærlighed? (Denmark)
  • Vad vet mamma om kärlek? (Sweden)
  • Qu'est-ce que maman comprend à l'amour? (Canada, French title)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 94 min
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Did You Know?

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Trivia For years, John Saxon said he had been bothered by something about Sandra Dee during filming that he just couldn't put his finger on. Decades later he figured out what it was: Sandra's mother had lied about her age to get her more adult roles. Sandra was only 14 years old at the time of filming. See more »
Goofs The date for Jane's ball is shown onscreen as being scheduled for a Monday. However in a scene set on a day that is stated to be the day before Jane's ball, Jimmy gets dressed to go to work. Jimmy is a banker. The day before the ball would have been a Sunday, when his bank would have been closed. Another clue that the filmmaker forgot which day the ball was on is that Jimmy complains he hasn't slept since Sunday. See more »
Movie Connections Referenced in Naked All-Star Bowling Competition (1982). See more »
Soundtracks Main Title See more »
Quotes Sheila Broadbent: No, darling, it's Jane. She's no good with men. She doesn't know any, and she doesn't want to know any.
Jimmy Broadbent: Well, she's a wise girl.
Sheila Broadbent: Oh, darling, it isn't funny. Now, you've got to talk to her.
Jimmy Broadbent: Talk to her? Why should I?
Sheila Broadbent: Well, because you're a man, and you can tell her what the young men want.
Jimmy Broadbent: [leering undertone] My dear!
Sheila Broadbent: Oh, don't be silly, darling, of course you can. I'm sure they don't change that much.
Jimmy Broadbent: No, you bet they don't.
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