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The Reluctant Debutante

Play trailer Poster for The Reluctant Debutante 1958 1h 34m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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50% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 70% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Jane Broadbent (Sandra Dee) is an independent-minded teenager who moves to London to live with her aristocratic father, Jimmy (Rex Harrison), and stepmother, Sheila (Kay Kendall). Jimmy and Sheila insist that Jane attend a coming-out ball and try to marry into high society. However, Jane is uninterested in her potential suitors, including the stuck-up David Fenner (Peter Myers), and soon falls for David Parkson (John Saxon), an American drummer with a bad reputation.
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The Reluctant Debutante

Critics Reviews

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Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Jun 14, 2020
3/4
A comedy with bursts of inspired lunacy. Go to Full Review Clyde Gilmour Maclean's Magazine Nov 11, 2019
There are some quite funny moments in this American comedy about high-society folderol in London, but the pace is often sluggish and the atmosphere strained. Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews May 14, 2007
C+
A vintage drawing-room comedy that's flimsy, lacks any edge and plays out as an exercise in high style Brit comedy. Go to Full Review Steve Crum Video-Reviewmaster.com May 9, 2007
3/5
Pedestrian Minneli comedy headlining Rex Harrison. Go to Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Apr 25, 2007
C
Minnelli's comedy about the British upper class is one of his least successful films due to incongruous casting of all-American Sandra Dee as the daughter of Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall. Go to Full Review Michael E. Grost Classic Film and Television Aug 26, 2006
Visually creative comedy-love story. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Henry D @Henry_Domke Aug 22, 2026 There were some appealing actors, and the tone was fun and light. Unfortunately, the humor was stupid, and they kept beating the jokes to death. The old print didn’t help either, since the image quality was nothing special. See more Ed . @RT01276001 Aug 22, 2025 Smoothly amusing bauble. Mr. and Mrs. (then) Harrison make this one (NYT) Sandra Dee's "If a Man Answers" had a cast full of charm that overcomes its bit of pretension. "The Reluctant Debutante," despite the charm of stars Dee, Rex Harrison and the lovely Kay Kendall, is the inverse. The characters can't help but come across as phony, vain and/or immature because they are just that. It's worth keeping the film on in the background and popping in without paying any attention, because no attention is due. See more Kalissa H @kali_416 Aug 9, 2025 I really liked it. The acting is good and I liked the main characters. Rex Harrison is great in this too. Jane being 17 and David Parkson being 23 is sketchy though. See more Joseph S @JSHAVER Jan 21, 2025 Very Beautiful to look at, but it's a very silly film that gets rather tiring. Always good to see Rex Harrison and the lovely Kay Kendal and Of course) Angela Lansbury. See more Joan L @DoggieMom1946 Mar 25, 2024 I was very disappointed. Really stupid movie. See more Apr 13, 2022 This movie is horrific and triggering for anyone who has been through sexual assault. It's actually PLAYED FOR LAUGHS and NO ONE CARES. The whole thing flat out has someone say that all men would do that given the opportunity and the guy who does it REPEATEDLY 'for laughs' actually ends up with someone at the end and with zero comeuppance. And literally everything could have been avoided in the plot if any of the characters respected anything anyone else had to say. You could just as easily call this 'Worst Parents Award'. If you like this movie you should really examine if you think women are even people and you disgust me. See more Read all reviews
The Reluctant Debutante

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Cast & Crew

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Vincente Minnelli

Director

Rex Harrison

Jimmy Broadbent

Kay Kendall

Sheila Broadbent

Sandra Dee

Jane Broadbent

John Saxon

David Parkson

Peter Myers

David Fenner

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The Reluctant Debutante

The Reluctant Debutante (1958) The Reluctant Debutante (1958) The Reluctant Debutante (1958) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Jane Broadbent (Sandra Dee) is an independent-minded teenager who moves to London to live with her aristocratic father, Jimmy (Rex Harrison), and stepmother, Sheila (Kay Kendall). Jimmy and Sheila insist that Jane attend a coming-out ball and try to marry into high society. However, Jane is uninterested in her potential suitors, including the stuck-up David Fenner (Peter Myers), and soon falls for David Parkson (John Saxon), an American drummer with a bad reputation.
Director
Vincente Minnelli
Producer
Pandro S. Berman
Screenwriter
William Douglas-Home, Julius J. Epstein
Distributor
MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co
Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 14, 1958, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2009
Runtime
1h 34m
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