Preston Sturges series: Screening of "The Good Fairy" January 26 at Daystar Center

Preston Sturges series: The Good Fairy
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street, Chicago, IL
When: January 26, 2016
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Hosted by Stephen Reginald

The Good Fairy (1935) has a gem of a screenplay by Preston Sturges, steady direction by William Wyler (Roman Holiday, Ben-Hur), and a dream cast to match. Margaret Sullavan plays Luisa, an innocent young woman who leaves the orphanage where she was raised for a job in the big city of Budapest.

Out in the world, Luisa finds herself pursued by two men: Konrad (Frank Morgan) a rich, older man and Detlaff (Reginald Owen), a grumpy waiter. Konrad wants to make Luisa his mistresss so he can shower her with jewels and furs. To escape Konrad’s clutches, Luisa pretends to be married to Max Sporum (Herbert Marshall), a name she randomly picked from the telephone book. Sporum is a struggling lawyer who has no knowledge of Luisa’s scheme. Undaunted, Konrad strikes a deal with Luisa. If he makes her husband rich by giving him an important position in his company, she will have all the material things she desires—and he desires for her—and they can carry on their affair. Konrad gives Max a big starting bonus, which enables him to furnish his law office in style. Of course things get out of hand, but not before a series of hilarious situations and complications take place.

Sullavan shines as Luisa, the wide-eyed innocent in the big city. You really believe that she’s clueless as to the ways of the world and the consequences her actions cause. Morgan almost steals the picture as Konrad, the amorous meatpacker—not to be confused with a butcher. Owen is appropriately stuffy and crabby as Luisa’s kind of big brother wannabe boyfriend. Marshall is appropriately proud and distinguished as Sporum who believes his newfound success is due to his own sterling reputation, but is in for a rude awakening.

The Good Fairy also features the talents of Beulah Bondi, Cesar Romero, Alan Hale, Eric Blore . . . plus an early screen appearance by Jane Withers as one of the orphans.

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!
Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats. General Admission: $5 Students and Senior Citizens: $3.

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion
Twice a month we screen classic films and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Stephen Reginald is a freelance writer and editor. He has worked at various positions within the publishing industry for over 25 years. Most recently he was executive editor for McGraw-Hill’s The Learning Group Division. A long-time amateur student of film, Reginald hosts “Chicago Film Club,” a monthly movie event held in the South Loop, for the past two years. Reginald has also taught several adult education film classes at Facets Film School, Chicago.


Daystar Center located at 1550 S. State St. works through a grassroots network of collaborations and partnerships with individuals and other nonprofit organizations. Through this web, they’re able to provide educational, cultural, and civic activities that enrich and empower their clients, guests, and community members. To learn more about classes and events offered at the Daystar Center, please visit their Web site.

Irene Dunne in “The White Cliffs of Dover”

By 1944, Irene Dunne was one of the top female stars in Hollywood. A four-time Academy Award nominee for Best Actress, she was in demand by all the major Hollywood studios. In 1943, Dunne signed on to star in a picture at Metro Goldwyn Mayer. A Guy Named Joe paired the actress with Spencer Tracy and a young newcomer named Van Johnson. During filming Johnson was involved in a serious car accident. Dunne and Tracy didn’t want to replace Johnson, so production was delayed while he recuperated. Since Dunne was already on the lot, M-G-M scooped her up for The White Cliffs of Dover.

Verse Novel Source for Film
The White Cliffs of Dover is based on a verse novel The White Cliffs by Alice Duer Miller published in 1940. The novel was an instant success and sold almost a million copies. Duer Miller was a popular writer and screenwriter. In fact one of her stories was made into the musical Roberta starring Dunne in 1935.



War-Time Romance

Elizabeth Taylor and Roddy McDowell

The White Cliffs of Dover focuses on a young American woman, Susan Dunn, played by Dunne and her father (the irascible Frank Morgan) who are touring London before the outbreak of World War I. She meets a young British aristocrat and army officer, Sir John Asherwood (Alan Marshall). After a whirlwind courtship they marry, but their honeymoon and marriage is cut short. Susan Dunn Asherwood remains in her adopted country and has a son, John Jr.

Serene and Dignified
The film is told in flashback as Dunne’s character recalls her younger days, while serving as a nurse during World War II. At the beginning of the movie, Dunne plays a young girl of 20, which was quite a stretch since she was 46 years old when the film was released. Even though it’s obvious that Dunne isn’t in her 20s, she captures the spirit of a young woman in both her mannerisms and speech. As the older woman, Dunne is serene and dignified. In his May 12, 1944 review of the film, New York Times critic Bosley Crowther said, “Miss Dunne gives to her character a nice glow of American charm...”

Alan Marshall and Dunne

Like Mrs. Miniver (1942), The White Cliffs of Dover was popular with wartime audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. The novel on which it is based, cemented the relationship between the United States and The United Kingdom, during the war years. The movie cost $2,343,000 to produce, earned $4,045,000 in the U.S. and another $2,249,00 in foreign receipts making it a blockbuster hit and a good choice as the M-G-M 20th Anniversary film.

In a famous photograph of M-G-M movie stars, commemorating its 20th anniversary, Dunne, technically not a studio contract player, is seated in the front row two seats to the right of studio chief, Louis B. Mayer. It’s a tribute to Dunne’s popularity (and Mayer’s keen marketing sense) that she was included in this iconic image.

More stars than are in the heavens: M-G -M celebrates 20 years.
Dunne is in the front row fourth from right.

This post corresponds with the class Elegant and Madcap: The Incredible Versatility of Irene Dunne—Class starts November 16, 2011. Meets on Wednesdays from 7p.m. - 10 p.m. for six weeks. Classes are held at Facets Film School on Fullerton Ave. in Chicago, IL.