Spring Parade

A village girl near Vienna sells her pig at the fair, stays in the city and takes work in a bakery. There she falls for a young man who plays drums in a military band. If the waltz he has written reaches the emperor everything will change, and she sets out to make that happen. The film is not interested in story. It is interested in the running order: it is a Deanna Durbin musical and the plot exists to get her onstage. The Viennese operetta world, uniforms and the smell of a bakery are the entire décor. The form is studio musical: broad dance numbers, chorus, light comedy and finales that gather everyone into one room. Henry Koster directed; he made most of Durbin's films and this is among their most lavish collaborations. It received several Academy Award nominations, including cinematography, sound and music. Deanna Durbin plays the girl, Robert Cummings the young bandsman and Mischa Auer the supporting character carrying the comedy. Who it is for: viewers who like classical studio musicals and Durbin's voice. Who it is not for: anyone looking for a story. The plot is pure template, the conflict is almost weightless and everything is arranged between the songs.