''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. ...

' 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 Betty Hutton (born Elizabeth June Thornburg; February 26, 1921 – March 12, 2007) was an American stage, film, and television actress, comedian, dancer, and singer. She rose to fame in the 1940s as a contract player for Paramount Pictures, appea ...

, her first film in five years since her departure from

Paramount Studios Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production and distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount Global. It is the sixth-oldest film studio i ...

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.

Plot

Maggie Brewster (

), 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 Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir and later in Western films. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigio ...

), 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

as Margaret 'Maggie' Brewster *

as Fred Davis *

Jean Hagen Jean Hagen (born Jean Shirley Verhagen; August 3, 1923 – August 29, 1977) was an American actress best known for her role as Doll Conovan in '' The Asphalt Jungle'' (1950) and as Lina Lamont in ''Singin' in the Rain'' (1952), for which she wa ...

as Barna Forrest * Robert F. Simon as Harry Brewster *

Laura La Plante Laura La Plante (born Laura Laplante; November 1, 1904 – October 14, 1996) was an American film actress, whose more notable performances were in the silent era. Early life La Plante was born in St. Louis, Missouri on November 1, 1904, the daug ...

as May Brewster * Gordon Jones as Jack Frazer *

Sara Berner Sara Berner (born Lillian Ann Herdan; January 12, 1912 – December 19, 1969) was an American actress. Known for her expertise in dialect and characterization, she began her career as a performer in vaudeville before becoming a voice actress for ...

as Paula Kratz *

Irene Ryan Irene Ryan (born Irene Noblitt, Noblett, or Noblette; October 17, 1902 – April 26, 1973) was an American actress and comedienne who found success in vaudeville, radio, film, television, and Broadway. She is most widely known for her po ...

as Miss Stapleton * Herbert Anderson as Edward * Richard Shannon as Nick *

Ken Curtis Ken Curtis (born Curtis Wain Gates; July 2, 1916 – April 28, 1991) was an American actor and singer best known for his role as Festus Haggen on the Western television series ''Gunsmoke''. Early years Born the youngest of three boys in ...

as Al *

Vivi Janiss Vivi Janis (born Vivian Audrey Jamison; May 29, 1911 – September 7, 1988) was an American actress, known for such films as ''The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues'' (1955), ''Man on the Prowl (film), Man on the Prowl'' (1957), and ''First, You Cry'' ...

as Grace * Mimi Doyle as Alice * Florence Sundstrom as Mary *

James Gleason James Austin Gleason (May 23, 1882 – April 12, 1959) was an American actor, playwright and screenwriter born in New York City. Gleason often portrayed "tough-talking, world-weary guys with a secret heart-of-gold." Early life Gleason was ...

as Mr. 'Collie' Collyer (as Jimmy Gleason) *

Mary Kaye Mary Kaye (née Malia Ka'aihue; January 9, 1924 – February 17, 2007) was an American guitarist and performer. She was active from the 1940s through 1960s. Biography Malia Ka'aihue was born on January 9, 1924, in Detroit, Michigan, to father J ...

as Singer * Richard Deacon as Sidney *

Don Haggerty Don Haggerty (July 3, 1914 – August 19, 1988) was an American actor of film and television. Early life and education Haggerty was born in Poughkeepsie, New York. Before he began appearing in films in 1947, Haggerty was a Brown University ...

as Pete *

Shirley Mitchell Shirley J. Mitchell (November 4, 1919 – November 11, 2013) was an American radio, film, and television actress. Early life Mitchell was born in Toledo, Ohio, the daughter of Sam Mitchell & Mary Ann Daniels, Jews who emigrated to America to esc ...

as Jane the Receptionist

Reception

Writing in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', 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 produced by Kirk Douglas Films directed by Robert Pirosh Films with screenplays by Robert Alan Aurthur Films about class reunions United Artists films American drama films American black-and-white films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films {{1950s-US-drama-film-stub