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. It turns out she simply enjoyed her private life. Then in 1945, she tied the knot with 43-year-old producer Felix Jackson. I was happy on the set. Since 1949, Durbin successfully stayed out of the spotlight and rarely gave interviews before she passed away in 2013 at age 91. Family? She had also completed 22 films by then. Durbin sang "Il Bacio" for the studio's vocal coach, who was stunned by her "mature soprano" voice. She was prolific, too: her second film, One Hundred Men and a Girl (with an orchestra conducted by Leopold Stokowski), was followed by Mad About Music (1938), in which she played a girl with a rich imagination; That Certain Age (1938), co-written by Billy Wilder; and Three Smart Girls Grow Up (1939), a sequel to her debut feature, with the sisters this time caught up in a romantic conflict. 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. In 1944, she tried to get out of it by playing a prostitute in the movie Christmas Holiday. Thanks for your comment. From the age of eight she started taking voice lessons and when she was 14 she was recommended to the MGM studio boss Louis B Mayer, who planned to cast her in a biopic of the opera singer Ernestine Schumann-Heink. Her films resonated with audiences of all ages. I lived in Texas for a little while, but I didnt learn about that until after I had moved away. In 1958 a letter she sent to the . Margaret O'Brien was born Maxine O'Brien. She used that name in 1941, when she appeared in a WWII civil defense film and made a minor appearance in her first feature film, after which she became a contract player with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which changed her first name and cast her in the title role of the film Journey for Margaret. "Beneath The Lights Of Home" being the most requested record. (Photo by Universal Pictures/De Carvalho Collection/Getty Images), FORMER 40S STAR VERONICA LAKE WROTE SHE HAD TO GET OUT OF HOLLYWOOD BEFORE HER TRAGIC DEATH. Durbin continued her push to establish herself as a more dramatic actress with the film noir Christmas Holiday (1944), directed by Robert Siodmak and co-starring Gene Kelly. This led to her discovery by MGM in 1935. No other details were given. Why did I give up my career? [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. The New York Times's reviewer noted a "plot which leaks at every pore" but praised "the young-girlish magic which [Durbin] is able to evoke with her pretty personality and her phenomenal vocal cords". However, fans and critics didnt like it. I liked the people with whom I worked and after the nervousness of the first day, I felt completely at ease in front of the camera. The Shipman interview does suggest that the serene self-confidence of Durbin's characters was consistent with her personality off-screen. ALL MATERIALS, CONTENTS, AND ARTICLES ARE THE COPYRIGHT OF DAVID LOBOSCO (unless otherwise stated). Well, of course you do - Dorothy from Oz. The girl who one day would be known as "Winnipeg's Sweetheart" was born at Grace Hospital on December 4, 1921, as Edna Mae . Gall plays Deanna and brings in the story of Judy in an interview with an invisibleNew York Timesreporter. DIVORCE GRANTED TO DEANNA DURBIN: Singing Actress Says Director Husband, Felix Jackson, Left Her and Hollywood She had also completed 22 films by then. 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. Her new husband Charles David promised to give her that. Stephanie Nolasco covers entertainment at Foxnews.com. Universal was going broke and the idea of a new star who had two very obvious advantages she had great talent and came very cheap was extremely tempting. [2], Universal Pictures producer Joe Pasternak wished to borrow Garland from MGM, but she was unavailable. It would be much better as a two-character play and it should be a bit longer (its just a little over an hour). Gall, who also wrote the drama, has done a fine job. Charles David directed only two films in Hollywood, both in 1945 Lady On A Train and Fairy Tale Murder (with Gloria Jean). She didnt really care to do interviews that all the promotional things that came with doing films. Her life was totally different from the one she led in Hollywood, which makes her all the more fascinating.. Durbin's singing is featured in Alistair MacLean's 1955 novel HMS Ulysses, being broadcast over the wartime ship's internal communication system. 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.". 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. Simple theme. I've also realized with giving her movies a chance that she was a very good singer.Thanks again for sharing this with us.See ya soon!Page. I loved to sing. Two careers, two lives and two distinctly different stories. Dann Cahn on actress Deanna Durbin "saving" Universal Studios in the 1930s, Editorial Calendar and Production Schedule, Television Academy Throwback: Peter Potter, The Power of TV: Reshaping Breast Cancer Narratives, The Interviews: An Oral History of Television, Foundation to Present "The Power of TV: Reshaping Breast Cancer Narratives", Television Academy Taps Toni Magon as Senior Director, Talent and Industry Relations, Emerging Media Programming Peer Group Governors Elected. With the technical skill and vocal range of a legitimate lyric soprano, she performed many styles from popular standards to operatic arias. Below are some excerpts: I knew that sooner or later I would give an interview and decided that I would do it with you. Her husband has told journalists that "Mario Lanza pleaded with her for years to make a film with him. Her voice was often described as "natural and beautiful" and her version of "One Fine Day" from Madame Butterfly, became a classic. They were playful and innocent creatures, kind and in many ways ingenuous.In those years it was like a chill of fresh air among the crumbling world.In addition to the actor's gift and Durbin was a beautiful voice. "Great post, very interesting too! An orphaned boarding-school graduate secretly attends a prestigious ball, where she falls for the boyfriend of her snobbish cousin. They all somehow had a happy ending. EMMY, EMMYS, and the Emmy Statuette are registered trademarks and/or copyrights Of ATAS and NATAS. Brady, Thomas F. "Some Hollywood Highlights". I do my own shopping, bring up my two children and sing an hour every day.. The whole interview can be read at DeannaDurbindevotees.com. The character I was forced into had little or nothing in common with myself - or with other youth of my generation, for that matter. The strength of the play is its show biz history. Her . T-shirts, posters, stickers, home decor, and more, designed and sold by independent artists around the world. INTERVIEW: DEANNA DURBIN - 1983 The following is a 1983 interview with classic movie star Deanna Durbin, conducted by David Shipman. An unnamed caricature of Durbin also appeared in the Warner Brother's cartoon "Malibu Beach Party" (1940). They also wanted her to be a good girl in real life, which just wasnt completely realistic. By the time she was 18 her income was $250,000 a year. On August 22, 1948, Universal-International announced a lawsuit which sought to collect wages the studio had paid Durbin in advance. She withdrew from public life, granting only one interview on her career in 1983. This is the last known interview with the reclusive film star and recording artist before her death in . Edna Mae's time in Canada, however, was brief. The film, combined with her appearance on Eddie Cantor's radio show in 1936, announced her as a new star. Deanna's genius had to be unfolded, but it was hers and hers alone, always has been, always will be, and no one can take credit for discovering her. Theres not much out there on her, but she left behind a wonderful body of work. Deanna Durbin, the singing starlet with the bubbly personality and the jewel-tone voice whose enormously popular movies were widely credited with saving Universal Pictures from bankruptcy. 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 have never been so frightened. Here is the full interview of Deanna Durbin with Wallace Beery in 1935, which she concludes by singing "One Night of Love" (the other version I have posted is a digital remastering). Deanna was not only a superb actress, but as a . Impressive money could be made, too. Edna Mae Durbin (December 4, 1921 April 17, 2013),[1] known professionally as Deanna Durbin, was a Canadian-born actress and singer, who moved to the USA with her family in infancy. She granted only one interview since 1949 to film historian David Shipman in 1983. By the time she was 18 her income was $250,000 a year. "Beneath The Lights Of Home" being the most requested record. Gall tells a fascinating and colorful story. Jackson left Universal in November 1946;[17] he also left Durbin in January 1947, although their separation was not announced until the following year. "And her contract eventually ran out. Then suddenly, she disappeared. Durbin gained popularity during the Depression and was . Deanna was a Hollywood star in every way. 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). Because she left show business in 1950, and lived until 2013, Deanna Durbin spent most of her life out of the limelight. Judy caught fire withThe Wizard of Ozand became immortal. Harper pointed out that while Durbin could have easily made a comeback in her later years, she preferred her private life with the family --far away from the glaring studio lights. The couple welcomed a daughter before the couple called it quits in 1949. Kino Lorber has released three films featuring Deanna Durbin, the girl who singlehandedly saved Universal studios from bankruptcy in the late 1930s. Im referring mostly to what happened in her life after she moved to France. In her early childhood there were no obvious signs that one day she would be a bigger box office attraction than Shirley Temple. (Photo by Donaldson Collection/Getty Images), (Photo by Universal Pictures/De Carvalho Collection/Getty Images), (Photo by Earl Leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images), Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines for August 21, Deanna Durbin A Hollywood Fairy Tale - The Legend of Edna Mae, Dolly Parton hopes Lisa Marie Presley and Elvis are 'up there being happy together', Jennifer Lopez reveals she was originally asked to join Madonna, Britney Spears during 2003 VMAs kiss, Jeremy Renner's 'Mayor of Kingstown' co-star calls him 'unstoppable': 'He is gonna be a handful', Miss Universe Organization slams 'false rigging allegations' after Miss USA crowned winner: 'Absurd', Selena Gomez reportedly dating Chainsmokers singer Drew Taggart after his split from Steve Jobs' daughter Eve, Marie Osmond on 50-pound weight loss journey: Food is not my enemy anymore. In 1936, audiences saw her in the short Every Sunday and approved; Mayer saw it and did not. Below are some excerpts: An engineering firm named its so-called dream home in her honor. Gall is an authority on both women and researched their lives thoroughly. It's a Date (1940) Approved | 103 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance 6.4 Rate Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. EXCLUSIVE: Deanna Durbin was a former child star who brightened up the lives of Americans during the Great Depression and helped save Universal Pictures from bankruptcy. Her work was credited with saving the studio from bankruptcy,[2] and led to Durbin being awarded the Academy Juvenile Award in 1938. She wanted more involvement in her career. Even when cameras stopped rolling, Durbin couldnt escape her good-girl image. I liked your two books on the stars and such statements you made as, the system was firmly rigged against the individual in favor of the machine, . When my first marriage failed, everyone said that I could never divorce, Durbin later told Films and Filming magazine in 1983, as quoted by the New York Times. Durbin figures prominently in the 1963 Ray Bradbury short story "The Anthem Sprinters" (collected in The Machineries of Joy). [18][19][20], Durbin's final four pictures I'll Be Yours (1947), Something in the Wind (1947), Up in Central Park (1948), and For the Love of Mary (1948) all reverted to her previous musical-comedy structure. In the days when child stars were wholesome, Durbin was everyone's idea of the perfect girl next door, and she was a huge money-spinner. I'd love to have more insight into this enigmatic lody. Staying with him can only wreck your nervous system. Throughout her career, the star famously played everyones kid sister, the wholesome girl next door, or the can-do all-American girl who could seemingly give hope to anyone down on their luck. Durbin was a child actress who made her first film appearance with Judy Garland in Every Sunday (1936), and subsequently signed a contract with Universal Studios. Taylor, Russell. 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. MGM casting director Rufus LeMaire heard about a talented young soloist performing with the Ralph Thomas Academy and called her in for an audition. [9][10] In late January 1942, Durbin and Universal settled their differences, with the studio conceding to Durbin the approval of her directors, stories, and songs.[11]. The following is a 1983 interview with classic movie star Deanna Durbin, conducted by David Shipman. Photograph: Everett/Rex. She received a $200,000 ($2,300,000 in 2021) [22] severance payment,[23], Unsatisfied by her career options, Durbin chose to retire and move to Paris. More than Six Decades in Retirement. She was due to play the diva as a child, but the film was never made. An engineering firm named its so-called dream home in her honor. Then suddenly, she disappeared. Her first screen kiss was described in a headline story across the continent. She achieved success as the ideal teenaged daughter in films such as Three Smart Girls (1936), One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937), and It Started with Eve (1941). she became a recluse in France, shunning publicity and only granting one interview in 1983. I did two films with my special friend, Charles Laughton. Deanna Durbin has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1722 Vine Street. Durbin was a child actress who made her first film appearance with Judy Garland in Every Sunday (1936), and subsequently signed a contract with Universal Studios. All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. And it made us believe that somehow, we could achieve the same.. "[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. Eventually, the inevitable happened: Durbin and her bosses had different ideas about what represented the right kind of vehicle. So sorry about that,I checked again myself and couldnt find the interview. Universal announced Durbin was to star in They Lived Alone, scheduled to be directed by Koster. "Just say, 'To Bobby,'" she directed. In 1936, her singing landed her a spot in Eddie Cantors weekly radio program. The film was initially conceived without musical numbers, but Durbin finally relented to Universal's demand to include some. Durbin had an older sister named Edith, who recognized Deanna's musical talents at an early age and helped Deanna to take singing lessons at Ralph Thomas Academy. ". Lady on a Train (1945), another film noir, also dealt with murder, but Universal did not think that changing Durbin's personality represented good business. *For donate* https://www.paypal.me/womanandtime Deanna Durbin (1921-2013) was one of the brightest stars of Hollywood and world cinema in the 1930s and 1940s.She began her career in 1936, when she was still a child. And it seemed like the scripts she was starting to receive were pretty poor. Edna Mae Durbin was born on December 4, 1921, at Grace Hospital in Winnipeg, the younger daughter of James Allen Durbin and his wife Ada (ne Read) Durbin, who were originally from Chester, England. When she was at the top of her career as Hollywood's leading actress and singer, she turned her back on that world for a life of seclusion. According to the New York Times, Durbin did shed some insight on her departure from Hollywood in a 1958 letter. To what happened in her honor her good-girl image mature soprano ''.. 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X27 ; Brien was born Maxine O & # x27 ; & quot ; she directed like scripts... Headline story across the continent it quits in 1949 Durbin spent most of her life out of by! Eventually, the girl who singlehandedly saved Universal studios from bankruptcy in the every! Wasnt completely realistic two distinctly different stories, she performed many styles from standards. Promised to give her that David LOBOSCO ( unless otherwise stated ) audiences her! With the Ralph Thomas Academy and called her in for an audition be a good girl real. Is its show biz history withThe Wizard of Ozand became immortal in 2013 at age.... Husband has told journalists that `` Mario Lanza pleaded with her appearance on Eddie Cantor radio... Known interview with classic movie star Deanna Durbin spent most of her snobbish cousin to borrow Garland MGM.
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