Hers to Hold (1943) User Reviews (7)

"Say a Pray'r for the Boys Over There"

[mik-19 · 6/10 · 8 May 2005]

This was Deanna Durbin's third take on Penny Craig, who by now has grown into a beautiful young woman featuring in the gossip columns with tit-bits about her love life. She falls in love with dashing young pilot Bill, even volunteers for work at the aircraft factory where he works, but Bill is afraid to commit to her, and when he learns that he is about to go overseas and join the armed forces, he dumps her. But Penny is nothing if not resourceful ...

This is not among the handful of really wonderful Deanna Durbin vehicles, although sworn fans won't be disappointed. Her character here is a gutsy, no-nonsense go-getter, and it is quite a moving experience to watch and hear her, as she takes the podium in the factory canteen, singing first 'Begin the Beguine', this most glamorous of show smoochers, in her assembly-line outfit, no MGM glitzy witzy style her, and then when she touches everyone's heart with the languid and heartfelt 'Say a Pray'r for the Boys Over There', one of the great Durbin moments.

Joseph Cotten certainly never looked handsomer, oozing charming insolence, as aviator Bill.

Deanna is captivatingly lovely as ever, but....

[fisherforrest · 6/10 · 13 May 2006]

Although I am a certifiable, rabid, card-carrying fanatic lover (at a distance, alas) of Deanna (nee Edna Mae) Durbin, it does not follow that I found all of her films of ****, academy award (copywrited phrase), quality. Oh, Deanna was always a delight, whatever nonsense Universal gave her to do. But after 63 years (for some reason I missed seeing this in general release in 1943, due to service in a film unit making training films for the USAAF in WWII), I am saddened to report that I found it dull, apart from Deanna, of course. It is a routine, formula, wartime romance yarn, with the usual lovers separated by the cruel war.

There are some high spots, though. The background of what looks like a real wartime WWII aircraft plant manufacturing B-17s, is an eye stopper. Deanna works there in order to be near the object of her affections. And when she sings "Begin the Beguine" to the work force during the lunch break, both eye and ear, not to mention the heart, stop.

Universal could have done much better by Deanna with a better constructed story on the formula theme. SHOPWORN ANGEL, with Margaret Sullavan, on much the same subject, was quite a bit better, with complicating and interesting plot twists that considerably improved the essentially trite underlying story. I am not suggesting a remake was in order, just that writers with imagination could have done a lot better than they did.

The third smart girl has grown up.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 25 November 2018]

The only reason that the audience knows that this is a sequel to three smart girls and it's 1939 follow-up is that there are home movies taken by the director of photography....er...pop Charles Winninger from the 1936 movie, "Three Smart Girls", when Deanna Durbin's character was just a 13 year old "Little Miss Fix It". Now she's a sophisticated 21 year old socialite, still living with her parents and the talk of the society page. With World War Ii underway, Durbin decides to do her bit of fixing for the war effort by becoming a munitions plant worker "on the swing shift" where she contributes her bit by singing songs on the mandatory 10 minute break "where's the girls get to do whatever they want to do, as long as they are back within 10 minutes". Durbin falls for doctor Joseph Cotten who is awaiting to be called into active duty, which once that happens will have her saying her own prayers "for the boys over there".

Indeed, there was a song in this film called "Say a Prayer for the Boys Over There", and it ended up being one of Durbin's biggest hits, receiving an Oscar nomination and certainly keeping in with the news of the time. She also gets to sing a jazzy version of "Begin the Beguine", as well as several arias and a love song sung to her reflection in the mirror towards Cotten who appears in her mind while she is singing it. The film is certainly a product of its time, but you will never forget the image of the various plant workers reacting with various emotion to her song of hope. Winninger and Nella Walker return as her parents, as does Ludwig Stossel as the butler. Gus Schilling as Cotten's sidekick and Iris Adrian as one of Durbin's co-workers are instantly recognizable. The film moves fast, provides some laughs (Durbin changing out of her huge coctail party dress into something more appropriate for a dance hall), as well as the all-important theme of the young lady and the young man falling in love and being separated by war. All in all, one of Durbin's better war era films, and a nice ending to the three part series.

Deanna takes a flyer on Joseph Cotton

[jjnxn-1 · 8/10 · 21 July 2017]

Third and last in the series that started with Three Smart Girls Deanna returns as Little Miss Fix-It Penny Craig all grown up and faced with a problem she can't fix, her love interest is headed off to war, and she has to face the situation like an adult. Deanna is full of her usual snap and vigor and by this point had become a very beautiful woman who had matured in her reactions so she doesn't come across as quite such an eager beaver.

As with all her films this provides several opportunities for her to sing which she does with angelic clarity and grace.

The beautiful Miss Durbin

[ashkakaylee · 8/10 · 3 May 2013]

As has been said by others, Hers To Hold, is not the greatest movie ever made story wise. But there have been much worse. I personally adore those black and white wartime romances.

The main purpose though of watching this movie is to see Deanna Durbin at her most beautiful. Rarely have I seen any actress of any period look so lovely as she does here. Without her the movie would be nothing. But with her it becomes compulsive viewing for any Durbin fan.

Joseph Cotten is excellent as the love interest. And the rest of the cast do what they had to competently. As always Deanna is very engaging in her part. She had great talent as an actress. She also had that wonderful voice, that is on display here. What a delight to hear her sing.

Deanna's finest dramatic performance

[iandiande · 10/10 · 8 March 2015]

'Hers to Hold' is not rated as highly as it should be because most people don't remember what the world was like in 1943. Hollywood was heavily involved in propaganda helping the war effort, and 'Hers to Hold' was one of the best home front propaganda efforts of the war. It opens in a blood bank at a time when many people were quite fearful of allowing someone to stick a needle in their arms and drain blood. Ten minutes into the movie Penny's mother calls Penny (Deanna) her 'brave darling' and Penny responds that giving blood is less trouble than a manicure.

The scene shifts to an aircraft manufacturing factory where most of the production workers are women, and most of the women have men in the service, thus emphasizing that women getting jobs will aid the war effort and help their guys overseas. Penny, the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, decides that she is interested in Bill Morley (Joseph Cotten), an engineer at the factory, and gets a job there to be near him. We see that on the factory floor that there is no distinction between rich and poor, or even between Black and White (rather novel for that period). When Penny sings 'Begin the Beguine' (the finest vocal version that I have heard) during the lunch hour, everybody likes her and Bill Morley finds her.

Several days later comes the propaganda highlight of the film. Penny sings 'Say a Prayer for the Boys Over There' (the song that should have won the Best Song Academy Award), and the camera pans the worried faces of crowd. Shortly after lunch, one of the women gets a telegram telling her that her husband has been shot down and killed in action. No doubt, many in the 1943 audience gasped. More than 2,000 such telegrams were delivered on a average day, saying, 'The Secretary of War (the Navy) regrets to inform you that your husband (son, father) is missing (has been wounded, has been killed) in action'.

Panicked, Penny goes to her very powerful father and asks him to keep Bill from going into combat. Her father, played by Charles Winninger, ostensibly tells Penny that he can't do that, but he is in fact talking to all the women of America who have guys in the service. The comic actor Charles Winninger and the musical comedy actress Deanna Durbin put on great dramatic performances here, especially Durbin.

I think that this was Deanna's finest dramatic role, even better than "Christmas Holiday' that she liked so much. She was never more beautiful than in the scene at the beach.

Best Joseph Cotten movie

[HotToastyRag · 8/10 · 30 June 2023]

If Hers to Hold had been the first Joseph Cotten movie I'd seen, I'd love him. He's so adorable in this movie, and the role is unlike any other of his career. He's spunky, charming, quick, and - believe it or not - a ladies' man! You might have to see it to believe it, and you won't be sorry. This movie is delightful, romantic, inspiring, and has that fantastic Americana feeling of films made during the heart of WWII. Filmed and released in 1943, America was still unsure of whether or not we were going to win the war, and Hollywood told audiences, "even if we lose, we'll go down swinging!"

This is the third part of the Three Smart Girls trilogy but it doesn't really tie in with the other two movies; it just has the same cast. Deanna Durbin is all grown up and the only remaining sister who still lives at home and is unmarried. Her doddering, nearly dementia-ridden father is Charles Winninger, who is put up with by his wife Alice Brady. They're wealthy, want for nothing, and Deanna is a famous singer. At the start of the movie, she donates a pint of blood as a Good Samaritan. Joseph Cotten impersonates a doctor to get her phone number and address, and the fun begins! He's extremely charming and smooth, but that's just part of his routine. He's a total playboy who has as much fun as he can without getting hooked. Deanna's a nice girl, so when he's had his fun with her, he fully intends to move on. Those who have seen the other two movies know that Deanna's also a smart girl, so she just might beat him at his own game.

Where does the patriotism come in? Joe works in an airplane factory, and Deanna learns to serve her country as well by literally becoming Rosie the Riveter. The lovely and touching song "Say a Prayer for the Boys Over There" was written for this movie, and even eighty years later, it still can bring a lump to audience's throats. I highly recommend this wartime romance. Joe is extremely cute - who would have thought he had it in him?