The Fairy Tale of Seven Sweethearts

November 13, 2022

The Fairy Tale of Seven Sweethearts

Once upon a time a newspaperman found himself in a small town in Michigan in the midst of tulip time. He didn't think he'd like the town or its people, still heavily enmeshed in their Dutch traditions, but little did he know he'd meet a 'toots' and seven sweethearts.

gif by me

This is the story of Seven Sweethearts and I'm going to break it down for the wonderful little fairy tale it is.

I first saw Seven Sweethearts during 2021's Summer Under the Stars (on Kathryn Grayson's Day) and was immediately charmed. Like, had to rush out and buy it on DVD immediately. Like, if I were ever to guest program a block on TCM, this would be included.

Seven Sweethearts begins with a rhyme:

To this great land
of jive and juleps
the Dutch once came
to plant their tulips...

They grit their teeth,
pulled in their belts,
produced New York—
and the Roosevelts...

Enriched this best
of melting pots
with their traditions,
towns and tots...

Behold!
In Michigan today
there's still a Holland—
U.S.A.

A town that flaunts
its windmill touch,
to prove you just
can't beat the Dutch!

Here's that charming little town.

Enter the gruff leading man, Henry Taggart (played by Van Heflin), who's been assigned to cover the tulip festival against his will.

And enter the leading lady's father, Mr. Van Maaster (played by S.K. "Cuddles" Sakall), a simple man of few pleasures: his oboe, his tulips, his way of life, and his seven daughters.

Henry: Hey, toots, can you tell me where I can...

Mr. Van Maaster: Shh! Sounds beautiful, no?

Henry: Too beautiful for words, so I won't say anything.

As you can tell, Henry's thrilled with his assignment. He tells Mr. Van Maaster (whose first name is never said, so I'm just going to call him Toots for reasons that will become clear) that he almost missed the town because there are no signs, and Toots says of course not, anyone can tell they're in Little Delph immediately. How? Henry asks. "By our tulips, of course. They have, instead of 6 filaments, only 4."

Henry needs a place to stay, so Toots tells him that the House of the Seven Tulips is a great place to go. Henry asks where it is and how to get ahold of the proprietor. It's Toots, naturally, and the hotel needs no sign: he's always sitting out front of it. Naturally, Henry wonders how people are supposed to know it's a hotel. Toots tells him that if someone asks him and he likes the look of that person, he tells them about the hotel; if not, he plays dumb.

So luckily for Henry, he's made a good impression.

Inside, he books a room from Victor, the manager. "From where I stand, you look a little more like Victoria," Henry says.

He also meets a George and quips that he should make his name Henrietta.

Peter takes him up to the second floor. He tells her all about this strange custom in New York where they give women women's names.

Here's a newlywed couple totally charmed by the hotel, as an opposite of Henry the skeptic.

And here's Cornelius, who's delivering mail. He asks if she's always the mail delivery person and then flirts a little by saying he'll mail himself letters so he has reason to keep running into her.

And now Henry's hungry, so he calls for the waiter. It shouldn't surprise him that the waiter is female, and it doesn't. Nor does the name surprise him. This is Albert. "I'm Minnie the Moocher," Henry retorts.

All he wants is a tall cup of coffee, but Albert has other ideas.

Albert: At this hour, your system needs substantial food.

Henry: Albert, let's not go into my system, please. All I want is just a simple cup of coffee.

Albert: Father says people never think about their health, no breakfast, no lunch, just a light dinner,

and what happens eventually? They get the jitters.

Henry: You know, just listening to you gives me the jitters, Albert.

Albert: You see, you admit it. You need nourishment. Now today for lunch, we have chicken fricassee, spare ribs with Sauerkraut, hutspot maclapsduch—that's soup meat, and very nourishing—and rundelapa with onions and Ollie Bolen—that's nice fried dumplings and...

Henry: All right, all right. Forget it, forget it. I don't want anything. I don't want any Ollie Bolen, I don't want any hot spot maclobbenslaughter, and I don't want any coffee.

Albert: Well, I'm glad you agree with me on that. Then all you want is the rundelapa with onions. Is that it?

Henry: Get out of here, or I'll...

Albert: If you were a gentleman, you wouldn't talk like that.

Henry: If you were a real Albert, I'd bust you right in the nose.

Albert takes off while Henry's still muttering (or sputtering, rather), to himself about just wanting a meal when yet another sister comes along telling him not to get excited. This is Billie, played by Kathryn Grayson, the youngest of the sisters, and she's here to clean up Henry's room.

She tells him to tug on his ear when he gets angry, as that's what the minister said to do, and it'll calm you down right away. Make note of that, we'll come back to it a couple of times. She also reveals why all the 'Miss America' staff have boys names, and it's because Toots wanted boys and didn't change the names he'd chosen when he had daughters instead.

Then Henry turns on the radio, where they're playing a jazz version of a classical song, but Billie feels very strongly about music, you see (since it's Kathryn Grayson and all) and says, basically, that all they play is junk on the radio these days.

So of course, she goes over to the conveniently placed en-suite piano and belts out her own rendition of Mozart's Cradle Song as it was meant to be enjoyed.

Some enjoyment, eh? He does apologize to her though, when he realizes that he's hurt her feelings, and reveals that he's in town to cover the tulip festival. He also needs a model, and suggests maybe Albert or Cornelius, but Billie suggests the eldest sister, the one he hasn't met yet, Regina.

He wants to start that afternoon, but Billie interjects that he probably won't be able to take pictures any time soon: it's going to rain.

Billie: When the petals are closed, like this, it's a sure sign it's going to rain.

Henry: It's ridiculous. It can't rain. Look, I've got to get my pictures. Come on, do something. Get those petals open!

Billie: I'm afraid it's going to start any minute. There it is.

Henry: That does it.

Billie: Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about it, sir. The rain can't possibly last for more than two or three days.

Henry: Two or three days?

Billie: Well, four at the outside.

Henry: Four days?!

Billie: You'd better pull your ear, sir.

Henry sums it up: "I'm trapped. I am trapped!"

It's been a few days, and Henry has cabin fever, so he goes to sit with Toots and learn all about the tulips.

It's riveting conversation, as you can imagine, so he gets up and goes to ask George what they do for fun around here. She tells him that there's a weekly social, and it's the centre of fun. "That's what's been killing the nightclub business in New York," he quips.

Miss Robbins, a lovely elderly guest who has never checked out of the inn, tells Henry that if he's looking for excitement, he can come up to her room and check out her pressed flower collection. Jury's out on whether that was a euphemism or if she genuinely wanted to show him the flowers, but you can guess Henry's reaction.

So he asks Cornelius for a newspaper, but she informs him that they don't print an edition when it rains, so there goes that hope.

Toots, meanwhile, wants to show Henry his egg trick.

Same, man.

Toots messes it up, prompting Miss Robbins to inform Henry that for the 15 years she's stayed at the inn, Toots has never managed to get the trick right.

But do not fret, dear readers, for here is the elusive, beautiful eldest daughter, Regina.

Played by the late, great, dearly departed Marsha Hunt, who passed away on September 7, 2022 at the age of 104.

Suddenly Henry's not so despondent about the rain.

The two talk about the photographs before Miss Robbins comes over to ask about the pressed flower collection. Regina says that he's not interested, Miss Robbins says she was asking him not her, Regina replies that she was answering for him, Miss Robbins retorts, "You're always answering things you're not asked," to give you a sense of what people think about Regina.

And here comes Toots, to interfere. He doesn't like it when people try to meddle where Regina's concerned (I think today's term is 'golden child') and he shows off his obvious favouritism by virtue of the fact that Regina doesn't have to work like her sisters.

In fact, she wants a glass of creme d'amour, and Toots is only to happy to get Albert to fetch it for her.

Here's another important screenshot of Regina. She's grand, she's confident, she's totally self-absorbed, and for good reason: she wants to be an actress in New York and to leave tuliptown forever. Notice the hand? Here's Regina's explanation:

Regina: I am a personality. For instance, when I walk on a stage and just do that...

Henry: What happens?

Regina: They melt.

Henry: Uh-huh. Uh, have you ever been on the stage?

Regina: Never.

Henry: Well, how do you know they'll melt when you just, uh...

Regina: Do this? How do I know? I've seen how they look at me wherever I go. Everyone here is

terribly in love with me.

Then she suggests that they go for a ride to the next town over, because, in Regina's words, at least there's something to do if they leave the inn.

She walks over to her father to tell him that she's going.

Regina: Would you send someone up for my coat and my periwinkle scarf?

Toots: For your what, darling?

Regina: And my periwinkle scarf, it's on the dresser, next to Lord Byron's Collected Works.

Toots: You will have it in a minute. Billie? Billie. Billie, Billie, Billie!

Here comes Billie, and the cook, Petunia. He tells her to run up and get Regina's things because she's leaving.

Billie: I was just hoping that she would stay here this afternoon and take my place. You see, I have to have my costume fitted, or it won't be ready for the festival.

Toots: Can't you wear last year's? You looked very nice.

Petunia: She'll look a lot nicer in her new one. She's going to her fitting, and Miss Regina is going to stay here.

Toots: That beats the Dutch! My own cook is giving orders to me? You are fired, Petunia, positively fired!

Petunia: Fired, hired. Mr. Van Maaster, one time you are going to fire me one time too much.

Toots: No more arguments. Pfft. Huh? Huh?

Billie: But, father...

Toots: You can have another afternoon off. You will... you will get your costume somehow. A guest wishes Regina to go driving with him, and you know the first rule of our house...

Petunia: Miss Regina's always right.

Toots: Yes... no, the customer is always right! Don't make me crazy.

Billie: But, father... but, father, look, it was the same last week and the week before. I haven't had a day off in... in...

But with a tug on her ear, she reluctantly agrees to miss her fitting and fetch Regina's things.

It's later in the evening now, and the social is happenin' and Toots is visibly exhausted in the background while his daughters sew around his table. The gentlemen siting at the table nearby beckon for Petunia: "It's 10 o'clock," they say. "He's supposed to be drowsy by now."

Petunia says not to worry, she'll get him up to bed.

Here's the loving scene, from the outside perspective it's probably a great Americana scene until you know the familial dynamics at play.

Petunia goes over to Mr. Randall, a long-term guest, and tells him to play Toots to sleep.

It works.

On his way up, he tells Billie to make sure that Regina gets her glass of buttermilk when she gets back from her drive with Henry.

Then Toots and Miss Robbins both head up, and it's only the daughters and their beaus downstairs.

Naturally they all jump into each others' arms. Well, except for Billie, she's sans beau. Anyways, the topic turns to their long courtships and Regina. Here's the context:

Beaus: You know, every night for two years, we've been stuck here with a soda.

Sisters: We won't have to wait much longer. We think it's gonna work this time.

Beaus: Why this time? Don't tell me Regina's found someone.

Sisters: You know that newspaper reporter that came here this morning? She's been out with him for hours.

Beaus: Boys, this is it.

Sisters: Oh, you should have seen the look she was giving him all afternoon. And you should have seen him. Huh! He was a hooked fish before she even got him out, so by now he must really...

Billie's the only one who sees a different perspective, but no matter. Because here's the crux: Toots won't let them get married out of order. So until Regina finds a man and marries him, they all must remain single. She further dampens the mood when she reminds her sisters that maybe Henry won't fall for Regina's charms. Or perhaps he's married?

Toots interrupts them, "Gentlemen, when a man says good night, he doesn't mean hello."

So now with the beaus gone, the sisters gone to bed, Billie sets up the process of closing for the evening. She sings a song with Mr. Randall's accompaniment about Vienna before wartime. After it ends he tells her that he's not homesick when she sings. It's about as overt an indication that this was a wartime film as you'll get.

The charming newlyweds are also on their way up, but they're having a lover's quarrel over whether there are 22 steps or 21 steps on the staircase. "Every evening they look for something to argue about so they have an excuse to make up," Billie tells Mr. Randall before he goes up to bed.

And right on cue, here's Regina and Henry. He's trying to impress her with fake stories of his life in New York City.

Henry: So the producer of the show asked me to take a look at a dress rehearsal, and I did. Hello, Billie.

Billie: Hello.

Henry: Afterwards, I says to him, "Oscar," I said, "there's only one thing to do."

Regina: You called him Oscar?

Henry: Oh, yeah, sure. He called me Hank. I says, "Oscar, you got to postpone your opening, throw out your first act, change your second, and open with your third act."

Regina: Did he do it?

Henry: It was a smash, two years.

Regina: He must be terribly grateful to you, Henry.

Henry: Well, sure he is. So whenever I find a girl I like, I just say to him, "Max..."

Regina: I thought it was Oscar.

Henry: Oh, yeah, yeah, sure. Well, anyway, he's very grateful, you know.

Regina: How interesting. Billie, take this away. The galoshes, too, dear.

Then comes Billie with the buttermilk.

Billie: Here's your buttermilk.

Regina: Don't disturb us, dear. You drink it yourself. Henry, Henry, you don't know what you've done for me. I can almost see my opening night on Broadway when the final curtain falls and the applause summons me. Of course, I'll change for the curtain speech. I'll come out in a completely new gown.

Henry: Well, uh, what, uh, what will you say?

Regina: I have it all prepared. There I'll stand, a single spotlight on me.

Henry: Uh-huh.

Regina: Then, when everything is silent...

Billie interrupts, "Drink this, father said so."

Henry can't help but smile at the antics.

Henry: Well, uh, you... you'll say what now?

Regina: Ladies and gentlemen...

Billie: Go to bed.

Regina: ...Go to bed... uh, oh! Are you still here, dear?

Billie: Yes. Someone has to close up. It's late.

Regina: Cute, isn't she?

But the message is given and received, it's time to end their magical evening together.

Billie takes them up the elevator, first stopping on Regina's floor. "All right, Henry, good night, good night..." Regina starts. He says good night, but Billie warns him: "There's more coming."

So they settle back into the elevator while Regina launches into another awards-worthy monologue: "Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night, till it be morrow." Before she can continue, Billie says good night, shuts the grate, and takes Henry up to his room.

But Billie has a few questions for Henry before she lets him leave.

Billie: Oh, sir. Just a second.

Henry: Yeah?

Billie: Are you married?

Henry: Are you talking to me?

Billie: Yes, sir.

Henry: Ha ha. That's a funny question to ask. Anyway, the answer is no.

Billie: Well, are you planning to get married?

Henry: The answer is still no.

Billie: Oh, that's bad. Good night.

Henry: Hey, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Now, what's bad about it? I feel fine.

Billie: Well, I was just thinking of father.

Henry: Who? Toots? He doesn't want to marry me, does he?

Billie: Oh, please be serious, sir. I'm worried.

Henry: Yes. I can see you are, but why?

Billie: Well, it's... Look, sir. We're seven sisters and... no, I better talk to you about it some other time.

Henry: Now, what is all this? Come on, now. Get it off your mind.

Billie: Well, I-I know it must sound pretty forward, but Regina told you about wanting to be on the stage, is that right?

Henry: You know all about it, don't you?

Billie: Well, every time someone comes here from a big city, her imagination runs a little wild.

Henry: Now, that's not such a wild idea, to want to be an actress, is it?

Billie: But she mustn't go. She's father's pet, all he cares for in life.
Henry: He has six other daughters, hasn't he?

Billie: He could easily forget all of us, but if she goes, it will break his heart. You see, Regina is the exact image of mother. That's the reason she must stay with him.

Henry: Now, that, uh, that doesn't fit in very well with her ideas, does it?

Billie: She wouldn't be happy in New York. You can't dig up a bulb and transplant it to a new soil just like that. It would rot.

The tides are turning in Henry's mind, he's really listening to what Billie's saying. And despite the fact that he asks what happens if he really does like Regina, Billie replies, "If I thought you did, I-I wouldn't have brought this up. I don't know why, but somehow I felt I could speak to you freely."

And here's where Henry realizes that he's in love with one of the sisters, but it's not Regina. "You know, I told you I had to take some pictures for my paper, remember?" He asks her. She does. "Well, you'll be the girl in the foreground, Billie."

Billie heads up to her room, which, it must be noted, she shares with her five sisters. Regina, naturally, has her own room. I'm so glad I only have one sibling, a young brother (who I love more than life) and that our parents treated us equally growing up. I feel so bad for people in this dynamic.

Anyways, the sisters are waiting for her to fill her in on Regina and Henry.

"He's not the marrying type," Billie tells them. Back to the drawing board for the sisters and their beaus. Honestly, they should pack a suitcase each, form a caravan, and leave town to go elope and live elsewhere.

The next day, Henry's downstairs in much better spirits. The sisters (sans Regina. Just assume that whne the sisters are together, it's sans Regina) are putting on a performance for the guests before dinner service. He can't help but listen, transfixed, as Billie belts out the song in her coloratura.

Toots comes over to talk briefly, and tells Henry that he's finally mastered the egg trick (Henry even shakes his hand to congratulate him). He's also decided to adopt Henry's practice of calling people he likes 'toots', so now they're both Toots. Anyways, Toots knows that Henry's looking around for someone, but he guesses the wrong someone: Regina. Turns out the rain made her sick.

Henry sees his opening, and tells Toots that he didn't call on Regina because he wants her to recuperate, and by no means should she be asked to come down to dinner with him. He'll eat alone.

That is, until Billie comes by to take his order. He compliments her on the song,

Billie: What will it be, chicken broth or tomato soup?

Henry: Well, which are you gonna have?

Billie: I, well...

Henry: Well, you're having dinner with me, aren't you?

Billie: Please, sir. I have other people to serve, too.

Mr. Randall: Don't be concerned about me in the slightest, miss Billie. I can wait.

Billie: There, you see? He's annoyed.

Henry: Well, of course he's annoyed. You're not treating me right.

Billie: I'll be back when you've made up your mind.

She comes back a few minutes later, to Henry's pronouncement that he won't eat at all if he's forced to eat alone. Luckily for him, Toots has cosmic timing, because he's back with a dinner guest.

Toots: I have good news for you. Those nice words you sent her made her feel better.

Henry: Wonderful.

Toots: Boys, please, stop smoking. It might be bad for Regina's cold. All right. Here she is.

Regina: Sorry to have kept you waiting, Henry. We'll have the tomato soup, dear.

Miss Robbins: What, no trumpets?

Toots: Not here now! I will go and turn on some heat. We can't take any chances on her. Ha, toots!

He's thrilled. Even when Regina goes on about the doctor obviously being in love with her.

Henry: Now, look, Reggie. You've got to be reasonable. You're a sick girl. Look at your eyes. They're all watery.

Regina: But not from the cold. I've been crying.

Henry: Why?

Regina: Because of you, Henry. I need you. That's what I've always needed, someone who'd be concerned about me, about my health, about my career, about my whole life. Oh, what was the name of that producer who's such a good friend of yours?

Henry: Uh, which one are you referring to?

Regina: The one who made a star of that girl you recommended.

Henry: Oh, him. Well, uh, well, this isn't the place to talk about things like that, Reggie.

Regina: I see. You want to be alone with me.

Henry: No. No. Now, I didn't say anything like that.

Regina: All right, Henry. I'll go with you. We'll take another drive.

Henry: Now, wait a minute. You'll get pneumonia.

Regina: Did Camille let that stop her?

Henry: Who?

Regina: Camille. Don't you know what she said before she died? \

Henry: I didn't even know she was sick.

Regina: She was sick in body and soul, and she died for love.

Henry: Now, look, Reggie. All this about you and Camille is... all right, if you'd really like to go, I'll be delighted to take you. I tell you what you do, Reggie. You, uh, go upstairs and put on some warm clothes, and then I'll be getting the car out, see?

Regina: "What shall I do with all the days and hours that must be counted ere I see thy face? How shall I charge the intervals..."

Henry: Yeah, well, that... that's all right. You go right on, and I'll, uh, I'll honk for you.

While Regina's gone, Henry runs into the kitchen just as Billie's about to bring out the soup. He tells her that he wants to be served his meal in his car.

When she tries to argue back, Henry tells Petunia: "Will you please remind the young lady the first rule of the house is, 'the customer is always right?'"

So out she goes...

...and in she goes, and then Henry takes off.

Billie: I'm getting drenched.

Henry: Now, if you moved over here a little closer, you wouldn't, see?

Billie: I suppose that's how my sister managed yesterday.

Henry: Your sister? Which sister are you talking about?

Billie: You know very well which sister.

Henry: Oh, her, well, I forgot to tell you about that. You see, she stepped out of an elevator last night and right out of my life.

Billie: Well, if that's so, then I'm terribly grateful for the change in your attitude. Now please take me home.

Henry: You know, Billie, everything about you is wonderful. It's fine. The way you hold your hand up to keep the rain out, the way you pull your ear when you get mad, and especially the way you say bulbs. Please say bulbs.

Billie: I'll never say bulbs, Mr. Taggart.

Henry: Not Mr. Taggart, Henry.

Billie: And I can't go around calling our guests by their first names. Imagine calling Miss Robbins Abigail.

Henry: I know, but I'm not just an ordinary guest, or am I? Hmm?

Billie: Please take me home, Mr. Taggart. What's my father going to say about all this? Please, Henry.

Once she calls him Henry, it confirms it for him; she likes him too. They kiss.

Until the roof leaks on them. Billie's about to yell, but Henry only tugs on his ear to prompt her to lose the anger.

The next day, it's finally Tulip Time!

The day begins with a church service, where Billie is naturally singing a song for the congregants.

Henry included...

...even though back at the inn, Regina, who never participates, is participating and about to surprise him with breakfast. She knocks, she hears a "Come in!" and she enters...

...to find Petunia cleaning and Henry nowhere to be found. Regina is mad that she's being mocked and fires Petunia, to which Petunia replies: "Fired by the daughter and fired by the father. I'm the all-firedest woman in the whole town."

After church, Henry tries to convince Toots that Billie should be his tour guide as he navigates the tulip town, but Miss Robbins and Regina bump in, but here's one situation where Regina doesn't win. Toots pronounces Miss Robbins's help as useful this time, so off they go.

Once they're alone, Miss Robbins pounces. Oh sure, they talk about the tradition some, but when Henry wants to go off and find Billie, suddenly Miss Robbins turns into an interrogator.

Miss Robbins: Young man, I want to have a talk with you about Billie.

Henry: About Billie? What... what about her?

Miss Robbins: I heard her singing in church this morning.

Henry: Huh. Just a beautiful voice, isn't it?

Miss Robbins: I've known that beautiful voice ever since its first squall, and I can always sense what's behind it.

Henry: I can imagine what was behind the first squall, but, uh, what do you think it was this morning?

Miss Robbins: She's in love.

Henry: How could you tell?

Miss Robbins: From the tremolo.

Henry: The tremolo, huh? Well, could you by any chance tell with whom she's in love?

Miss Robbins: Unfortunately, you. I knew that the moment she went off key.

Henry: Miss Robbins, I could kiss you.

Miss Robbins: I understand that's your specialty.

Henry: Yeah, well, I'll see you later...

Miss Robbins: Stick to the subject. What are your intentions towards Billie?

Henry: Well, I had thought of telling that directly to her.

Miss Robbins: Well, you're going to tell me first.

Henry: Now look, Miss Robbins, isn't it enough that I have to go through this with that stubborn father of hers? Do I have to take it up with all the guests in the hotel? I'm gonna marry her.

Miss Robbins: Why is it that you've never married before?

Henry: Possibly because I haven't found the right girl.

Miss Robbins: And what makes you so sure that you've found her this time?

Henry: The mere fact that I allow myself to stand here playing 20 questions with a withered, old pressed flower like you.

Miss Robbins: What did you say I am?

Henry: A withered, old pressed flower, and that is final.

And Miss Robbins's retort? "I think he's all right, girls. What do you think?"

Cut to the sisters (sans Regina, of course) and Petunia, who've been listening to the interrogation. They brand Henry as the perfect suitor for Billie.

Cut to the rest of the tulip ceremonies. The men don't have to clean the streets (unsurprisingly), it's left up to the womenfolk, who are all dressed in traditional Dutch dresses.

There's Henry getting a snap of his sweetheart.

And here's the dancing.

Until Henry butts in and crashes the dance, something the men aren't supposed to do.

So they run off to a tulip field for some alone time.

Billie: You're impossible, rain or shine, Mr. Taggart.

Henry: Now, Miss Van Maaster, are we back at that?

Billie: We always were.

Henry: You don't have to pretend anymore. I know everything. Tremolo.

Billie: You've been talking to miss Robbins.

Henry: Abigail? Sure, she told me. Wait a minute, Billie. Can't you get it through that funny, little dutch head of yours that I'm in love with you? And I want to take you to New York with me.

Billie: You don't understand, Henry. What I told you about Regina goes for me, too. We're country girls who belong here.

Henry: Do you think the world is gonna stand still if one of you moves out?

Billie: Father's world... definitely.

Henry: Oh, no, Billie. Look, your father's world is nothing but that egg trick and buche buche and a smile from Regina. You know that. You told me so yourself.

Billie: Perhaps I said too much. He's just as concerned about all of us.

Henry: Well, of course he is. That's why he'll understand when I go up to him and I'll say, "Look, Toots. I'm in love with your daughter, and she's in love with me, and...

Billie: ...And then when you tell him that you picked one of his prize specimens, he'll take you right in his arms.

Henry: Ha ha ha! Oh, I can fix that. That's simple.

Billie: No, it isn't simple. Henry, for generations there's been a tradition in our family that the oldest girl marry first. I can't be the one to break that tradition.

Henry: Traditions. I'll show you a real one. This one's a million years old. In fact, it's the oldest tradition in the world.

And then they kiss again.

Back at the inn, Toots is having trouble with his tie...

...and Regina debases herself to enter her sisters' room.

Sisters: Looking for someone, Regina? Anyone in particular, dearest?

Regina: No, and don't ask me questions. I dislike it intensely.

Sisters: All right, your royal highness.

Regina: Where's Billie?

Sisters: I thought you weren't looking for anyone.

Regina: I asked Cornelius.

Sisters: Don't ask her questions. She dislikes it intensely.

Regina: Thank you very much. That's all I wanted to know.

Sisters: Oh, boy. Something tells me we're going to have a little relative trouble. I'm sure of it.

Just as Billie and Henry are returning to tell Toots about their love, Toots shouts out for one of his daughters: "On a day like this, they all leave me alone with my tie."

Henry goes over, with a joke from Billie. "You be sure and keep your fingers crossed for me," he replies. Then Mr. Randall pops out and figures that he's about to ask for Billie's hand. He wishes him luck.

Just as Toots is about to cry out for another daughter, Henry appears and offers his help. Inside the room, he's very nervous and formal. Gone is Toots; he's calling him Mr. Van Maaster instead, something that Toots picks up on. Henry deflects and says that his newspaper wants a picture of Toots, so he grabs his camera.

Henry: Now don't forget. Keep smiling no matter what I say. All right, and now...

Toots: And now you are going to tell me you want to marry my daughter.

Toots tells him, "If she likes you, it's all right with me. You know I have no other wish in life but to make my child happy. Wait. I will get her."

Toots goes through the bedroom, not out to the hall, where Billie's waiting, and it takes Henry about a second to realize that...

...Toots thinks Henry wants to marry Regina!

Toots: You want to be alone. You have a lot to say to each other.

Henry: Yes, we certainly have.

Toots: I am the proudest man in the world.

Once they're alone, Henry rounds on her. Regina knows that he didn't mean her, but that doesn't matter to her in the slightest. "All right. You're in love with Billie. It's a little beyond me, but I won't interfere

with it. On the contrary, after I'm settled in New York and if this love is still in bloom, there's no reason

why you can't send for her."

And it's here where Henry has to come clean, that he doesn't know any producers, he only says that to impress women. "Henry, don't try to belittle yourself," Regina says. "You're going to take me to New York and start me on my career."

Henry isn't going to sit by while this happens. He formulates a plan. "I'm gonna have a talk with your father, and this time, there will be no misunderstanding."

Regina: I wouldn't do that if I were you, Henry. If I don't go, Billie can't go, either. I have some influence with papa. You know that.

Henry: Now just for the fun of it, how do you think all this is gonna work out?

Regina: It's simple. We're leaving right now.

Henry: Right now, huh? Well, that's, uh... that's not bad. That's not a bad idea at all. Well, if we're going, well, let's go. Now I'll tell you what we'll do. You go and get your things packed, and I'll be down getting the car out, and then I'll honk for you when I'm ready.

Regina: Henry. You're not going to let me down this time. I only mention it because once before you said you'd honk, remember?

Henry: Ha ha ha! What a memory. You're gonna be a great Camille. Ha ha ha!

Regina: Thank you. I'll only be a minute.

Henry tries to use the time wisely. He rounds up all the sisters and gets them busy. "We got to get

some action here. You check my car and make sure there's plenty of gas. Run up and pack my things. You get Billie's stuff together. Make sure that driveway is clear out there. Honey, look, you run out on the square and keep your father occupied. This is one disappearing act I don't want him to see."

But then Billie interjects. She doesn't want to elope, without saying a goodbye to her father, like Henry's suggesting. Even her sisters are encouraging her to leave, it's a lose-lose situation. "How can I leave father and the house I was born in without saying good-bye? It's against everything we've ever believed in. I just can't do it."

But even Miss Robbins is in on it, and tells Billie that she must leave now. "You see, I love this house... This family... Yes, even your father, but times change, and, oh, people often neglect to change with them. Go, Billie. Go before it's too late. I feel I have a right to talk to you this way because if your mother were alive, I know she'd say the same thing. That sister of yours is apt to do anything."

Billie, for some reason, doesn't believe Regina would truly hurt her; which is just...bless her naïve heart.

But she's adamant that she's not going to run off, instead she's going to confront Regina. With the rest of her sisters.

Regina: What's going on here? What do you want?

Billie: Regina, there's never been much contact between you and me, but this is a big day in our town. Why don't we try to make it a big day between us, too?

Regina: Why not? But do we need the audience?

Sisters: Yes. It concerns all of us. My doctor can't wait forever, and the men in this town don't like to have a bachelor treating their wives. This is our chance to break with tradition.

Regina: A little revolution, eh?

Billie: Nothing of the sort, Regina, but apparently enry didn't make himself quite clear. You see, we're in love.

Regina: He told me that, and I promised him we'd send for you later.

Billie: You don't believe that one yourself.

Regina: I made a deal with him, and I'll stick to it.

Billie: You can't make a deal out of my life. I'm not going to give him up, and the same goes for him. You might just as well unpack.

Regina: This is my chance. If it's your idea to get married, go ahead, get married whenever you like. Don't wait for me. I have other ideas. I don't care for tradition. I don't care for anything around here. I can't stand it another day, another hour.

Billie: But, Regina, you're everything to father. If you walk out on him, it would kill him.

Regina: Father. Father. That's all I hear morning, noon, and night... father. I'm going away whether father likes it or not.

But Toots is waiting, they're already late, and Regina isn't going to deign to go to the concert, so why bother stick around at the inn?

Honestly, for as much as Regina is painted the villain here, to a modern woman watching this...she's really not a villain. She just wants to live her own life. I wonder how audiences in 1942 felt about Regina.

At the concert, Billie is heartbroken and distracted.

And Henry's waiting for a getaway.

Finally, Billie's overcome, and she takes off mid-song. Toots, who's playing in the orchestra, follows her.

Toots: I didn't want to ask any questions in front of Regina. You know how little it takes to upset her.

Billie: What is it, father?

Toots: What business did you girls have in Regina's room?

Billie: Is it so unusual that we'd be there?

Toots: For you, at least. You were supposed to be down here.

Billie: We had something to talk about.

Toots: What was it? Hmm? When bags are packed, someone wants to leave.

Billie: Father...You don't believe that I was the one?

Toots: I believe what I see.

Billie: Then I won't say another word.

Toots: All right. Then I will ask one of the other girls. They will tell me the truth.

But then Henry appears from the shadows, "I'll tell you the truth, Mr. Van Maaster. I'm in love with Billie... And I'm gonna marry her and take her to New York with me. And that's that."

Toots: I thought you were in love with Regina.

Henry: That's where you made your mistake. Toots... this is the real thing with Billie and me. After all, she's your daughter, too, and I don't think you exactly dislike me.

Toots: Just... just tell me. Is it the real sort... you and this young man?

Billie: Yes, it is true, but we didn't...

Toots: Then what else is there to say?

Henry: Nothing for us. It's all up to you. Why don't you be a good sport and give us your ok?

Toots: A while ago, you were willing to take her without it. Why the formality all of a sudden?

It seems you haven't been very happy here, Billie. I don't know why. I have done my best. I've tried to be a good father to all of you.

Henry: You never had a better chance to show that than now.

Toots: It has always been my principle not to hold anyone back who doesn't want to stay. Instead, I would prefer that you go im-immediately, just as you... just as you planned.

And with that, Toots goes back to the orchestra. The guilt trip is classic family. But how heartbreaking for Billie that her father just refuses to see her and that she's in love, and that he's put Regina on such a high pedestal that he can't see the damage he's done to his six other daughters.

Henry comforts Billie, thinking that this is it, sadly. They'll go to New York under this shroud of sadness, but in time, Billie's heart will heal.

Billie: Henry, you don't understand. I can't go. You saw what it did to him.

Henry: Oh, darling, he'll get over that. After all, we're not the first couple to ever elope, and he won't be the first father to forgive his daughter for it.

Billie: I can't. Please go, Henry.

Billie: You'll send me your paper, won't you? I'd like to read the things you do.

Henry: Oh, I'm afraid you'll never find them. Guys like me don't get their names on their stories.

Billie: I'd recognize them.

Henry: Billie... I'll be hanged if I'll go without you. Father or no father, he has no...

He's getting agitated, and like she always does when she or someone she cares for is angry, she tugs on his ear.

Henry: Ok, but someday you're gonna break out of this family album. And when you do, you'll know where to find me, Billie.

And then he leaves.

And Billie goes back to the concert, heartbroken, to finish her song. The entire town watches her heart breaking, Toots included, but she soldiers on.

A little while later, Tulip Time has made the front cover of the newspaper, and there's Billie front and centre.

He looks fondly at the woman he loves, and packs up his things, ready to leave for the day.

Just as he's about to leave, the receptionist reminds him that a ringing phone means someone is trying to get a hold of you. The receptionist then answers another call from a Miss Van Maaster.

"Hello, Billie?! Bi...oh, how are you, Regina?"

Regina, it turns out, ran away from Little Delph regardless of Henry, and regardless of tradition.

She calls down to the doorman (and can I just say, as a woman who would love to live like a '30s or '40s grand dame, having a doorman has always seemed SO CHIC to me) and tells him that she's expecting a gentleman, and to just send him up when he gets there.

And then she preens, because honestly, as a single woman with her own fancy apartment who acts grander than she is, what else are you going to do? (I need a widow's robe, honestly, but then I'd just straight-up never leave my place.)

"Quite a machine, that elevator," Toots says, surprising Regina when he walks into her apartment. "Just whoosh! Hold the breath, 23rd floor. I think we should have one like that in Little Delph."

Okay, so it isn't Henry, but Regina's determined to make Toots see reason here: she's never going to be happy in Little Delph; her place is here, in New York. She wants to be an actress. But Toots being Toots, he needs to have his say.

So he says, "Now, about this wish of yours to become an actress. You realize, my child, there was never one in our family. There were shipbuilders, preachers, innkeepers, painters, even a few pirates. So I suppose it's time we have an actress, too."

This catches Regina off guard, I think she assumed that if her father ever followed her to New York, it would be to drag her kicking and screaming back to Tulip Town. He tells her the last thing he's going to do is stand in her way, because "I have no right to stand in the way of my children's happiness. I have learned it. A little late, but not too late, I hope."

But he has a stipulation: if she's going to be an actress, she's going to be the best. Their entire family, even the pirates, have been the best in their professions, so by golly, she's going to be the next Greer Garson!

To wit, Toots has brought the reinforcements who will guide Regina into becoming the crème de la crème of the acting world: Miss Robbins and Mr. Randall.

Okay, some of the ideas they have about being the best don't jive with Regina's plans for being the best. They want her to move to a new apartment, with Miss Robbins, close to the Prudence Club for Women Only. Miss Robbins will also become her private secretary, in essence: she'll manage everything, money, study hours, other hours, associations, men...

But before Regina can reject this proposal, the phone rings. And Toots, who doesn't seem to know much about the phone, answers it before Regina can, and tells "him" to come up.

Him is, of course, Henry. And once Regina claps eyes on him, she wants him to take her away from the apartment. But he's not having it. "You know, you're really a knockout," he tells her. "Running away from home after Billie messes up her life and mine, too, covering up for you. Nothing could stop you.

You had to run away, didn't you..."

Toots interjects, and tells Henry that Regina didn't run away, they came here together (I mean, loyal to the end, I suppose, but at least he's not totally steamrolling the path for Regina here).

And once he's got that matter squared, he tells Henry (his Toots) to sit. "Toots, you have known me long enough to be ensured that my intentions are only the best. What I mean is, young man, I have the honor

and privilege to ask for your hand for my daughter."

Henry's happy, after he gets confirmation from Toots that he means Billie, not Regina.

"Now I have what I always wanted, a son. Sevem daughters, and you, Henry...Henry the eighth."

And back in Little Delph that means that all the sisters can get married!

Victor...

George...

and Peter are about to be married, but then there's a commotion.

The door bangs open, and in runs Miss Robbins.

"There are two more. There's the license. Just got it at the City Hall," she tells the minister.

It's for Regina and Mr. Randall!

It's only been a week since this all happened, Toots says! "Did you ever spend a week at the Prudence Club for Women Only?" Miss Robbin interjects.

Just when it looks like this might be the thing that pushes this septuple wedding overboard, Billie tugs her ear, reminding the minister to breathe and continue with the wedding ceremony.