This week’s mystery movie was the 1936 Universal film Three Smart Girls, with Binnie Barnes, Alice Brady, Ray Milland, Charles Winninger, Mischa Auer, Ernest Cossart, Lucile Watson, John King, Nella Walker, Hobart Cavanaugh, and the Three Smart Girls: Nan Grey, Barbara Read and Deanna Durbin.
Original story and screenplay by Adele Comandini.
Photographed by Joseph Valentine.
Assistant director Frank Shaw.
Sound supervision by Homer Tasker.
Special effects by John P. Fulton.
Edited by Ted Kent.
Music by Bronislaw Kaper and W. Jurmann.
Lyrics by Gus Kahn.
Musical director Charles Previn.
Art supervision by John Harkrider.
Associates: Art Jack Otterson.
Gowns: Albert Nickels.
Directed by Henry Koster.
Associate Producer Joseph Pasternak.
Further information on Three Smart Girls is available from the AFI Catalog.
Three Smart Girls is available on VHS, DVD and Blu-ray from Amazon.
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I picked this week’s mystery movie by going through the trades and it looked like an excellent choice: A solid (though obvious) plot, a strong cast and Deanna Durbin’s first film – as I remind everyone that Elizabeth Short was nicknamed “The Deanna Durbin of Medford High.”
I’ll try again for Mordaunt Hall and a fairly good review.
Wrong again: Frank S. Nugent gets the job (The New York Times, January 25, 1937).
Deanna Durbin, latest of Mr. Cantor’s radio protegees, is making her screen debut in Universal’s Three Smart Girls, now appearing at the Roxy. Miss Durbin, 14-year-old soprano, carols most sweetly in an immature, but surprisingly well trained voice. Her notes are rounded, velvety and bell-like. The manner of her rendition is agreeably artless; she has, besides, an ingratiating impudence which peppers her performance and makes it mischievously natural….
….As stories go, this one is as slight as can be, but Miss Comandini has a keen appreciation of the subtle barbarities of feminine warfare. Although one’s sympathy is, by compulsion, on the side of the Misses Durbin, Barbara Read and Nan Grey, it is impossible not to admire the gallant stand of Binnie Barnes and her field general, Alice Brady.
For Monday, we have a mysterious guest – actually our second leading man – getting a facial treatment.
Update: This is Ray Milland, who gets first billing of the male actors in the opening credits, but second billing after Charles Winninger in the cast list; possibly it’s in order of appearance.
For Tuesday, we have a mysterious guest who does not approve of such goings-on. But he made a career out of that!
Update: This is Franklin Pangborn.
Note to Sylvia: You have the right era!
For “Hm Wednesday,” our mysterious guest would be very recognizable, except that he just doused himself in the face with a glass of water. It’s that kind of a movie!
Update: This is Mischa Auer in an odd moment when he splashes himself.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Sarah (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Greg (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Stacia (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Funky PhD (Tuesday’s mysterious guest), B.J. Merholz (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Incredible Inman (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Sylvia (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Allie (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Benito (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Totally Fan (Tuesday’s mystery guest) and Thom and Megan (Tuesday’s mystery guest).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mysterious couple.
Update: This is Charles Winninger and Binnie Barnes.
Brain Trust roll call: Blackwing Jenny (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Chrisbo (Tuesday’s mysterious gent), Stacia (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guest splashing himself with a glass of water), B.J. Merholz (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Anne Papineau (Tuesday’s mystery guest) and Megan and Thom (Wednesday’s mysterious self-splasher).
For Friday, we have a mysterious guest on the phone.
Update: This is Ray Milland, fresh from his facial.
We also have three young mystery women.
Update: The three smart girls of the title: From left, Deanna Durbin, Nan Grey and Barbara Read.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie, all mystery guests and a note about a mysterious Academy Award), Anne Papineau (mystery movie and all mysterious guests), Greg (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests), Sheila (mystery movie, Tuesday’s and Thursday’s mysterious guests), Robert Morrissey (mystery movie and Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mysterious guests) and Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery fellow).
ladailymirror.com 
Is that Hugh Herbert’s nose I see?
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Humphrey Bogart in Brother Orchid?
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“Hands Across The Table” with Ralph Bellamy.
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I’m so glad you were able to fix this.
My only guesses are not real guesses, yet:
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yay Franklin!
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Franklin Pangborn!!
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SWIBG HIGH, SWING LOW. Charles Butterworth Monday.
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TOPPER TAKES A TRIP. Alexander Darcy Monday with fp BOTH, and Franklin today.
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Tuesday’s peeper is Franklin Pangborn. The movie is possibly Turnabout from 1938. The shirt and tie fits the movie anyway.
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Tuesday is Franklin Pangborn but I’m at a loss at to what movie it could be.
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Tuesday’s mysterious guest: Franklin Pangborn
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Franklin Pangborn peeking at Bluebeard in action?
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Franklin Pangborn today. Could the movie be “Easy Living”?
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Franklin Pangborn.
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Tues – Franklin Pangborn
Not sure which film. Let’s go with Joy of Living 1938 for now
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or maybe Design for Living 1933 is a better choice, though I could swear we’ve had it as our mystery movie before…
going with “Design” since you mention that there are two leading men.
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Franklin Pangborn
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Topper Takes a Trip?
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oh dear, Franklin Pangborn
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One more that may fit the 2 leading men scenario
The Girl Downstairs 1938
That’s it – No more guesses today.
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Tuesday is Franklin Pangborn.
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Today’s guest is Franklin Pangborn.
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I’m probably completely off, but that looks like William Powell. If it is, this movie may be “Our Man Godfrey.”
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That’s two votes for William Powell!
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William Powell today and My Man Godfrey.
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An interesting guess, but William Powell is not appearing in this week’s mystery movie.
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did you get my 2 answers on Monday night?
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Franklin Pangborn on Tuesday?
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I think Hm Wednesday is Mischa Auer but I can’t figure out what movie it is. I’ll guess THREE SMART GIRLS (1937)?
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If that’s not Mischa Auer getting doused then this puzzle is al yours!
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Yes, I recognized career disapprover Franklin Pangborn but failed to speak up in time.
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Is today’s guest Mischa Auer?
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I know Thursday is coming soon, so a comment more than a guess.
water-in-face-guy reminds me of Jack Benny. Benny and Pangborn were in a couple of films together but they seem to well known to be the mystery film. Hoping Thursday will provide answers.
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THREE SMART GIRLS Ray Milland under towels on Monday, Franklin Tuesday, Mischa Auer Wednesday, Charles Winninger and Binnie Barnes today, with Deanna about to join them. Co-star Alice Brady couldn’t be there the night she won the Oscar. A man accepted on her behalf, and absconded with the Oscar, which has never been found.
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On Monday, Ray Milland. On Hm Wednesday, Misha Auer and on Aha Thursday, Charles Winninger and Binnie Barnes in “Three Smart Girls.”
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Charles Winninger and Binnie Barnes in Three Smart Girls.
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Our movie is The Midnight Patrol.
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Franklin Pangborn, Charles Winninger, Binnie Barnes in ‘Three Smart Girls’?
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Binnie Barnes, Franklin Pangborn and Charles Winninger in the same movie might mean that Wednesday’s drenched face could be that of Mischa Auer, or not. It also might mean that this week’s movie is Three Smart Girls, from 1936.
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George Brent, Charles Winninger in LOVER COME BACK.
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Ray Milland, and Deanna Durbin, Nan Gray, ad Barbara Reed. Nella Walker, playing their mother, was the life mother of Edna Williams, the silent film distribution execuitve I wrote abou.y.
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Three Smart Girls 1936
Still not sure of the towel guy. Maybe Charles Winninger?
Franklin Pangborn , Mischa Auer, Charles Winninger, Binnie Barnes, Ray Milland. Deanna Durbin, Nan Grey, Barbara Read
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Ray Milland, Charles Winninger, Binnie Barnes, Deanna Durbin — gotta be “Three Smart Girls.”
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Binnie Barnes, Ray Milland, Deanna Durbin Nan Grey in THREE SMART GIRLS.
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“The manner of her rendition is agreeably artless“
Frank is such a jerk sometimes, my goodness.
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I run the New York Times reviews mostly to make fun of them, especially Bosley.
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