THOSE who remember "Four Daughters" as a most beguiling pre-World War II romance and the performance of the late John Garfield in it as one of the best he ever gave may be a bit surprised to discover that Warner Brothers' new "Young at Heart" is a remake of that old favorite, with Frank Sinatra in the Garfield role. They may also be surprised to discover, in this color film, which opened at the Paramount yesterday, that the old sentiments are rather nicely warmed up and that Mr. Sinatra acquits himself well.

Quite often, such remakes are dismal. And apparently the others were resolved that there should be no widespread recognition of this one being in the remake line. They cagily borrowed a title from one of Mr. Sinatra's popular songs, changed the name of the family of daughters and reduced them from four to three. Furthermore, they got Doris Day as the daughter who was formerly played by Priscilla Lane and tossed in a lot of song numbers for her and Mr. Sinatra to sing.

But there is no mistaking the origin. This is still the frankly sentimental tale of a family of modern little women in a peaceful Connecticut town whose happy home is invaded by masculine disturbers—and by one lonely stray in particular. This latter character, a rude and bitter misfit with splendid talents in the musical line, is the one who does the most disrupting and is most radically reconstructed in the end.

Let's state the obvious shortcomings. Gordon Douglas, who directed this film, has not kept it anywhere near as robust as Michael Curtiz kept the original. He has let it become a bit flabby and even wishy-washy in spots, and he has not got from Mr. Sinatra the bite and sharpness that Mr. Garfield had. Miss Day is sometimes much too bubbly. And, of course, what is worst of all, the hard-luck character is allowed to recover from his attempt at suicide.

But, even so, there's a lot of warmth and feeling in this elaborately optimistic film, and Mr. Sinatra does put quills on the misfit before they blunt him to conformance in the end. Likewise, Miss Day is attractive when she casually bounces around, before she becomes a soul-saver and one-girl society for the prevention of cruelty to strays. Dorothy Malone and Elizabeth Fraser as the other sisters, Gig Young as an ardent suitor who fails, and Ethel Barrymore and Robert Keith as the wistful elders of this sorority, are entertaining, too.

Best of the several song numbers, for our taste, is "There's a Rising Moon." Next best is Mr. Sinatra mooning "Just One of Those Things." The title song is just a musical label, tacked on at the beginning and the end. Classical music is briefly represented by a piano and string rendering of Mendelssohn's "On Wings of Song."

YOUNG AT HEART, screen play by Julius J. Epstein and Lenore Coffee, adapted by Liam O'Brien from a story by Fannie Hurst; directed by Gordon Douglas; produced by Henry Blanke for Warner Bros. At the Paramount.
Laurie Tuttle . . . . . Doris Day
Barney Sloan . . . . . Frank Sinatra
Alex Burke . . . . . Gig Young
Aunt Jessie . . . . . Ethel Barrymore
Fran Tuttle . . . . . Dorothy Malone
Gregory Tuttle . . . . . Robert Keith
Amy Tuttle . . . . . Elizabeth Fraser
Robert Neary . . . . . Alan Hale
Ernest Nichols . . . . . Lonny Chapman
Bartell . . . . . Frank Ferguson
Mrs. Ridgefield . . . . . Marjorie Bennett