Daughters Courageous

1939 film by Michael Curtiz

June 23, 1939 (1939-06-23)

Running time

107 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglish

Daughters Courageous is a 1939 American drama film starring John Garfield, Claude Rains, Jeffrey Lynn and featuring the Lane Sisters: Lola Lane, Rosemary Lane and Priscilla Lane. Based on the play Fly Away Home by Dorothy Bennett and Irving White, the film was directed by Michael Curtiz. It was released by Warner Bros. on June 23, 1939.

Plot

Freewheeling Jim Masters returns home after a 20-year absence, during which he was declared dead, to find that his wife, Nancy, is about to marry Sam Sloane, a stable local man in Carmel, California. She must now choose between her ex-husband and her new fiancé. The Masters daughters are also upset that their irresponsible father has re-entered their lives after so long an absence. Meanwhile, the youngest daughter, Buff, is drawn to tough-guy Gabriel Lopez, a man that reminds Jim Masters of himself.

Cast

John Garfield as Gabriel Lopez
Claude Rains as Jim Masters
Jeffrey Lynn as Johnny Heming
Fay Bainter as Nancy Masters
Donald Crisp as Sam Sloane
May Robson as Penny
Frank McHugh as George
Dick Foran as Eddie Moore
Priscilla Lane as Buff Masters
Rosemary Lane as Tinka Masters
Lola Lane as Linda Masters
Gale Page as Cora Masters
George Humbert as Manuel Lopez
Berton Churchill as Judge Henry Hornsby

'Four Daughters' film series

Daughters Courageous was made as a stand-alone film, and its characters do not appear in any other film. However, it has much in common with the "Four Daughters" film series of that era, with the same director, largely the same cast (including the Lane sisters) and many similarities in subject matter. The series consists of 1938's Four Daughters, the 1939 film Four Wives, and 1941's Four Mothers.

Reception

Frank S. Nugent of The New York Times called the film " a thoroughly pleasant entertainment—howbeit reminiscent—with a thoroughly pleasant cast to grace it."^[1] Variety wrote: "Few of the situations can stand up under too close scrutiny, but the flavor of the film as a whole is entertaining, amusing, and occasionally emotional."^[2] Harrison's Reports called it "Good entertainment ... Although it is not as impressive as 'Four Daughters,' it nevertheless holds one's attention well, since one is in sympathy with all the characters."^[3] Film Daily called it "A production with a high voltage of sentimental of romantic appeal" with a "super-duper" cast.^[4] John Mosher of The New Yorker wrote that Garfield added "a touch of color or adventuresome liveliness" to help along the story, but found "a quantity of bungalow patter that wears one down at times" and "a slight dullness" to the picture.^[5]

Home media

Warner Archive released the film on DVD on August 1, 2011. The film was also released by Warner Archive in the "Four Daughters Movie Series Collection".

References

^ Nugent, Frank S. (June 24, 1939). "Movie Review – Daughters Courageous". The New York Times. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
^ "Film Reviews". Variety. New York: Variety, Inc. June 21, 1939. p. 16.
^ "Daughters Courageous". Harrison's Reports. New York: Harrison's Reports, Inc.: 103 July 1, 1939.
^ "Reviews". Film Daily. New York: Wid's Films and Film Folk, Inc.: 6 June 16, 1939.
^ Mosher, John (June 24, 1939). "The Current Cinema". The New Yorker. New York: F-R Publishing Corp. p. 80.