Debbie Reynolds was already a powerhouse by the time 1963 rolled around. She had survived the public wreckage of her marriage to Eddie Fisher, solidified her status as America's sweetheart, and was looking for projects that matched her high-energy, maternal-yet-spunky persona. That’s how we got My Six Loves. It’s a movie that, honestly, feels like it could only have been made in that specific window of the early sixties. It’s colorful. It’s a bit sugary. It has that distinct Paramount Pictures gloss that makes everything look like it was filmed inside a highly polished jewel box.
You've probably seen the trope before. A high-strung Broadway star, Janice Courtney, suffers a "nervous breakdown"—which in 1960s cinema basically meant she fainted once and looked slightly tired—and retreats to the countryside for some mandated R&R. But instead of peace, she finds six runaway kids living in her garden shed. It’s a premise that would be a police procedural today, but in the hands of director Gower Champion, it’s a sentimental comedy about finding family in the most chaotic places.
The Broadway Connection: Gower Champion and Debbie Reynolds
What people often forget about My Six Loves is that it marked the film directorial debut of Gower Champion. If you're a theater nerd, that name carries weight. He was the visionary behind the original Broadway productions of Hello, Dolly! and Bye Bye Birdie. You can see that stage-trained eye in the way he blocks the scenes. He treats the sprawling Connecticut farmhouse almost like a stage set, moving the six children and Reynolds in rhythmic patterns that feel almost like a dance, even when they’re just eating breakfast.
Debbie Reynolds wasn't just acting here; she was essentially playing a version of her own public image. Janice Courtney is a woman who lives for the applause but realizes her life is functionally empty. Reynolds brought a specific kind of "theatrical exhaustion" to the role that felt authentic. At the time, she was juggling a massive film career, a Las Vegas residency, and her own young children, Carrie and Todd Fisher. When Janice looks at those six kids with a mix of horror and sudden affection, that wasn’t just good acting. That was the face of a woman who knew exactly what a chaotic household felt like.
Meet the "Six Loves"
The kids are the engine of the movie. They aren't professional, polished child actors of the Shirley Temple variety. They feel like actual, messy children. The group was led by Hans Conried (who played the prickly, hilarious Oliver Tynan) and a young Jim Backus, but the kids were the heart. Interestingly, one of those "six loves" was a very young Bill Mumy.
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Before he was shouting "Danger, Will Robinson!" on Lost in Space, Mumy was playing one of the runaway siblings in this film. If you watch closely, you can see the deadpan timing he’d later perfect. The chemistry between the children felt real because the production actually kept them together quite a bit on set. They weren't just background props; they were the catalyst for Janice’s transformation from a self-absorbed star to a woman who actually cares about the temperature of a child’s soup.
Then there is Cliff Robertson. He plays the local minister, the Reverend Jim Larkin. It’s a bit of a thankless role on paper—the "good man" who grounds the flighty actress—but Robertson plays it with a quiet, masculine steadiness. He doesn't judge Janice for her career or her initial inability to boil an egg. He just waits for her to catch up to the reality of her own heart. It's a slow-burn romance that feels surprisingly mature for a movie that features a scene where a goat wanders through a house.
Why the Critics Weren't Always Kind
If you look at the 1963 reviews, the New York Times and other big outlets were a bit dismissive. They called it "standard sentiment." They weren't entirely wrong, but they missed the point. My Six Loves wasn't trying to be Citizen Kane. It was a "woman's picture"—a genre that was hugely popular but often looked down upon by male critics of the era.
It deals with themes that were actually quite progressive for the time, even if they were wrapped in lace curtains. Think about it: Janice Courtney is an independent, wealthy, successful woman who decides to take in six children who aren't hers. She considers motherhood outside the traditional "find a husband first" pipeline. While she does eventually find the Reverend, the primary arc of the movie is her relationship with those kids, not just her search for a man. That’s a subtle but important distinction.
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The movie also doesn't shy away from the fact that kids are exhausting. It’s not all sunshine and lullabies. There’s mud. There’s noise. There’s the constant demand for attention that threatens to derail Janice’s "comeback" play. The tension between her professional ambition and her growing domestic affection is something many women in 1963 were starting to feel as they moved into the workforce in larger numbers.
Production Details You Might Have Missed
The film was shot primarily at the Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, though it’s set in New England. The art direction by Hal Pereira and Roland Anderson is peak mid-century cozy. That farmhouse? It’s a masterpiece of set design. It manages to look both lived-in and impossibly chic at the same time. The costume design was handled by Edith Head, the legendary designer who won eight Oscars. She dressed Reynolds in outfits that transition from "high-fashion Broadway" to "country casual" without ever losing that movie-star silhouette.
There’s a specific scene where Janice is wearing a stunning yellow ensemble while dealing with a kitchen disaster. That’s pure Edith Head—making a mess look like a fashion statement.
The Cultural Legacy of My Six Loves
Does it hold up? Sorta. If you hate sentiment, you’ll hate this movie. But if you appreciate the craftsmanship of the studio system, it’s a gem. It’s a bridge between the Golden Age of Hollywood and the more experimental cinema of the late 60s. It’s safe, yes, but it’s executed with such high-level talent that you can’t help but be charmed.
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The film also serves as a reminder of Debbie Reynolds’ incredible range. She could do the big musicals like Singin' in the Rain, but she could also carry a domestic comedy with nothing but her timing and her expressive face. She was the glue that held the "six loves" together.
How to Appreciate the Film Today
To really "get" My Six Loves, you have to watch it through the lens of 1963. This was the year of the Kennedy assassination. The world was about to get a lot darker and more cynical. This movie represents one of the last gasps of a certain kind of innocent, big-budget filmmaking where the biggest problem in the world was how to feed six hungry kids and still make it to opening night on Broadway.
Actionable Takeaways for Classic Film Fans
If you're planning to revisit this film or watch it for the first time, keep these things in mind to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch the Blocking: Since Gower Champion was a choreographer, look at how the actors move in relation to each other. It’s much more rhythmic than your average sitcom-style comedy.
- Edith Head’s Wardrobe: Notice the color palette. Janice’s clothes often mirror her emotional state—moving from sharp, stark colors in the city to warmer, earthier tones in the country.
- The "Lost in Space" Connection: Keep an eye out for Bill Mumy. It’s fun to see him as a normal kid before he became a sci-fi icon.
- The Musical Numbers: While not a "full" musical, the song "It's a Darn Good Thing" is a classic earworm. It’s Debbie Reynolds at her most infectious.
- Contextualize the "Breakdown": Understand that Janice's exhaustion was a common trope for successful women in 60s cinema, often used to justify their "return" to domestic life.
My Six Loves is more than just a dusty relic. It’s a testament to a transition period in American culture. It’s a movie about the families we choose and the way that responsibility can actually be a form of freedom. Whether you’re a Debbie Reynolds completist or just someone looking for a cozy afternoon watch, there’s a lot of heart to be found in this little corner of 1963.
To find the film today, check for digital restorations on platforms like Amazon Prime or specialized classic film streamers like TCM. The color saturation in the restored versions is significantly better than the old DVD releases, making those Edith Head costumes truly pop.