The Reluctant Debutante

Released Aug 14, 1958

1 hr. 34 min.

Comedy

List

50%

6 Reviews

Tomatometer

73%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Jane Broadbent (Sandra Dee) is an independent-minded teenager who moves to London to live with her aristocratic father, Jimmy (Rex Harrison), and stepmother, Sheila (Kay Kendall). Jimmy and Sheila insist that Jane attend a coming-out ball and try to marry into high society. However, Jane is uninterested in her potential suitors, including the stuck-up David Fenner (Peter Myers), and soon falls for David Parkson (John Saxon), an American drummer with a bad reputation.

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Joan L

I was very disappointed. Really stupid movie.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/25/24

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie is horrific and triggering for anyone who has been through sexual assault. It's actually PLAYED FOR LAUGHS and NO ONE CARES. The whole thing flat out has someone say that all men would do that given the opportunity and the guy who does it REPEATEDLY 'for laughs' actually ends up with someone at the end and with zero comeuppance. And literally everything could have been avoided in the plot if any of the characters respected anything anyone else had to say. You could just as easily call this 'Worst Parents Award'. If you like this movie you should really examine if you think women are even people and you disgust me.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

steve d

Cut but forgettable film.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Tom M

Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall always excelled at subtle comedy. They're both great here. Kendall never looked lovelier.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/02/20

Full Review

Audience Member

Worst crap film from the 50's. Not even good background filler until the stock market opens. Looked like everyone was collecting a check and just walking through the film until payday. This after the Mayer days when MGM was on the decline. Film was a tax shelter scam for Harrison. Hope they burn the only remaining print. And psychologically examine the 76% that liked it.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/11/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Was light and entertaining. Basically just the sort of romantic comedy of errors I would expect from the time/

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

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Vincente Minnelli

Director

Rex Harrison

Jimmy Broadbent

Kay Kendall

Sheila Broadbent

Sandra Dee

Jane Broadbent

John Saxon

David Parkson

Peter Myers

David Fenner

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

A comedy with bursts of inspired lunacy.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 14, 2020

Full Review

Clyde Gilmour

Maclean's Magazine

There are some quite funny moments in this American comedy about high-society folderol in London, but the pace is often sluggish and the atmosphere strained.

Nov 11, 2019

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

A vintage drawing-room comedy that's flimsy, lacks any edge and plays out as an exercise in high style Brit comedy.

Rated: C+

May 14, 2007

Full Review

Steve Crum

Video-Reviewmaster.com

Pedestrian Minneli comedy headlining Rex Harrison.

Rated: 3/5

May 9, 2007

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Minnelli's comedy about the British upper class is one of his least successful films due to incongruous casting of all-American Sandra Dee as the daughter of Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall.

Rated: C

Apr 25, 2007

Full Review

Michael E. Grost

Classic Film and Television

Visually creative comedy-love story.

Aug 26, 2006

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Jane Broadbent (Sandra Dee) is an independent-minded teenager who moves to London to live with her aristocratic father, Jimmy (Rex Harrison), and stepmother, Sheila (Kay Kendall). Jimmy and Sheila insist that Jane attend a coming-out ball and try to marry into high society. However, Jane is uninterested in her potential suitors, including the stuck-up David Fenner (Peter Myers), and soon falls for David Parkson (John Saxon), an American drummer with a bad reputation.

Director: Vincente Minnelli
Screenwriter: William Douglas-Home, Julius J. Epstein
Distributor: MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 14, 1958, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2009

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