Nonureva
Really Surprised!
Jakoba
True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.
MartinHafer
"Young at Heart" is a reworking of the 1938 film "Four Daughters", though in the process one of the daughters was inexplicably lost and so there are only three in this remake. Plus, this time it is more of a musical. Both are quite pleasant films but not a lot more.The film begins with a musical family--a father (Robert Keith), an aunt (Ethel Barrymore) and three daughters (Doris Day, Dorothy Malone and Elisabeth Fraser). They are quite happy but now that the daughters have grown, love and marriage are bringing change. Gig Young plays the sort of role you'd expect for Ralph Bellamy--the nice guy who ends up, inexplicably, losing the girl. Just like in the first film, it's really not clear WHY Doris Day's character would jilt Young for Frank Sinatra's character since he isn't particularly likable. Still, despite this central relationship and the chemistry not working, the film does make up for this, a bit, with very nice songs. Day is very good but Sinatra's theme song is among his very best, so it's hard to hate the film. However, don't be surprised at the very end of the film--it was NOT the same ending from "Four Daughters" as apparently Sinatra hated this ending and insisted it be changed. Worth seeing but not especially memorable except for the title song...now THAT is terrific.
Mary Ann
In the 1950s, musicals were at their peak. All the studios were dishing out lavish, carefree, Technicolorful musicals loaded with production numbers and talented performers.Maybe "Young at Heart" isn't very lavish or carefree, and it certainly isn't loaded with production numbers. But in the talented performers category it is way ahead. I mean, with Frank Sinatra and Doris Day, how could you go wrong? Based on "Four Daughters", the story starts off with an average, happy family. There are only three daughters this time, one of which is engaged. A second is greatly admired by the plumber. Everything looks perfect when a fun composer (Gig Young) takes a fancy to the youngest sister, Laurie (Doris Day). That is, until Barney Sloane (Frank Sinatra), a troubled bar singer comes along.In a superb cast, Sinatra's performance stands out as spectacular. He and the rest of the cast turned what would have been a mediocre melodrama (rather like "Four Daughters") into a breathtaking, emotional film. The score is great, too: songs include "One for my Baby (and One More for the Road)" and "Someone to Watch over Me".
bkoganbing
Although it is only heard sung by Frank Sinatra at the beginning and end credits of Young At Heart, the title song was both a big hit for Frank Sinatra and set the tone for a very warm and wonderful Yuletide picture.Warner Brothers already had this property, this is a remake of Four Daughters, minus a daughter, with Sinatra and Doris Day in the roles originated by John Garfield and Priscilla Lane. Doris's sisters are Dorothy Malone and Elizabeth Fraser who are all the daughters of music professor Robert Keith and all play instruments. The only non-musical member of their household is wise old maiden aunt, Ethel Barrymore.Of course Doris sings as well. But in the passing out of vocal material, Sinatra did a lot better than she did. None of her songs did anything for her vocal career. Sinatra wisely opted for standards by some of the very best. In his role as saloon singer/piano player/music arranger Frank gets to sing Just One of Those Things by Cole Porter, Someone to Watch Over Me by the brothers Gershwin and One For My Baby by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. Can't get much more talented in the song department than that group.One For My Baby was introduced by Fred Astaire in The Sky's the Limit, but when Sinatra sang it here it became forever identified with him and a staple item at all of his live performances.Sinatra and Day sang a duet You My Love at the finale. It was the song that Frank was working on through out the film. They sang it so well that you'd never know that tempers flared the entire time the film was made.During the Forties when both were at Columbia Records, Frank and Doris recorded a couple of duets together. In the interim, Sinatra moved on to Capitol records so no original cast album could be made from this soundtrack. It might not have happened anyway because back in the Forties Day spoke highly of Frank. Things cooled considerably between the two of them, among the items of contention was Day's husband Martin Melcher. Suffice it to say it was not a happy set.Still and all Young at Heart is one of the best films either of the stars did and really nice entertainment.
marilynhenry
Having just watched the original, "Four Daughters", made in 1938, I was struck by the fact that this 1954 remake follows the original script nearly word for word. And that's good because the script was excellent, with fast repartee and well-built drama. But it is unusual that a script tailored for the 1930s could still be as entertaining and relevant almost 20 years later. I have read that Warners intended the original Fannie Hurst story, "Sister Act", for a Bette Davis vehicle--it boggles the mind! Can't imagine it at all, given the story. Wise Bette turned it down, thank heavens. Instead, Warners cast the Lane sisters, Priscilla, Lola, and Rosemary, plus Gale Page as the fourth sister. (The fourth sister was dropped in "Young At Heart".) A rare case of two movies made from the same script, years apart, and of equal quality, this remake stands on its own and is just as entertaining as the original, if a little more light hearted. After all, the original had a tragic ending, which they didn't use for the remake. It is practically the only thing in the movie not a duplicate of the first movie. Even the sets look much the same. And "Young at Heart " added popular songs. Ethel Barrymore took over for May Robson, but it was the kind of caustic aunt role she had played many times. I missed Claude Raines in the newer version, but preferred Gig Young to Jeffrey Lynn. In fact, the cast of each film was really first rate. I could happily recommend either or both films!
