''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 Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in ''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. Do ...

' film production company

Bryna Productions Bryna Productions (later renamed The Bryna Company) is an American independent film and television production company established by actor Kirk Douglas in 1949. The company also produced a handful of films through its subsidiaries, Michael Produ ...

. ''Spring Reunion'' was a screen comeback for actress Betty Hutton, her first film in five years since her departure from

Paramount Studios Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production and distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldest film studio in the world, the second-oldest ...

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 The London Astoria was a music venue at 157 Charing Cross Road, in London, England. Originally a warehouse during the 1920s, the building became a cinema and ballroom. It was converted for use as a theatre in the 1970s. After further developme ...

in London, England in late December 1956.

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 Florence E. "Flo" Sundstrom (February 9, 1918 – June 25, 2001) was an American actress who had an active career in theatre, television, and film. A prominent character actress on Broadway from 1936-1959, she notably created the roles of Bell ...

: 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."

References

External links

* * * * 1956 drama films 1956 films Bryna Productions films Films directed by Robert Pirosh United Artists films American drama films American black-and-white films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films {{1950s-drama-film-stub