In 1947, she was not only the highest paid actress in Hollywood but the highest paid woman in America. Mayer did not think he needed two child stars, so he fired Durbin (the play suggests that might have been accidental and he may have wanted to boot Garland), Durbin, at her new studio, Universal, became famous right away and her first few pictures were so successful that they saved the studio (Deanna starred in21 movies in her storied career). Durbin and David raised a son, Peter David (born in June 1951), as well as Durbin's daughter Jessica, on a farm outside of Paris. Deanna is a favourite on my local nostalgia radio. When her former producer Joe Pasternak tried to dissuade her, she told him, "I can't run around being a Little Miss Fix-It who bursts into songthe highest-paid star with the poorest material. If they were allowed to be managed and controlled, for example, by Reputable Fan Clubs, that would have been Great News for Her Fans. Jackson left Universal in November 1946;[17] he also left Durbin in January 1947, although their separation was not announced until the following year. . Even as a young child, she could hold her own on the screen. Actress/singer Melanie Gall has merged the two stories into one, Ingenue: Deanna Durbin and Judy Garland, and the Golden Age of Hollywood. In 1936, audiences saw her in the short Every Sunday and approved; Mayer saw it and did not. Citizenship Restored To 221 Living Overseas", "Deanna Durbin, Plucky Movie Star of the Depression Era, Is Dead at 91", "Suspension of Deanna Durbin Causes Hollywood Sensation", "Singer-Actress Deanna Durbin Dead at 91", "Extrait de l'acte de dcs d'Edna May Durbin", "Richard Brautigan "Part 9 of Trout Fishing in America" poetry archive plagiarist.com", "Deanna Durbin's Star Shone Brightest in the World's Darkest Hour", "Deanna Durbin Appeals For Donations, 1940/07/01 (1940)", Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deanna_Durbin&oldid=1123349300, Canadian expatriate actresses in the United States, CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes), Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2017, Articles needing additional references from December 2021, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2021, TCMDb name template using numeric ID from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Produced by Joe Pasternak, directed by Henry Koster, Produced by Joe Pasternak, directed by Norman Taurog, Produced by Joe Pasternak, directed by Edward Ludwig, Produced by Joe Pasternak, directed by William A. Seiter, Produced and directed by Bruce Manning (replacing Jean Renoir), Produced by Felix Jackson, directed by Frank Ryan, Produced by Felix Jackson, directed by Frank Borzage, Produced by Felix Jackson, directed by Robert Siodmak, Produced by Felix Jackson, directed by Charles David, Produced by Felix Jackson, directed by Richard Wallace, Produced by Felix Jackson, directed by William A Seiter, Produced by Joseph Sistrom, directed by Irving Pichel, Produced by Karl Tunberg, directed by William A. Seiter, (final film role) Produced by Robert Arthur directed by Frederick de Cordova, "Filles de Cadiz" ("The Maids of Cadiz") (from, "Gimme a Little Kiss, Will Ya, Huh?" Judy Garland was also featured in the film and she and Durbin sang together, but the much more gauche-looking Garland appealed more to the mogul than the prettier Durbin, who he decided was a little too womanly for what he had in mind. This added to her movie images even more charm and beauty.In the Soviet Union, and today in Russia, we really love her film His Butler's Sister, where Deanna sings old Russian romances in Russian.She miraculously managed to convey the atmosphere of the Russian romance. Los Angeles Times 6 Jan 1948: A1. (from, "I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen" (from, "Sari Waltz (Love's Own Sweet Song)" (from, "Say a Pray'r for the Boys Over There" (from, "Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year" (from, "You Wanna Keep Your Baby Looking Nice, Don't You" (from, This page was last edited on 23 November 2022, at 07:43. Durbin acknowledged her dislike of the Hollywood studio system, emphasizing that she never identified herself with the public image that the media created around her. LORETTA YOUNGS SON SAYS 40S STAR REMAINED DEVOTED TO HER FAITH DURING FINAL YEARS: SHE HAD A MORAL COMPASS, Actress Deanna Durbin her husband Charles David at Mocambo's in Los Angeles, California, circa the 1950s. And. 01:04. I don't think Deanna Durbin will ever lose her fan base, every year more people "discover" her and her delightful personality. It seems that back in the early 1950s, when Durbin had been retired for a few years, that the writers of the still untested MyFair Ladywent to see her to convince her to play Eliza Doolittle. (Getty Images), 30S STAR GRACIE FIELDS ENDURED PRESSURE TO LOOK GLAMOROUS, 'HAD ALL HER TEETH PULLED OUT,' BOOK CLAIMS, She was very young when she left Hollywood, Harper explained regarding why Durbins name isnt as prominent as some of her peers today. Over the next 62 years, she only gave one single media interview. I loved thembut I had my ticket to Paris in my pocket and anyway, Julie Andrews was great and so was Audrey Hepburn in the film.. I don't think Deanna Durbin will ever lose her fan base, every year more people "discover" her and her delightful personality. With the technical skill and vocal range of a legitimate lyric soprano, she performed many styles from popular standards to operatic arias. Durbin had been effectively typecast as the good girl and wanted to be able to choose different roles. In the late 1930s and through much of the 40s, Durbin was a top box-office attraction. 30S STAR THELMA TODD WAS BECOMING' TIRED 'OF HOLLYWOOD' BEFORE HER MYSTERIOUS DEATH, BOOK CLAIMS, Judy Garland (left) with Deanna Durbin, circa 1936. I also enjoyed the company of my fellow actors What I did find difficult was that this acquired maturity had to be hidden under the childlike personality my films and publicity projected on me.". (The other two were Ginger Rogers and Billy Wilder.). Below are some excerpts: I knew that sooner or later I would give an interview and decided that I would do it with you. What I did find difficult was that this acquired maturity had to be hidden under the childlike personality my films and publicity projected on me., I hated being in a goldfish bowl. Her voice, movements, facial expressions fully correspond to this subtle and unsteady mood. However, fans and critics didnt like it. Gall plays Deanna and brings in the story of Judy in an interview with an invisibleNew York Timesreporter. So sorry about that,I checked again myself and couldnt find the interview. Deanna Durbin, the former child actress who was born Edna Mae Durbin in Winnipeg, Canada on December 4, 1921, has passed away at age 91, according to her son, Peter H. David, who said she died "a few days ago." . DEANNA DURBIN GETS SUSPENSION AT STUDIO: Penalized by Universal After It Refuses Concessions to Her She really illuminated their lives by just answering audience questions. There may have been some jealousy between them, but I doubt they were enemies. Then suddenly, she disappeared. In the late 1930s and 1940s, Deanna and Judy, just teenagers, were two of the biggest stars in Hollywood. I have never been so frightened. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The play should be subtitled Show Biz History 101. Thelate Mr Shipman wrote one of my favourite books, THE GREAT FILM STARS; THE GOLDEN YEARS. I'd love to have more insight into this enigmatic lody. He kept the promise.Deanna died quite recently, in 2013, having outlived her husband by 14 years.She was not forgotten, and hardly ever will be forgotten. I loved to sing. I wonder now if there could be a demand for a biography of Deanna. When a teenage Deanna Durbin appeared on screen in the 1930s, wearing a decorous white dress with her hands clasped together, singing with a bell-like purity, audiences sighed contentedly. Its a shame, too, that she wouldnt allow herself to be profiled on Websites. MGM casting director Rufus LeMaire heard about a talented young soloist performing with the Ralph Thomas Academy and called her in for an audition. On 30 April, via the Deanna Durbin Society, Peter announced that she had died "several days ago". There were Deanna Durbin dolls and dresses. Chanson, Comedy/Novelty Music, Educational, Field Recording, Film Score/Soundtrack, Interview/Dialogue, Minstrel, Monolog, Music Hall, Musical/Original Cast, Natural Sounds, Poetry, Prayers/Sermons, Radio Play/Show, Schlager, Special Effects . She sang the number again for Louis B. Mayer, who signed her to a six-month contract. [citation needed] By the time she was 10, her parents recognized that she had definite talent and enrolled her in voice lessons at the Ralph Thomas Academy. David, thanks for reprinting this fascinating interview. Poised as a veteran, prettier than ever, she arrived for her interview clad in rosy tweed. In 1949, she was released from her contract. Unlike Judy Garland, she seemed to be very mature in the films that she made, even as a young teenager. The legend was that the two, who starred in a movie together in 1936, were lifelong bitter rivals, but really, they were not. She tried very hard to shake off her girl-next-door image with films such as Christmas Holiday (1944), directed by Robert Siodmak and adapted from W Somerset Maugham's novel: Durbin and her co-star Gene Kelly were both cast against type, she as a nightclub hostess and he as a killer. By 1938, Hollywood launched a nationwide search to find the right young man who would give Durbin her first screen kiss in the movie First Love, the New York Times reported. It was still in an embryonic state just a few songs completed when Alan Jay Lerner came to my home to play them for me. Market data provided by Factset. Deanna married director Charles Davis when she was 28 and retired to live in a French farmhouse. Unlike Judy Garland, she seemed to be very mature in the films that she made, even as a young teenager. Deanna's observations of her life in Hollywood are so revealing and her honesty is welcome. Deanna Durbin has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1722 Vine Street. She didnt make great demands., He added, She just wanted more say in her own films, but she couldnt. In a rare interview, given in 1983 to the film journalist David Shipman, she said: "I did not hate show business. How did her rather wild personal life (three marriages and two out of wedlock pregnancies) affect her? I have come across tons of Actresses who left Acting when they were young. Dann Cahn on actress Deanna Durbin "saving" Universal Studios in the 1930s. As she matured, Durbin grew dissatisfied with the girl-next-door roles assigned to her and attempted to move into sophisticated non-musical roles with film noir Christmas Holiday (1944) and the whodunit Lady on a Train (1945). But the public did not accept her new image. She granted only one interview since 1949 to film historian David Shipman in 1983. [4] Durbin soon became Thomas's prize pupil, and he showcased her talent at various local clubs and churches. PRODUCTION: The play, originally staged in the Fringe Festival is produced by the Soho Playhouse. Her parents took her to live in California when she was a baby. By the time she was 18 her income was $250,000 a year. In 1941, Durbin starred in It Started with Eve (1941), her last film with Pasternak and director Henry Koster. Director: Henry Koster | Stars: Deanna Durbin, Robert Stack, Eugene Pallette, Helen Parrish Votes: 696 7. She is also referenced in the Glenn Miller WWII novelty song "Peggy the Pin-up Girl". Show biz buddies? It was the 1950s, Deanna was only 29 years old. In those days, there was a way into movies that is no longer available: the studio put her into what was called a "short subject", and allowed the public to judge. Felix Jackson produced 7 of Deannas films from 1943 to 1947. I was happy on the set. [16] However, while her adult dramatic roles may have been more satisfying for Durbin, it was clear her fans preferred her in light musical confections. Why did she build such a successful career in a short time and then give it all up? More than Six Decades in Retirement. When Pasternak learned that Durbin was no longer with MGM, he instead cast her in the film. Raising a family in France with her third husband, Durbin refused all but one interview over the subsequent decades, preferring peace and privacy to her lasting fame as Hollywood's "Little Miss Fix-It." Deanna Durbin was born Edna Mae Durbin on Dec. 12, 1921, at Grace Hospital, a Christian community medical center in Winnipeg, Manitoba. You get a wonderful education in how the old movie studio system worked, how child actors were educated at special studio schools how stars had homes built for them right on the film sets. Between December 15, 1936, and July 22, 1947, Deanna Durbin recorded 50 tunes for Decca Records. Her films resonated with audiences of all ages. I was the highest paid star with the poorest material-today I consider my salary as damages for having to cope with such complete lack of quality., I did not hate show business. Wishing to move into more sophisticated material, They Lived Alone was retooled into The Amazing Mrs. Holliday (1943), the World War II story of refugee children from China. In 1936, her singing landed her a spot in Eddie Cantors weekly radio program. This group is for fans of Deanna Durbin, the Canadian-born soprano and film star who at 14-years-old, single-handedly saved Universal Studios from bankruptcy with her 1936 film, "Three Smart Girls.". Change). Gall says she was tired of Hollywood, found fame tedious and wanted to live a normal life. Ive seen a couple of unflattering photos of her, dressed in a shapeless coat with an unattractive scarf on her head. [26] In private life, Durbin had continued to use her given name, Edna; salary figures printed annually by the Hollywood trade publications listed the actress as "Edna Mae Durbin, player". Published: January 13, 2014 | 06:21 . I could never believe that my contemporaries were my fans., They may have been impressed with my success, but my fans were the parents, many of whom could not cope with their own youngsters, she continued. Deanna Durbin was born Edna Mae Durbin to British parents on Dec. 4, 1921, in Winnipeg, in the Canadian province of Manitoba. This is not me, this is Google translator.Music:First Love Wayne JonesGaiety in the Golden Age Aaron KennyNostalgic Pull Asher FuleroWander Into ann annie The life and career of the seemingly forgotten movie star are explored in a recently published biography titled Deanna Durbin A Hollywood Fairy Tale - The Legend of Edna Mae by William Harper. (LogOut/ Bruce Chadwick lectures on history and film at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. In 1958 a letter she sent to the . So why did Durbin become a recluse? T-shirts, posters, stickers, home decor, and more, designed and sold by independent artists around the world. Why Guns Have Been Shielded from Consumer Safety Regulations for a Half Century, Chinese Memoirist Yuan-tsung Chen, 93, Rejects Forgetting of Maoist Horrors, Looking for King's Legacy? "[32] Indian-Bengali film director Satyajit Ray, in his acceptance speech for an Oscar (Honorary Lifetime Achievement) in 1992, mentioned Deanna Durbin as the only one of the three cinema personalities he recalled writing to when young who had acknowledged his fan letter with a reply. In 1944, she tried to get out of it by playing a prostitute in the movie Christmas Holiday. Reportedly, she also wanted to get out of the good girl image she built her career on. Deannas observations of her life in Hollywood are so revealing and her honesty is welcome. When a teenage Deanna Durbin appeared on screen in the 1930s, wearing a decorous white dress with her hands clasped together, singing with a bell-like purity, audiences sighed contentedly. I really hope people will discover Deanna again and watch her movies, he said. This is the last known interview with the reclusive film star and recording artist before her death in April of 2013. People remembered her, but they just didnt talk about her anymore.. The rumor was that MGM wanted Deanna for the role of Dorothy in Oz and that she auditioned for it, but refused it because Judy wanted it. Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES. What did her friends say? Frank Tashlin's Warner Bros. cartoon The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos (1937) contains a turtle caricature of Deanna Durbin called "Deanna Terrapin". In your details below or click an icon to log in: are. Designed and sold by independent artists around the world 'd love to have more insight into this enigmatic lody in. 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