Darling, How Could You!
| Darling, How Could You! | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Mitchell Leisen |
| Written by |
Dodie Smith Lesser Samuels James Barrie (play) |
| Starring | Joan Fontaine |
| Music by | Friedrich Hollaender |
| Cinematography | Daniel L. Fapp |
| Edited by |
Alma Macrorie Eda Warren |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates | August 8, 1951 |
Running time | 96 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Darling, How Could You! (1951) is a comedy film directed by Mitchell Leisen and starring Joan Fontaine and John Lund. The script is based on the James Barrie play Alice Sit-by-the-Fire.[1]
Plot
In late 1906, brother and sister Cosmo and Amy Grey have not seen their parents for many years, their father being a doctor who has been in Panama during work on the Panama Canal. Their housekeeper sends them to see a play, Peter Pan, but by mistake they end up seeing a rather sophisticated family melodrama instead.
Robert and Alice Grey come home not sure what to expect. The children hardly know their parents at all. Baby Molly has formed a natural attachment to her nanny, and both are reluctant to have Alice come in and "take over". Furthermore, the play has given Amy some peculiar ideas of how mature grown-ups behave. When she hears Alice receive an invitation to meet family friend Dr. Steven Clark, she falsely assumes they are having a romantic tryst.
Amy shows up at Steve's unexpectedly, trying to talk him out of the "affair." He is forced to hide her in a closet when Alice shows up. Robert has been invited as well, but when a glove is found and Amy's presence revealed, everybody gets the wrong idea. Alice assumes the doctor is seeing her daughter, while Robert assumes the doctor is seeing his wife.
Cast
- Joan Fontaine as Mrs. Alice Grey
- John Lund as Dr. Robert Grey
- Mona Freeman as Amy Grey
- Peter Hansen as Dr. Steven Clark
- David Stollery as Cosmo Grey
- Virginia Farmer as Fanny
- Angela Clarke as Nurse
- Lowell Gilmore as Aubrey Quayne
- Robert Barrat as Mr. Rossiter
- Gertrude Michael as Mrs. Rossiter
- Mary Murphy as Sylvia
- Frank Elliott as Simms
- Billie Bird as Rosie
- Willard Waterman as Theatre Manager