The house fairy

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Movie
German title The house fairy
Original title His Butler's Sister
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1943
length 94 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Frank Borzage
script Samuel Hoffenstein ,
Elizabeth Reinhardt
production Felix Jackson
music Hans Salter
camera Elwood Bredell
cut Ted J. Kent
occupation

The Stubenfee (Original title: His Butler's Sister ) is an American comedy film by Frank Borzage from 1943.

action

Theater composer Charles Gerard feels harassed by people who want to convince him of their acting and singing skills in order to gain a foothold on Broadway. During a train ride, the singer Ann Carter tries to get to him, but she looks for the wrong compartment and sings to a perplexed sales representative for corsetry. Once in New York, Ann wants to visit her older half-brother Martin, who has told her that he is a respected businessman. In reality, Martin is composer Charles' butler, who thinks Ann is the new maid expected. With the help of the cook Severina, Ann forces her half-brother to also employ her as a maid. Martin's friends immediately start showing an interest in her.

Charles gives a party to which the theater producer Mortimer Kalb is also invited. Other guests include theater agent Fields, Lady Sloughberry and Elizabeth Campbell, friend of Charles. Elizabeth doesn't like Charles acquaintances and tries to get him to stop composing for the next Broadway show and move with her to Maine. The next morning he orders Martin to fire Ann. Ann now wants to audition for Charles, who mistakenly thinks her singing is a radio show. Ann now tries the producer Kalb, who is less interested in her voice than more in her character. Charles goes to Kalb to tell him that he wants to stop. Ann tells him he won't be happy if he gives up his career.

In the evening Ann is invited to a birthday party for Popoff, one of Martin's friends. At the party in a Russian restaurant, she is offered many housekeeping jobs. Ann entertains the guests with a medley of Russian songs. At that very moment, Charles appears in the restaurant. He explains to her that he agrees with her arguments and will finish composing Kalb's show. Charles and Ann begin to fall in love, but Martin fears that the composer will only play with his sister. He tells Charles that his sister would only use him to boost her own career. Charles ends his relationship with Ann and returns to Maine with Elizabeth. Martin is also fired by Charles, but he is able to convince his sister to stay in New York instead of traveling home to rural Indiana.

The two siblings go to a domestic servants' ball. Charles is turned away at the entrance as he is known as a composer. Only when he pretends to be Severina's cousin is he allowed in. Severina informs her boss about the relationship between Martin and Ann. Upon hearing Ann's singing, Charles realizes that it's her voice he's been looking for on the show all along. Charles and Ann find each other again.

background

The US premiere took place on November 26, 1943. The film was released in Germany on December 14, 1948. It was also broadcast on German television under the title Lied zu schiftken .

The special effects are from John P. Fulton .

Reviews

The lexicon of international films described the film as a "romantic dream factory comedy with poor plot and appealing musical interludes". Variety praised the film as "cleverly thought out, with a good pace and excellent actors". Bosley Crowther of the New York Times, however, criticized the sugar-sweet story of the film, which slips into a Cinderella fairy tale. The fragile script makes the nice vocal parts of Deanna Durbin plausible.

Awards

Bernard B. Brown was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Sound category at the 1945 Academy Awards.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The room fairy. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed June 4, 2019 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  2. ↑ See His Butler's Sister . In: Variety , 1943.
  3. ↑ Bosley Crowther : 'His Butler's Sister,' a Light Comedy With Music, Starring Deanna Durbin, Has Its First Showing Here at the Criterion . In: The New York Times , December 30, 1943.