Yes, My Darling Daughter
Yes, My Darling Daughter
NR | 25 February 1939 (USA)
Yes, My Darling Daughter Trailers

Ellen is a free spirited young woman in love with Doug. Sadly he must leave America for a two year job in Belgium. Ellen and Doug decide to spend their last weekend together in a tourist cabin at a rural lake. Her family is shocked that a young unmarried woman would engage in such amoral activity. The comic plot develops as Ellen argues her case for women's freedom and independence, trying to win over her mother, grandmother, and other dubious relatives.

Reviews
barrymn1

It's clear that Warners was attempting to repeat the same success they had with "Four Daughters" right down to casting a number of the same actors. Rolland Young and Fay Bainter (along with the wonderful May Robson) are among my favorite character actors of the era.Priscilla Lane is just fine, but Jeffrey Lynn really isn't a particular good actor. Yes, he was fine in "All This and Heaven Too", but he's dull as dishwater in "A Letter to Three Wives". Joseph Mankiewicz referred to him as a "leaner" - a weak actor. He was right.All in all, it's a very watchable Warners programmer of the late 1930's. I can think better ways to waste my time.

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mountainkath

Yes, this movie is dated and yes, it has plot holes and ridiculous moments. But that doesn't matter. When I watch this movie I just go along with it and enjoy each moment.May Robson, as always, is a delight. She is one of my very favorite supporting actresses and she does not disappoint here. Her funniest moments in this movie aren't even spoken...they are her reactions to all that is going on around her.Priscilla Lane played the role of a sweet, innocent girl very well. (Random side note: at times her voice reminds me of Ginger Rogers.) The character of Ellen was a tad annoying at times (come on, what do you think Doug wanted to do in that cabin) but for the most part I enjoyed Ellen. The character of Doug was not well developed at all. I suspect that was intentional since the focus of this movie was on the relationships between the women. I would have liked to see a bit more to Doug, though. All we really know about him is that he's going to Belgium to sell razors.I did enjoy the side plot of the previous relationship between Ann and Jay. The character of Jay seemed out of place at times, but Roland Young was his usual marvelous self.Yes, My Darling Daughter is a thoroughly entertaining movie. The subject manner is dated, but the movie kept my attention and even made me laugh out loud more than once.

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YakovDavid

Based on a stage play and it really shows. (The characters in this movie talk and talk endlessly.)The situation, with our plucky heroine going off for the weekend with a boyfriend who is soon to leave for an overseas job, just might be seen as racy for the late thirties. It is made pretty clear early on that Priscilla Lane would just never do that sort of thing and not return as pure as the newly fallen snow, but everybody in this movie has to talk about it - her mom, her aunt, her dad, her grandmother (the hammy May Robson), the mom's old boyfriend from way back when (played by Roland Young - and what is he doing here anyway? His character's presence makes no sense at all)- and the quality of the talk is moralizing and dreadfully dull. (The movie is not helped at all by the presence of Jeffrey Lynn, just about the stodgiest and dullest young leading man this side of Ronald Reagan.) Priscilla Lane could be genuinely charming at times, but she doesn't have a chance against a lousy script and heavy-handed direction. See it once, if you really have to see have see every movie that Priscilla Lane ever made....

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Randy_D

While this story of an unmarried couple's weekend together is obviously tame by today's standards, Yes, My Darling Daughter does have a moment or two that is a bit on the racier side. Well, at least for the time it was made.Led by the beautiful and unfairly underrated 'Lane, Priscilla' (qv), this movie has a good ensemble cast, with maybe the exception of Jeffrey Lynn.While Lynn has been likable in his other movies with Priscilla Lane, i. e. _Four Daughters (1938)_ (qv) and _Roaring Twenties, The (1939)_ (qv), he doesn't come across as the most likeable character. Or the brightest, either. In other words, if Priscilla Lane asked me to spend a weekend with her, platonic or otherwise, I think I would show a little more enthusiasm than he did!Anyway, Yes, My Darling Daughter is worth watching, thanks in no small part to the aforementioned Miss Lane.

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