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Four Daughters

Play trailer Poster for Four Daughters 1938 1h 30m Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 9 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
The Lemp daughters -- Ann (Priscilla Lane), Kay (Rosemary Lane), Thea (Lola Lane) and Emma (Gale Page) -- belong to a family of talented musicians, with their father, Adam (Claude Rains), at the helm. To bring in extra income, the Lemps rent rooms in the house, which brings in composer Felix Deitz (Jeffrey Lynn) and pianist Mickey Borden (John Garfield). Since the daughters are all of marrying age and the men are bachelors, complications arise when love enters the household.

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Four Daughters

Critics Reviews

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John Kinloch California Eagle 10/31/2019
It presents Miss Priscilla Lane... in a tender and beautiful performance. Go to Full Review
Ann Ross Maclean's Magazine 07/22/2019
Light diet with good roughage. Go to Full Review
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 03/09/2011
B
A typical, sentimental small-town family melodrama of the 1930s, with one exception: John Garfield in a stunning screen debut as a brooding outsider. Go to Full Review
Daniel Eagan Film Journal International 05/12/2005
3/5
Exemplary Warners hokum about sisters' romances Go to Full Review
Steve Crum Kansas City Kansan 10/23/2004
3/5
Rains carries this Warner tugger Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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bill t @Spuzz 12/20/2022 Somewhat soapoperaish melodrama about, yes, 4 daughters / sisters that are of age that they have to make up their mind about their careers and marriage. Some are more successful than others. I found this movie took forever to get to the main plot, before that was neverending character development and hoo-hooing with the other characters and not building up any momentum until the second half, until everyone just suddenly decides and we see everything happen all at once almost. It's not bad, but certainly not the best you can do. See more 12/26/2021 It isn't hard to see why frequent moviegoers in 1938, wise to the formulas of most movies, would have found FOUR DAUGHTERS a fresh and surprising picture. The story of four musical sisters and their romantic problems begins as conventionally as any Deanna Durbin musical but quickly evolves into an absorbing romantic melodrama. Director Michael Curtiz keeps all four actresses bubbling sweetly and predictably, but when Jeffrey Lynn enters the picture trouble begins. Though one sister is engaged and another nearly so, all four in some way become smitten by this young musician. Then the script tops itself (and electrified audiences) by introducing a further complication named John Garfield. Cynical, depressive, darkly attractive and clearly a New York 'ethnic' type, Garfield is in every way the opposite of tall, handsome, WASPy Jeffrey Lynn, who in any other picture would probably have made more of an impression. Though friends, the men vie for Priscilla Lane, whose unaffected acting style creates a nice tension with both actors. Believing it best for her sister, Priscilla marries the wrong man, at once confounding and satisfying audience expectations. Halfway through this film you are apt to wonder what will happen next and how events will play out, which is not what you expect from the sunny opening. Garfield's success overshadowed every other good thing about this film. Clearly Warners' thought they had a successor to Jimmy Cagney. In fact they had the forerunner of Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan, Montgomery Clift, Brando and James Dean, though Garfield was warmer and more likable than any of those. See more 11/07/2021 This is a very cute movie. I love the actors and the story was sad but sweet See more 03/08/2021 Four Daughters and its follow-up Daughters Courageous are entertaining domestic drama-musicals that are deftly directed by the great Michael Curtiz and contain entertaining performances by the Lane sisters, particularly the vastly under-appreciated Priscilla Lane. Four Daughters was also the picture that propelled John Garfield's career. See more Frances H 11/12/2020 I remember seeing this film as a child when we watched the 20 am movie on TV in the summer with a late breakfast. It's a bit corny, but still an interesting film with very good actors--in fact some of my favorites--Claude Rains, Priscilla Lane and John Garfield, not to mention the great character actress who played Aunt Effie, May Robson. See more steve d 07/23/2020 Everyone involved does a great job. See more Read all reviews
Four Daughters

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Movie Info

Synopsis The Lemp daughters -- Ann (Priscilla Lane), Kay (Rosemary Lane), Thea (Lola Lane) and Emma (Gale Page) -- belong to a family of talented musicians, with their father, Adam (Claude Rains), at the helm. To bring in extra income, the Lemps rent rooms in the house, which brings in composer Felix Deitz (Jeffrey Lynn) and pianist Mickey Borden (John Garfield). Since the daughters are all of marrying age and the men are bachelors, complications arise when love enters the household.
Director
Michael Curtiz
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Genre
Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 9, 1938, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 20, 2016
Runtime
1h 30m
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