‘Mad About Music’: Deanna Durbin Delights

The idea of a family strikes a chord in a lonely girl, who steals the hearts of all, in this warm, cheerful film.

(L–R) Felice (Helen Parrish), Gloria Harkinson (Deanna Durbin, L) and Olga (Marcie Mae Jones), in “Mad About Music.” Universal Pictures

NR | 1 h 40 min | Drama, Musical | 1938

America didn’t have a lot to cheer about in 1937.  The Depression still loomed: Unemployment still hovered above the streets, like a slowly rising balloon. Flooding around the Mississippi and Ohio rivers left millions homeless. And the New London School gas explosion in Texas left over 300 children and teachers dead.