HERS TO HOLD

MOVIE INFORMATION:
Universal Studios – 1943
1 Hour, 34 Minutes
Black & White

MAIN CREDITS:
Producer…Felix Jackson
Director…Frank Ryan
Screenplay…Lewis Foster
Music…Charles Previn

MAIN CHARACTERS:
Penny Craig…Deanna Durbin
Bill Morley…Joseph Cotten
Judson Craig…Charles Winninger
Dorothy Craig…Nella Walker
Rosey Blake…Gus Schilling
Binns…Ludwig Stossel
Smiley…Murray Alper

MOVIE SYNOPSIS:
Penny is now the only Craig daughter still living with her parents, Judson and Dorothy. Penny decides to help the war effort by very publicly donating blood to the Red Cross. While at the hospital she meets a pilot, Bill Morley who poses as a doctor for the sole purpose of getting her address and phone number. Bill keeps phoning Penny at home, but she ignores his calls. He then decides to gate crash a party at the Craig mansion, but Penny quickly turns things around by exposing him as a phoney doctor. At the same time Penny realises that she is falling in love with him. When it comes to relationships, Bill isn’t the domesticated type, but that doesn’t stop Penny from loving him. She even gets a job at an aircraft factory where he works so she can be close to him. It isn’t long before Bill gets his orders from the Air Force and he tells Penny that they only have 48 hours left to be together, so they make the most of it. When Penny learns that one of the factory workers has just lost her husband in the war, she goes to her father and begs him to use his influence to stop Bill from leaving her. Judson refuses on the grounds that America needs men like Bill to fight to preserve the things we love. Penny receives a note from Bill telling her that their relationship was a mistake. She confronts him regarding the note, but he simply tells her that for him flying comes first. Bill’s friend, Rosey Blake learns of the break-up and decides to help heart broken Penny. At the Craig party, which Bill was meant to attend, Rosey slips a note for Penny into Binn’s hand. Binns sneaks the note into a sandwich and Penny manages to find it before it is completely eaten. The note says that Bill really does love Penny, so she rushes to the airport where she catches him just in time.

Bill Morley (Joseph Cotten) takes advantage of Penny Craig (Deanna Durbin) at the Red Cross.



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Penny gives a brilliant rendition of the Seguidilla from Bizet's CARMEN.



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Penny and Bill talk and kiss on the beach.

Begin the Beguine written by Cole Porter is brilliantly sung by Penny.

Say A Prayer For The Boys Over There written by Jimmy McHugh & Herbert Magidson is performed to the aircraft workers by Penny.



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Bill gives his reasons for giving Penny the goodbye note:

Pale Hands written by Lawrence Hope & Amy Woodforde-Findlen is such a heartfelt song performed by Penny just after she had been dumped by Bill. He later comes to his senses and takes her back!



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Some of the mistakes in HERS TO HOLD:

Bill Morley asks Penny Craig when he visits her home the second time, "How long have you lived here?" She answers, "I was born here." Yet at the start of the film at the American Red Cross, Rosey Blake has told Bill, "They're living over in Pasadena now," which suggests a fairly recent move, in which case Penny is unlikely to have been born there.

Penny doesn't always wear protective goggles when drilling at the Vega aircraft factory.

When Penny visits her father in his office his tie is crooked, but when she leaves, the tie is perfectly straight.

Deanna Durbin on the set of HERS TO HOLD.

MEMORABLE LINES:

Bill says to Rosey Blake (Gus Schilling), "Young man, there's so much you don't know. When a girl says no, she doesn't mean no, she means yes, and visa versa."

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Because Deanna Durbin played the role of an aircraft worker in HERS TO HOLD, she inspired 27 fans to take defence jobs!

An actress by the name of Hedda Hopper alleged that Deanna Durbin had an affair with Joseph Cotten. However, the accusation was completely untrue. What brought about the rumour was that both Cotten and Deanna stayed overnight at the studio without the other one knowing, only to realize it when they met the next morning at the studio cafeteria. Cotten was so outraged at Hopper's deceit that he kicked her chair out from underneath her just as she was about to sit down at a Hollywood function!



Hedda Hopper (Elda Furry) was born in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, the daughter of a butcher. In 1913 she met and married DeWolf Hopper (Wolfie). In 1915 they moved to Hollywood where they both began active film careers. He became a star with Triangle Company. She began in vamp parts and eventually turned to supporting roles. After her divorce she appeared in dozens of films, becoming known as "Queen of the Quickies." In 1936 she started a gossipy radio show and two years later commenced a 28-year stint as a newspaper gossip columnist. She changed her published birthdate from May 2, 1885 to June 2, 1890 in order to conceal her real age.

Joseph Cotten watches Deanna Durbin kiss a Lockheed Hudson Bomber during the production of HERS TO HOLD. Filming of the airport scenes had to be done on a Sunday as not to delay production and testing of war planes:



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HERS TO HOLD was the third and last movie in the Craig Family series. The original title was THREE SMART GIRLS JOIN UP, but Deanna didn't like that title because she wanted to be seen as a solo actress. Also, Deanna Durbin covers her real wedding ring with tape in some scenes and a larger ring in others.

ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS:
Best Music Song