DVD Corner

Three Smart Girls Blu-ray Review

“Three Smart Girls” is charming enough.  

Written by Adele Comandini, 1936’s “Three Smart Girls” is a musical comedy. The story revolves around 3 sisters (Penny, Joan and Kay) who live with their mother in Switzerland. They haven’t seen their father Judson (who divorced their mother) in 10 years as he now resides in NYC. When they learn that Judson is set to marry Donna (a snooty gold-digger), they concoct a plan to travel to New York to stop the marriage from happening and have their parents reunite. In order to accomplish this goal, they need to find a man to seduce Donna away from Judson. While all of this is going on, Joan and Kay both find love while Penny re-connects with her father. 

Nominated for Best Picture, director Henry Koster’s “Three Smart Girls” plays like a proto Disney film (namely “The Parent Trap”). It’s very light, silly, and filled with scenes of loud, giddy and rambunctious teen sisters scheming against Donna. There’s also the usual 30s film shenanigans (see the mistaken identity subplot and tossed in romances). The film was a big hit in 1936 and even went on to spawn two sequels. It’s not hard to see why as it’s a true crowd pleaser (even if there’s not much to it).

The film is most notable for introducing singer/actress Deanna Durbin singer/actress to the world. She may not be as well known in this day and age, but at the time she was a bonafide movie star. Even as a teenager, she had a real screen presence and impressed with her Opera esque vocal stylings. Elsewhere in the cast there’s a notable performance by Ray Milland, a heartfelt performance by Charles Winninger as Judson, and a charming turn by Barbara Read.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.37:1 1080p. How does it look? Aside from a few imperfections that pop up, this is a top notch restoration.

Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? Expect a clean 2.0 track.

Extras include a theatrical trailer and 2 featurettes titled “100 Years Of Universal: The Carl Laemmle Era” and “100 Years Of Universal: The Lew Wasserman Era.”

May 20, 2026 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Deanna Durbin, musical, Three Smart Girls Blu-ray