Four Daughters [DVD]

This story of music professor Adam Lemp, his four daughters and the men who love them aims straight at the heart - and scores an unerring hit. Poignant, laced with laughter and flawlessly acted, it catches viewers up in the quiet but powerful lives of ordinary people. Michael Curtiz's direction is assured and the casting is ideal: Claude Rains as Lemp, the three Lane sisters (plus Gale Page) as the daughters, and newcomer John Garfield, making a stunning impression as the troubled pianist who remains an outsider despite the family's open arms. In the New York Times, B.R. Crisler hailed Garfield's performance as "the most startling innovation in the way of a screen character in years. Little wonder that among the film's five Oscar nominations (including Best Picture) was a Best Supporting Actor nod to the new star.