Spring Reunion

1956 film by Robert Pirosh

December 1956 (1956-12)

Running time

79 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglish

Spring Reunion is a 1956 American drama film that centers on the fifteen-year reunion of the fictional Carson High School class of 1941. It was the second film produced by Kirk Douglas' film production company Bryna Productions.^[1]

Spring Reunion was a screen comeback for actress Betty Hutton, her first film in five years since her departure from Paramount Studios in 1952, after the completion of the musical Somebody Loves Me. Although Hutton's performance was praised by several critics, the film generated little interest and failed at the box office. It was Hutton's last feature film. The film opened at the Astoria Theatre in London, England in late December 1956.^[2]^[3]

Plot

Maggie Brewster (Betty Hutton), once voted the most popular girl in her class, has a successful real estate career, but regrets that she never married. When she runs into an old flame at the reunion (Dana Andrews), it looks as if the two might be meant for each other after all. However, Fred's aversion to commitment and Maggie's unwillingness to step out of her comfort zone threaten to kill their romance before it begins.

Cast

Betty Hutton: Margaret 'Maggie' Brewster
Dana Andrews: Fred Davis
Jean Hagen: Barna Forrest
Robert F. Simon: Harry Brewster
Laura La Plante: May Brewster
Gordon Jones: Jack Frazer
Sara Berner: Paula Kratz
Irene Ryan: Miss Stapleton
Herbert Anderson: Edward
Richard Shannon: Nick
Ken Curtis: Al
Vivi Janiss: Grace
Mimi Doyle: Alice
Florence Sundstrom: Mary
James Gleason: Mr. 'Collie' Collyer (as Jimmy Gleason)
Mary Kaye: Singer
Richard Deacon: Sidney
Don Haggerty: Pete
Shirley Mitchell: Jane the Receptionist

Reception

Writing in The New York Times, contemporary reviewer A. H. Weiler panned the film, saying, "Although it fleetingly captures the loneliness of some of its principals, it is largely a nostalgia-ridden and unimaginative comedy-drama that makes its points haltingly and without impact. Like the members of Carson High School's class of '41, 'Spring Reunion' tries desperately but fails to make its rosy dreams come alive."^[4]

References

^ The Independent Film Journal (Jul 1955-Jul 1956). Media History Digital Library. ITOA Independent, Inc. 1955.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
^ "31 Dec 1956, 8 - Evening Standard at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
^ Variety (1957). Variety (January 1957). Media History Digital Library. New York, NY: Variety Publishing Company.
^ Weiler, A.H. (1957-05-06). "Screen: 'Spring Reunion'". The New York Times. p. 25.