This week’s mystery movie was the 1938 Warner Bros. picture Four Daughters, with Priscilla Lane, Rosemary Lane, Lola Lane, Gale Page, Claude Rains, John Garfield, Jeffrey Lynn, Dick Foran, Frank McHugh and May Robson.
Screenplay by Julius J. Epstein and Lenore Coffee.
From the Cosmopolitan Magazine story by Fannie Hurst.
Music by Max Steiner.
Dialogue direction by Irvin Rapper.
Photography by Ernie Haller.
Art direction by John Hughes.
Sound by Stanley Jones.
Edited by Ralph Dawson.
Gowns by Orry-Kelly.
Musical direction by Leo F. Forbstein.
Directed by Michael Curtiz.
Further information about Four Daughters is available from the AFI Catalog.
Four Daughters is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Video.
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I picked Four Daughters by going through the trades. Even though it’s aired numerous times on TCM, I’ve never seen it, which is my first criterion in selecting a mystery film. It’s interesting to see Claude Rains as a pater familias who is unsure what to make of his modern daughters. Trivia note: The AFI Catalog says John Garfield based his performance on Oscar Levant.
I’m going to guess that Bosley Crowther quibbled about its sentimentality or found something to dislike about the film. He’s quite predictable.
Actually, no. Excellent film, no notes! (The New York Times, Aug. 19, 1938):
A charming, at times heartbreakingly human, little comedy about life in a musical family of attractive daughters which occasionally is ruffled by the drama of a masculine world outside, Four Daughters, at the Music Hall, tempts one to agree with Jack Warner’s recent assertion in the advertisements that it is the climax of his career. Putting aside Mr. Warner’s career for the nonce, we may assert with equal confidence that Four Daughters is one of the best pictures of anybody’s career, if only for the sake of the marvelously meaningful character of Mickey Borden as portrayed by John (formerly Jules) Garfield, who bites off his lines with a delivery so eloquent that we still aren’t sure whether it is the dialogue or Mr. Garfield who is so bitterly brilliant.
For Monday, we have a couple of mysterious chaps.
Update: This is Eddie Acuff, left, and Donald Kerr, with Priscilla Lane as Back of the Head Woman.
For “Tricky Tuesday,” we have a mysterious fellow.
Update: This is John Garfield in a memorable shot.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Monday’s mysterious fellow No. 1), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery guests) and Greg (Monday’s mysterious fellow No. 1).
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have this mysterious woman.
Update: This is May Robson.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery man No. 2, Back of the Head Woman and Tuesday’s mystery fellow), Greg (mystery movie, Monday’s mysterious man No. 2 and Tuesday’s mystery driver, and mysterious yet unseen star), Dan Nather (mystery movie, Monday’s mysterious man No. 1 and Tuesday’s mysterious driver), Mike Hawks (Tuesday’s mysterious driver), Benito (Tuesday’s mystery driver), Roget-L.A. (Tuesday’s mystery driver) and Megan and Thom (mystery movie and all mystery guests).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have this mysterious fellow. He does not know what to make of such goings-on.
Update: This is Frank McHugh – with mustache.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Monday’s mysterious man No. 1 and Wednesday’s mystery woman), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery man No. 2, Tuesday’s mystery fellow and Wednesday’s mystery woman), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery woman), L.C. (mystery movie and mysterious cast), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery woman) and Dan Nather (Wednesday’s mystery woman).
For Friday, we have this mysterious gent with a pipe. Also Back of the Head Woman.
Update: This is Jeffrey Lynn with Priscilla Lane as Back of the Head Woman.
Also a mystery fellow and his mysterious companions. He is unsure about such goings-on.
Update: This is, from left, Lola Lane, Claude Rains, Priscilla Lane, Rosemary Lane and Gale Page.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery fellow), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery gent), B.J. Merholz (Tuesday’s and Thursday’s mysterious guests), Sylvia E. (mystery movie and all mystery guests and Back of the Head Woman), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mysterious fellow), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Thursday’s mysterious fellow), Thomas E. Bailey (Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests) and Suzanne Stone (mystery movie and all mystery guests, plus Friday’s folks).
ladailymirror.com 
Eddie Acuff.
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Man #2 Donald Kerr.
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I believe the gentleman on the left is Eddie Acuff.
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Eddie Acuff and Donald Kerr in FOUR DAUGHTERS.
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Eddie Acuff on the left Monday and THE BLACK LEGION.
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Donald Kerr on the right Monday and John Garfield today making this FOUR DAUGHTERS. Is that Priscilla Lane BOTH Monday? It was perhaps during this or another movie that James Wong Howe invited Garfield and Claude Rains to the opening of Ching Howe. You could pull the photo from my Toluca Lake post on Dining in the area.
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Monday’s mystery fellow number two is Donald Kerr. Tuesday’s driver is John Garfield.
The movie is “Four Daughters” starring Claude Rains.
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FOUR DAUGHTERS (1938)
Since the first time I saw this movie, I have never forgotten this shot of John Garfield.
Monday: I’m pretty sure that’s Eddie Acuff on the left; not sure about the other guy.
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BOH gal looks to be Lizbeth Scott.
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John Garfield.
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John Garfield? Or at least his weird distracting ear lobes
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John Garfield for Tricky Tuesday?
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Our movie is Four Daughters with John Garfield today, with Donald Kerr and Eddie Acuff for Monday.
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Eddie Acuff isn’t man #1 on Monday? May Robson today.
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FOUR DAUGHTERS (1938)
Monday: Donald Kerr
Tuesday: John Garfield
Wednesday: May Robson
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May Robson.
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Four Daughters (1938) w/May Robson, Eddie Acuff, Claude Rains, John Garfield, Jeffrey Lynn, Lane sisters…
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May Robson in Four Daughters (1938)
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May Robson for Wednesday.
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Frank McHugh looking somewhat Reginald Gardinerese.
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Frank McHugh.
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I had the wrong May, and I couldn’t believe that was Garfield’s double chin, but there’s no doubt that’s Frank McHugh looking sheepish behind that dapper mustache.
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“Four Daughters” 1938
Mon – Eddie Acuff and Donald Kerr. BOTHW is Priscilla Lane
Tues – John Garfield
Wed – May Robson
Thur – Frank McHugh
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Frank McHugh.
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For “Aha Thursday”, Frank McHugh in Four Daughters (1938)
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Wednesday’s mystery person is Amy Robson and today we have Frank McHugh.
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“Four Daughters” with Eddie Acuff and Donald Kerr (Monday), John Garfield (Tuesday), May Robson (Wednesday) and Frank McHugh (Thursday) from 1938. I am guessing that Friday will have Claude rains and/or a Lane sister.
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Jeffrey Lynn and Rosemary Lane, Rosemary Lane, Claude Rains, Priscilla Lane, Lola Lane, and Gale Page.
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The one and only Frank McHugh, showing us what a great actor he really was . . .
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Jeffrey Lynn and BOTHW Priscilla Lane.
Claude Rains with Lola Lane, Priscilla Lane, Rosemary Lane and Gale Page.
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I knew Wednesday’s chikd was neither May nor fauna, yet I am full of woe.
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Jeffrey Lynn, Claude Rains, Lola, Priscilla and Rosemary Lane and Gale Page.
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Jeffrey Lynn, Priscilla Lane
Claude Rains, Lola, Priscilla, Rosemary Lane and Gale Page.
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