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Daughters Courageous
Daughters Courageous
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Michael Curtiz
Screenplay by	Julius J. Epstein; Philip G. Epstein
Based on	Fly Away Home; 1935 play; by Dorothy Bennett; Irving White
Produced by	Henry Blanke; Hal B. Wallis
Starring	John Garfield; Claude Rains; Jeffrey Lynn; Fay Bainter
Cinematography	James Wong Howe
Edited by	Ralph Dawson
Music by	Max Steiner
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date	June 23, 1939;
Running time	107 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Daughters Courageous is a 1939 American drama film starring John Garfield, Claude Rains, Jeffrey Lynn and featuring the Lane Sisters: Lola, Rosemary and Priscilla. Based on the play Fly Away Home by Dorothy Bennett and Irving White, the film was directed by Michael Curtiz. It was released by Warner Bros. on June 23, 1939.

Plot

Charismatic Jim Masters returns home to Carmel, California, after a globe-roaming 20-year absence to find that his wife, Nancy, is about to marry Sam Sloane, a dull pillar of the local community. The four Masters daughters are also upset that their irresponsible father has re-entered their lives after so long away. Meanwhile, the youngest, Buff, has grown cold on her playwright boyfriend and is drawn to malcontent Gabriel Lopez, whose irrepressible wanderlust reminds Jim Masters of himself.

Both women must choose between passion and stability. Each opts for a security.

Cast

John Garfield as Gabriel Lopez
Claude Rains as Jim Masters
Jeffrey Lynn as Johnny Heming
Fay Bainter as Nancy Masters
Donald Crisp as Sam Sloane
May Robson as Penny
Frank McHugh as George
Dick Foran as Eddie Moore
Priscilla Lane as Buff Masters
Rosemary Lane as Tinka Masters
Lola Lane as Linda Masters
Gale Page as Cora Masters
George Humbert as Manuel Lopez
Berton Churchill as Judge Henry Hornsby

Production

Daughters Courageous was made as a stand-alone film, and its characters do not appear in any other film. However, it has much in common with the "Four Daughters" film series of that era, with the same director, largely the same cast (including the Lane sisters) and many similarities in subject matter. The series consists of 1938's Four Daughters, the 1939 film Four Wives, and 1941's Four Mothers.

Reception

Frank S. Nugent of The New York Times called the film " a thoroughly pleasant entertainment—howbeit reminiscent—with a thoroughly pleasant cast to grace it."^[1] Variety wrote: "Few of the situations can stand up under too close scrutiny, but the flavor of the film as a whole is entertaining, amusing, and occasionally emotional."^[2] Harrison's Reports called it "Good entertainment ... Although it is not as impressive as 'Four Daughters,' it nevertheless holds one's attention well, since one is in sympathy with all the characters."^[3] Film Daily called it "A production with a high voltage of sentimental of romantic appeal" with a "super-duper" cast.^[4] John Mosher of The New Yorker wrote that Garfield added "a touch of color or adventuresome liveliness" to help along the story, but found "a quantity of bungalow patter that wears one down at times" and "a slight dullness" to the picture.^[5]

Home media

Warner Archive released the film on DVD on August 1, 2011. The film was also released by Warner Archive in the "Four Daughters Movie Series Collection".

References

^ Nugent, Frank S. (June 24, 1939). "Movie Review – Daughters Courageous". The New York Times. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
^ "Film Reviews". Variety. New York: Variety, Inc. June 21, 1939. p. 16.
^ "Daughters Courageous". Harrison's Reports. New York: Harrison's Reports, Inc.: 103 July 1, 1939.
^ "Reviews". Film Daily. New York: Wid's Films and Film Folk, Inc.: 6 June 16, 1939.
^ Mosher, John (June 24, 1939). "The Current Cinema". The New Yorker. New York: F-R Publishing Corp. p. 80.