The Reluctant Debutante (1958)

The Reluctant Debutante - 1958

Our next film is 1958's "The Reluctant Debutante", a movie about an American girl visiting her father in London.  She's launched onto society by her well-meaning stepmother, who is careful to steer her away from young men whom she deems undesirable.  Still, the one whom she says is the most unworthy of her stepdaughter is the one the young girl desires most.

The film's excellent cast includes Rex Harrison, Kay Kendall, John Saxon, Sandra Dee, Angela Lansbury, Peter Myers, and Diane Clare.

Jimmy and Sheila Broadbent are a London-based couple who are soon to be welcoming Jimmy's daughter from his first marriage.  She's grown up in America, and Sheila is nervous about the whole situation.

Once she gets a chance to meet Jane, Sheila is much relaxed, and the feeling is mutual.

On the way home, Sheila bumps into her cousin Mabel who brags about the exhaustion she's feeling over the endless parties she attends because she is currently doing the London season with her daughter Clarissa, who is coming out that year.  Sheila gets jealous and decides right then and there to have Jane come out as well.

And so begins an exhaustive round of dinners and dances they must attend in order for people to attend Jane's own ball later in the Season.  It's also Sheila's mission to find Jane a nice, suitable man to settle down with.

And Mabel is on hand to cast her eye over every move Sheila and Jane make.

At her first ball, Jane dances with a young man named David Parkson.  The two are very attracted to one another, and Jane begins to have a good time.

Jane also likes that David is a drummer with the band that comes on for the second music set.

But Mabel is there to fill Jimmy and Sheila's heads with tales of the ruthless behavior of David Parkson and how no girl is safe with him.  It's all a case of mistaken identity, of course, and none of it is true, but that doesn't stop Sheila from wanting to find Jane someone more suitable.

The next day, David and Jane meet at a restaurant.  Jane tells him that her parents don't approve of him, but she does.  David tells her that his great-uncle in Italy is dying and he's got to go and be with him for a couple of weeks.  Over the course of the meeting, David and Jane become closer.

In David's absence, Jane goes blandly through the motions of dancing at the balls to make Sheila happy.  Jimmy can hardly stand upright as he's so exhausted from being out late every night.

After getting what she thinks is another man's phone number from her cousin Mabel, Sheila rings him up and invites him for dinner.  Only, it's not the man she's thinking.  It's David Parkson (a trick played by Mabel who wants the other man for her own daughter).  David agrees to come to dinner.  Jane thinks it's the other guy and isn't at all thrilled at the prospect of spending the evening with him.

When David comes for drinks later, Sheila is left scratching her head trying to figure out just how he came to be invited.  Jane is thrilled.

During the conversation, David starts talking about a particular subject he and Jane had previously discussed.  This only makes Jane realize that David is the guy for her.  Sheila isn't at all sure of what's going on.

Jane and David stare at each other, both feeling that each is right for the other.

When dancing begins, Jimmy and Sheila are left at the table and try to piece together how David Parkson came to be there that evening.  It's a highly amusing scene in which Sheila and Jimmy talk frustratingly in circles around each other.  Jimmy finally works out that Mabel gave them the wrong number on purpose.

Sheila tells Jimmy that they mustn't let Jane and David be alone.  However, during the National Anthem, the two slip away as the rest of those gathered stand at attention.

Back at their apartment, Sheila is sure that all sorts of terrible things are happening to Jane.  Jimmy tries to calm her down.

When they see David's car pull up to the building, Sheila relaxes, but still wants to know what's going on.  She enacts an elaborate plan which involves hiding in the kitchen.  She tries desperately to have Jimmy follow what she's doing, but he can't understand why she's doing it.  Wanting to find out if she can hear from the closed door of the kitchen, she tells Jimmy, "Now, you make some passion noises, and I'll nip in there and see if I can hear what you're saying.  Oh, Jimmy, isn't this tremendous fun?"

When David and Jane are alone, they come to realize they love one another, but still can't see a way around Sheila.  David also tells her that when he was in Italy his great-uncle died and he is now the Duke of Positano, an heir to a fortune plus substantial Italian estates.

Jimmy reads the story in the newspaper the next morning.  He and Jane deliberately keep the identity of the Duke of Positano a secret from Sheila.

They ask her to invite him to Jane's ball that evening.  She rings him up and invites him.  He readily says yes, but doesn't reveal his true identity.

While in the receiving line that evening, Sheila is shocked to see David.  She tells Jimmy to have him thrown out.  Jimmy makes some motions towards David and returns to the line.

They are greeted by Mabel and her daughter, and they exchange pleasantries.

When "His Grace The Duke of Positano" is announced, Sheila turns, and to her great surprise, sees David Parkson standing there.

He thanks Sheila for inviting him.  Sheila still can't quite believe what's happening.

David sweeps Jane into his arms and they move about the dance floor.

With a quizzical look on her face, Sheila faces Jimmy, who follows David's example and begins dancing with his wife.

Cast rundown:

   Rex Harrison...............................Jimmy, Lord Broadbent

   Kay Kendall.................................Sheila, Lady Broadbent

   John Saxon.................................David Parkson

   Sandra Dee.................................Jane Broadbent

   Angela Lansbury..........................Mabel, Lady Claremont

   Peter Myers.................................David Fenner

   Diane Clare.................................Clarissa Claremont

And that's it for The Reluctant Debutante.  The chemistry between real-life husband and wife Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall is so good.  The way they play off of each other is nothing short of a pleasure to watch.  Kay was actually very ill during the filming, suffering from leukemia.  She was never told the true nature of her illness, believing herself to suffer from an iron deficiency.  This film was remade in 2003 as "What A Girl Wants".

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