SPRING PARADE

MOVIE INFORMATION:
Universal Studios – 1940
1 Hour, 29 Minutes
Black & White

MAIN CREDITS:
Producer…Joe Pasternak
Director…Henry Koster
Screenplay…Bruce Manning
Music…Charles Previn

MAIN CHARACTERS:
Ilonka Tolnay…Deanna Durbin
Harry Marten…Robert Cummings
Ladislaus Teschek...Szoke Sakall
Jenny…Anne Gwynne
Franz Josef…Henry Stephenson
Peasant…Mischa Auer
Von Zimmerl...Samuel Hinds
Count Zorndorf...Allyn Joslyn
Max...Butch
Moritz...Buddy

MOVIE SYNOPSIS:
Ilonka Tolnay is a pretty peasant girl from the mountains on her way to the fair to sell her goat. At the fair there is a fortune teller who uses a raven to select fortunes for anyone willing to pay six pennies. Ilonka pays the price for one of the fortunes which says that she will meet her true love in the city of Vienna. Ilonka has no intentions of travelling to Vienna so she demands her money back, but the fortune teller refuses to give her a refund. Meanwhile, Ilonka spots a peasant man checking out her goat. They really haggle over the price, but eventually compromise and a deal is struck. The man then suggests a dance competition and the winner to take it all. Ilonka wins, but is so exhausted that she falls asleep on a hay cart which starts moving away. When Ilonka wakes up she learns from the driver that she is close to the city of Vienna. She now believes that her fortune is coming true and decides to stay at the home of the driver who is a Polish baker. Ilonka is put to work at the shop with Jenny and the baker’s two naughty nephews. An army drummer, Harry Marten, who is smitten with Jenny, writes a note meant for her, but the baker’s nephews give it to Ilonka by mistake. The note is for a rendezvous with Harry and Ilonka falls in love with him when she learns that he composes music. Ilonka puts Harry’s music score into a pastry destined for the Emperor which causes the baker to be put in jail. Ilonka eventually arranges an audience with the Emperor to clear the baker’s name. Both Ilonka and the baker get invitations to the palace ball where she sings Harry’s music composition much to the delight of the Emperor.

It's Foolish But It's Fun written by Gus Kahn & Robert Stolz is a great opening song for SPRING PARADE. The lyrics and tune reflect the personality of Ilonka Tolnay (Deanna Durbin) and sets the mood for the rest of the movie.



Ilonka is dressed as a Hungarian peasant maid. She wears a green velvet skirt with red, yellow, blue, and gold embroidery, and a peasant blouse laced with orange ribbon. She also owns a pair of red leather boots!!

At the fair, Ilonka meets a fortune teller (Edward Gargan).



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Ilonka and Gustav (Mischa Auer) dance the Czardas at the fair.



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Deanna Durbin's performance of The Blue Danube Dream written by Johann Strauss & Gus Kahn & Hans Salter is one of the many highlights of SPRING PARADE.

When Ilonka has her first date with Harry Marten (Robert Cummings), she beautifully performs the wonderful songs When April Sings and Waltzing In The Clouds written by Gus Kahn & Robert Stolz.

Ladislaus Teschek (Szoke Sakall) is arrested on the the charge of attempting to poison the Emperor.

Ilonka, with the help of Count Zorndorf (Allyn Joslyn) speaks to Wiedlemeyer (Franklin Pangborn) to arrange an audience with the Emperor.



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Ilonka makes a full confession to the Emperor (Henry Stephenson).



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Ilonka sings Waltzing In The Clouds again, but this time for the Emperor.

MEMORABLE LINES:

Jenny (Anne Gwynne) says to Ilonka, "Men haven't changed since Adam; each one thinks he's the only one on earth!"

These are the two mistakes in SPRING PARADE:

While Ilonka argues with the fortune teller at the fair, the same wagon passes by twice from the same direction.

When Ilonka sits down on a stool at the fair, her dress rises up and is partly crumpled at the hem, but the next camera shot shows the hem completely straight.

Deanna Durbin lets Robert Cummings sample a pretzel from the movie set bakery during a break in the filming of SPRING PARADE:

SPRING PARADE has some impressive statistics. There were 4000 people in the cast. In the very last scene when Deanna Durbin is dancing with Robert Cummings, it makes use of the largest indoor sound stage ever constructed at that time!!!

This is a photo of Deanna Durbin taking a break during the filming of SPRING PARADE:

Deanna Durbin with her mother and sister on the set of SPRING PARADE:

Deanna Durbin looking at the script of SPRING PARADE:

Deanna Durbin having some fun between shooting scenes of SPRING PARADE:

Deanna Durbin and Robert Cummings on their way to lunch during the production of SPRING PARADE.

On the 19th of July, 1940, Shirley Temple visited Deanna Durbin on the set of SPRING PARADE. Deanna had invited Shirley to visit her at Universal Studios. During a break between scenes, Deanna and Shirley enjoyed ice-cream sodas. After the visit, Shirley said: "I didn't think it was so much fun to watch pictures being made. It's fun to sit behind the cameras and not worry about anything!"



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Deanna Durbin has her picture taken by Henry Koster during the production of Spring Parade:

Deanna Durbin waiting to perform in the final scene of SPRING PARADE:

Deanna reading to Butch & Buddy during a break in the filming of SPRING PARADE:



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Deanna Durbin with Robert Cummings in sunny California waiting to shoot a scene in SPRING PARADE:

Promotional shot of Deanna Durbin with Robert Cummings:

Deanna Durbin & Vaughn Paul arrive together for the Hollywood preview of SPRING PARADE:



SPRING PARADE is a remake of FRUHJAHRSPARADE which was released in 1935.

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ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS:
Best Sound Recording
Best Music Score
Best Music Song
Best Cinematography