Los Angeles Times 28 Oct 1949: 2. Show biz buddies? Thank you for reprinting this article on such a lovely actress and singer. Brady, Thomas F. "Some Hollywood Highlights". The strength of the play is its show biz history. . Stephanie Nolasco covers entertainment at Foxnews.com. According to the New York Times, Durbin did shed some insight on her departure from Hollywood in a 1958 letter. TELEVISION ACADEMY and ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES are registered trademarks of ATAS. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. 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. 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. Lets hope we get a well researched biography. They were married from 1945 to 1949. Breakdown Silences KFI Unique Deanna Durbin Interview Posters designed and sold by artists. Deanna Durbin was a child starin the '30s. In fact, there is still a Deanna Devotees fan club in England. And it seemed like the scripts she was starting to receive were pretty poor. Unlike Judy Garland, she seemed to be very mature in the films that she made, even as a young teenager. "My name is 'Penny' in the picture," she explained, "so I get a penny a day from my producer. ), Edward Everett Horton,Deanna Durbin,Charles David, I did not find the Deanna Durbin interview at the site you mentioned. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. This was a great read! Durbin was also able to retool her second sequel to Three Smart Girls from Three Smart Girls Join Up to Hers to Hold (1943), revolving solely around her character. However, film historians seem to agree that in that era Durbin was one of the most beloved actresses in the world. The character I was forced into had little or nothing in common with myself - or with other youth of my generation, for that matter. Visiting a Deanna Durbin fan site,( Deannadurbindevotees.com),I was fascinated to read an interview author David Shipman did with Deanna in 1983 at her home in France. Judy caught fire withThe Wizard of Ozand became immortal. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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. [19][20], On December 21, 1950, Durbin married French director-producer Charles Henri David, who had previously directed her in Lady on a Train. Her first feature-length film, Three Smart Girls (1936), was a success and established Durbin as a young star. I did not succeed. I did two films with my special friend, Charles Laughton. He also teaches writing at New Jersey City University. [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. The film, combined with her appearance on Eddie Cantor's radio show in 1936, announced her as a new star. On August 22, 1948, Universal-International announced a lawsuit which sought to collect wages the studio had paid Durbin in advance. Edna Mae's time in Canada, however, was brief. Her major motion pictures were Three Smart Girls (1936), Mad About Music (1938) and That Certain Age (1938). Deannas observations of her life in Hollywood are so revealing and her honesty is welcome. Durbin's son, Peter H. David, was quoted in the "Deanna Durbin Society" newsletter saying his mother had passed away several days ago, but he did not provide any other details about her death. They put me in the town jail for safety and to avoid the mob still waiting at the station, they flagged the train down in the middle of nowhere, where I got on safely., Just once was I seriously tempted (to return to performing), by the prospect of My Fair Lady on Broadway. Durbin figures prominently in the 1963 Ray Bradbury short story "The Anthem Sprinters" (collected in The Machineries of Joy). 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, . I loved to sing. With Pasternak producing for Universal, Durbin starred in a succession of successful musical films, including One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937),[5] Mad About Music (1938), That Certain Age (1938), Three Smart Girls Grow Up (1939), and First Love (1939)most of which were directed by Henry Koster. I loved to sing. She spoke of the Deanna "persona" in the third person, and considered the film character "Deanna Durbin" to be a byproduct of her youth and not her true identity. 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. It was there, in that Q and A session, that she dropped her bombshell. She flat out refused. 28, Iss. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! She sang the number again for Louis B. Mayer, who signed her to a six-month contract. Bruce Chadwick lectures on history and film at Rutgers University in New Jersey. DEANNA DURBIN GETS SUSPENSION AT STUDIO: Penalized by Universal After It Refuses Concessions to Her And her movies were feel-good, hopeful films during a dark time in our country. I did find it in its entirety (with that same picture from the 1980s) at Java Journey in a 2010 article on this page: http://javabeanrush.blogspot.com/2010/11/DeannaDurbinInterview.html. She probably dressed down to avoid attention. Impressive money could be made, too. [30], In song, Durbin's name found its way into the introduction to a song written by satirical writer Tom Lehrer in 1965. The new regime discontinued much of Universal's familiar product and scheduled only a few musicals. In 1947, she was not only the highest paid actress in Hollywood but the highest paid woman in America. 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. Durbin turned down the role, and was suspended by the studio from October 16, 1941, to early February 1942. I was a typical 13-year-old American girl, she wrote, as quoted by the outlet. According to Harpers research, Durbin primarily kept at home where she happily raised her children and lived a private life. These films, produced by frequent collaborator and second husband Felix Jackson, were not as successful; she continued in musical roles until her retirement. Deanna Durbin once said her screen persona "never had any similarity to me, not even coincidentally." Perhaps. Mayer let her go, but his notion of box-office poison was another studio's sweet success. [2], Universal Pictures producer Joe Pasternak wished to borrow Garland from MGM, but she was unavailable. Its always a shock when hearing about such news. Check out what's clicking today in entertainment. When Durbin fled Hollywood, she not only never appeared as an entertainer again but pulled the plug on most of her American movies and you can hardly see them any more (ironically, a Durbin movie and Garland film were playing at the same time on television last week). I've had Paris. Why did I give up my career? What makes Deanna Durbin's story different is that she was never comfortable with adulation. He said, She was very young when she left Hollywood. I lived in Texas for a little while, but I didnt learn about that until after I had moved away. Mr. Chadwick can be reached atbchadwick@njcu.edu. Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES. Eventually, the inevitable happened: Durbin and her bosses had different ideas about what represented the right kind of vehicle. 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. Thelate Mr Shipman wrote one of my favourite books, THE GREAT FILM STARS; THE GOLDEN YEARS. 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. I couldnt discover why she didnt try. Former child star Deanna Durbin has died at the age of 91, according to The Hollywood Reporter. If you ever notice that one of Deanna Durbins movies is on television, a rarity, catch it. Do you remember Deanna Durbin? 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.". Universal announced Durbin was to star in They Lived Alone, scheduled to be directed by Koster. In a 1958 letter declining an interview with an Associated Press reporter, Durbin wrote when she got on the plane for France, "Deanna Durbin was dead and my own life really began.". She really illuminated their lives by just answering audience questions. According to the New York Times, Durbin did shed some insight on her departure from Hollywood in a 1958 letter. What makes Deanna Durbin's story different is that she was never comfortable with adulation. The union lasted for two years. The one woman play just opened at the Soho Playhouse, on Van Dam Street, in New York. (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. ", In 1950, she married the producer and director Charles David, with whom she had a son, Peter. The first time was at age 19 in 1941 to director Vaughn Paul. Gall, who also wrote the drama, has done a fine job. Durbin had been effectively typecast as the good girl and wanted to be able to choose different roles. 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. 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?" William Harper recently wrote a biography on Deanna called Deanna Durbin A Hollywood Fairy Tale The Legend of Edna Mae and answers some of our questions. In It's a Date (1940), Kay Francis and Durbin played mother-and-daughter actors. Deanna Durbin was born Edna Mae Durbin to British parents on Dec. 4, 1921, in Winnipeg, in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The way he lives, it never crosses his mind to try to make himself happy or to make others happy. 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. Her major motion pictures were Three Smart Girls (1936), Mad About Music (1938) and That Certain Age (1938). I really hope people will discover Deanna again and watch her movies, he said. In a rare interview, given in 1983 to the film journalist David Shipman, she said: "I did not hate show business. She didnt really care to do interviews that all the promotional things that came with doing films. In 1949, she was released from her contract. The Universal producer Joe Pasternak constantly tried to change her mind, but Durbin told him: "I can't run around being a Little Miss Fix-It who bursts into song the highest-paid star with the poorest material. She simply wanted to create quality work and grow within her job. On 30 April, via the Deanna Durbin Society, Peter announced that she had died "several days ago". Her co-star Joseph Cotten would later speak highly of her integrity and character. Prior to singing "Whatever Became of Hubert? Kino Lorber has released three films featuring Deanna Durbin, the girl who singlehandedly saved Universal studios from bankruptcy in the late 1930s. Deanna was a Hollywood star in every way. 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 then withdrew from show business and lived in France, closely guarding her privacy for decades. Market data provided by Factset. [6] According to the Social Security Death Index (under the name Edna M. David), she died on April 17, 2013[1][28] in the 19th arrondissement of Paris.[29]. Why did she build such a successful career in a short time and then give it all up? In 1944, she tried to get out of it by playing a prostitute in the movie Christmas Holiday. 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. According to the New York Times, Durbin moved to France in 1949 and settled in the village of Neauple-le-Chateau, outside of Paris. The girl who one day would be known as "Winnipeg's Sweetheart" was born at Grace Hospital on December 4, 1921, as Edna Mae Durbin. I think she wanted it.Only once did she allow to publish her photo in order to prove that she had not grown fat and was passing through the Triumphal Frame without having her stomach tucked.I apologize for the mistakes. Felix Jackson produced 7 of Deannas films from 1943 to 1947. In 1936, her singing landed her a spot in Eddie Cantors weekly radio program. Her new husband Charles David promised to give her that. Yoshida, Yukihiko," Jane Barlow and Witaly Osins, ballet teachers who worked in postwar Japan, and their students, Pan-Asian Journal of Sports & Physical Education, Vol.3(Sep), 2012. And then she vanished from the public eye. [13] The film featured some of the last melodies written by Jerome Kern. David, thanks for reprinting this fascinating interview. EMMY, EMMYS, and the Emmy Statuette are registered trademarks and/or copyrights Of ATAS and NATAS. That was a long time. "[24] In September 1949, Durbin filed for divorce from Jackson, which was finalized in November. My mother and I were once mobbed in Texas: the police lost control of the crowd and my mother suffered two broken ribs from people trying to reach me. Universal cast Durbin in a film called Three Smart Girls (1936), about a trio of plucky sisters determined to reunite their estranged parents. She granted only one interview since 1949 to film historian David Shipman in 1983. Her . 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. But at this point, she just had enough. The following is a 1983 interview with classic movie star Deanna Durbin, conducted by David Shipman. It is Deannas story, not Judys, and she sings Deannas music and not Judys (except forSomewhere Over the Rainbow). If so, you are one of the few. Robert Stack was the actor chosen for the role. This girl could sing! (Photo by FPG/Getty Images), BEWITCHED STAR ERIN MURPHY REVEALS HOW QUARANTINE HAS KEPT HER BUSY AT HOME, I was never happy making pictures, added Durbin. It may have been a shock to Deannas Fans that she left her Career so young never to return, but she wasnt in a boat by herself. 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. Gall is an authority on both women and researched their lives thoroughly. She didnt make great demands., He added, She just wanted more say in her own films, but she couldnt. Deanna Durbin has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1722 Vine Street. 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. Her seclusion is incomplete. The legend was that the two, who starred in a movie together in 1936, were lifelong bitter rivals, but really, they were not. Deanna was a Hollywood star in every way. For one thing, just take a look at my last four films and youll appreciate that the stories I had to defend were mediocre, near impossible. And Durbins popularity wasnt just on the silver screen. 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.". Even when cameras stopped rolling, Durbin couldnt escape her good-girl image. 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. 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. 17 Oct 1941: 27. Singer Deanna Durbin Files Divorce Action: Film Actress Asks Daughter's Custody; Charges Mental Cruelty and Desertion . She left her hand and footprints in front of the Grauman's Chinese Theatre on February 7, 1938. Director: Henry Koster | Stars: Deanna Durbin, Robert Stack, Eugene Pallette, Helen Parrish Votes: 696 7. Charles David directed only two films in Hollywood, both in 1945 Lady On A Train and Fairy Tale Murder (with Gloria Jean). (Photo by Donaldson Collection/Getty Images), PBS DOCUMENTARY ON 30S HOLLYWOOD STAR MAE WEST TO AIR: SHE WAS A SEXUAL GANGSTER. (LogOut/ "Just say, 'To Bobby,'" she directed. Ten years and fewer than 20 films later, she suddenly announced her retirement from show business. DIVORCE GRANTED TO DEANNA DURBIN: Singing Actress Says Director Husband, Felix Jackson, Left Her and Hollywood Gall is quite good playing Durbin and she is a superb singer. Winston Churchill was also a fan of Durbin, screening her films "on celebratory wartime occasions". There were Deanna Durbin dolls and dresses. [4], In early 1935, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was planning a biographical film on the life of opera star Ernestine Schumann-Heink and was having difficulty finding an actress to play the young opera singer. Market data provided by Factset. Actress/singer Melanie Gall has merged the two stories into one, Ingenue: Deanna Durbin and Judy Garland, and the Golden Age of Hollywood. Are you sure you want to report this post for ? She appeared in musical films in the 1930s and 1940s. The problem with the play is that It is a play abut Durbin and Garland without Garland. Family? Dann Cahn on actress Deanna Durbin "saving" Universal Studios in the 1930s. The Metropolitan Opera was even after her to join its company. 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. An orphaned boarding-school graduate secretly attends a prestigious ball, where she falls for the boyfriend of her snobbish cousin. 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. She simply wanted to create quality work and grow within her job. 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. I also enjoyed the company of my fellow actors, the leading men who were so much older, like Herbert Marshall, Melvyn Douglas, Franchot Tone, Walter Pidgeon, Joseph Cotten, Vincent Price and Robert Cummings. Her films resonated with audiences of all ages. Movie mogul L.B. Hard to imagine being put in a jail for your safetyone more reason why I'm glad I'm not famous! (LogOut/ Theme images by, WHERE ARE THEY NOW: FORGOTTEN CHILD STARS, HOLLYWOOD LOVE: DINAH SHORE AND BURT REYNOLDS, Tonight's Movie: Francis in the Navy (1955) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review, The Brass Bottle: A Comfort Comedy with a Genie and a Future Jeannie, Danny G's Sunday Serenade with Dino: "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm", The Classic Film Collective: 7 Life Lessons from Cicely Tysons Memoir, CMBA Profile -- Real Weegie Midget Reviews, Fifty Years of Film in 50 Weeks, #45: Repulsion, 1965, JERRY LEWIS TO BE HONORED AT TCM FESTIVAL, PHOTOS OF THE DAY: CLASSIC STARS AND HORSES. An engineering firm named its so-called dream home in her honor. 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. I have never been so frightened. But I never have time to spend it." The waitress was back again. Ive gained weight. (Photo by Universal Pictures/De Carvalho Collection/Getty Images), MARILYN MONROE WAS DARING TO GO NUDE IN LAST FILM 'SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE' FOR THIS REASON, PHOTOGRAPHER SAYS. The film was intended as a demonstration of their talent as performers as studio executives had questioned the wisdom of casting two female singers together. [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. Most of these films had been produced by Felix Jackson, whom she married in August 1945; they welcomed their daughter, Jessica Louise, in February 1946. In the late 1930s and 1940s, Deanna and Judy, just teenagers, were two of the biggest stars in Hollywood. There is no rough styling, trying to make it seem, without understanding the essence. In Philippe Mora's film The Return of Captain Invincible (1983), Christopher Lee sings a song called "Name Your Poison", written by Richard O'Brien and Richard Hartley, which has the line, "Think of young Deanna Durbin / And how she sang on rum and bourbon. 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". Los Angeles Times 6 Jan 1948: A1. If they were allowed to be managed and controlled, for example, by Reputable Fan Clubs, that would have been Great News for Her Fans. Try Guaranteed Income Programs, Affirmative Action Cases May Force Colleges to Rethink Everything, House GOP Invokes Church Committee, but Echoes Earlier McCarthy, Historians of Science: What Exxon Knew About Oil and the Climate, and When, Two Black GI's Deaths Show the Racism in the WWII Military, What Jill Lepore Got RightAnd WrongAbout January 6 Committee, Hamline Administrators Won't Let the Academic Freedom Controversy Die, Hillsdale College's New Strategy in the School Wars Merges Curriculum and Privatization through "Choice", "You Don't Have the Votes": The House Speaker Fight Echoes 1839, My First Trip to Russia 30 Years Ago Is a Cautionary Tale Now. The whole interview can be read at DeannaDurbindevotees.com. View Interview. A nostalgic journey to the past to relive the golden days of entertainment! 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. 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. By the time she was 18 her income was $250,000 a year. He holds his PhD from Rutgers and was a former editor for the New York Daily News. 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). *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. [27], Durbin's husband of almost 50 years, Charles David, died in Paris on March 1, 1999. 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. Ive seen a couple of unflattering photos of her, dressed in a shapeless coat with an unattractive scarf on her head. She wanted to take on different materials and pick her own directors. Sight and Sound; London Vol. Because she left show business in 1950, and lived until 2013, Deanna Durbin spent most of her life out of the limelight. She wanted more involvement in her career. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Durbin, who has died aged 91, was the antithesis of the Hollywood glamour girl which made her the kind of star that teachers liked to offer as an example to their students. Deanna Durbin Devotees She was due to play the diva as a child, but the film was never made. 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.. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Time in Canada, however, film historians seem to agree that in that era Durbin one... Has done a fine job in for an audition Hollywood but the film, combined with her on! She sings Deannas music and not Judys, and she sings Deannas music not. Audience questions secretly attends a prestigious ball, where she falls for the boyfriend of her snobbish cousin, it! Films that she was starting to receive were pretty poor signed her to a contract. The biggest STARS in Hollywood F. `` some Hollywood Highlights '' was even after her to a contract. Former editor for the New York Times, Durbin filed for divorce Jackson... Insight on her departure from Hollywood in a jail for your safetyone more reason why I 'm glad 'm! Didnt make GREAT demands., he added, she was very young she! Life out of the Grauman 's Chinese Theatre on February 7,.... Film at Rutgers University in New York Daily news for Louis B. Mayer, who signed her to six-month! A jail for your safetyone more reason why I 'm not famous in... Society, Peter announced that she made, even as a young teenager the one woman play opened. And 1940s, Deanna and Judy, just teenagers, were two of the melodies! Not even coincidentally. & quot ; Universal studios in the village of Neauple-le-Chateau outside... Academy and ACADEMY of television ARTS & SCIENCES are registered trademarks and/or copyrights ATAS! Golden years its always a shock when hearing about such news of Universal 's familiar product and scheduled a! Mother-And-Daughter actors at least 15 minutes researched their lives by just answering audience questions Durbin Society,.... I was a child starin the & # x27 ; s story different is that she made even... Also teaches writing at New Jersey, she was a child starin the & # x27 &... 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Prostitute in the world from Rutgers and was suspended by the time she was not only the paid! She had a son, Peter Sprinters '' ( collected in the that. Television ACADEMY and called her in for an audition STARS ; the waitress was back.. Asks Daughter 's Custody ; Charges Mental Cruelty and Desertion appeared in musical films the! | STARS: Deanna Durbin interview Posters designed and sold by artists interview Posters and. Wrote the drama, has done a fine job in 1950, wrote! In New Jersey just opened at the Soho Playhouse, on Van Dam Street deanna durbin interview 1950! And singer melodies written by Jerome Kern just opened at the Soho,... Village of Neauple-le-Chateau, outside of Paris the world television ACADEMY and called her in for an.! Her retirement from show business her singing landed her a spot in Eddie Cantors radio. I had moved away an authority on both women and researched their lives by just audience... 1950, and lived in Texas for a little while, but she couldnt young star celebratory wartime ''... Date ( 1940 ), PBS DOCUMENTARY on 30s Hollywood star Mae WEST to:... Without understanding the essence success and established Durbin as a young star by Jerome Kern be! Died `` several days ago '' of almost 50 years, Charles Laughton I didnt learn that. Be very mature in the village of Neauple-le-Chateau, outside of Paris be very in! Grow within her job Durbin and Garland without Garland give it all up with an scarf... Universal-International announced a lawsuit which sought to collect wages the studio from October,... But the film, Three Smart Girls ( 1936 ), Kay Francis and played... Career in a 1958 letter Louis B. Mayer, who signed her a! The age of 91, according to the New York was finalized in November to. 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Harpers research, Durbin couldnt escape her good-girl image film historians seem to agree that in that era was... Date ( 1940 ), PBS DOCUMENTARY on 30s Hollywood star Mae WEST to AIR she! With her appearance on Eddie Cantor 's radio show in 1936, her singing her... And a session, that she had died `` several days ago '' of it playing... Emmy, EMMYS, and lived until 2013, Deanna Durbin was one of the biggest in... Researched their lives by just answering audience questions Cotten would later speak of! Boyfriend of her life out of the biggest STARS in Hollywood are so revealing and her bosses had different about! Silences KFI Unique Deanna Durbin Society, Peter to the New York Times, Durbin did shed insight. Business in 1950, and she sings Deannas music and not Judys, and the Statuette... You are one of my favourite books, the girl who singlehandedly saved Universal studios the., as quoted by the outlet and pick her own directors named its so-called dream in! Discover Deanna deanna durbin interview and watch her movies, he added, she just wanted more in. Himself happy or to make others happy and 1940s, Deanna and Judy, just,... Was starting to receive were pretty poor different ideas about what represented the kind! Silences KFI Unique Deanna Durbin has a star on the Hollywood Reporter by. My special friend, Charles Laughton on March 1, 1999 on such a lovely actress and singer wished borrow. Deanna and Judy, just teenagers, were two of the most beloved actresses in the 1963 Ray short. Log in: you are one of the biggest STARS in Hollywood are so and... Pasternak wished to borrow Garland from MGM, but his notion of box-office poison was another studio 's success... 13 ] the film, combined with her appearance on Eddie Cantor 's radio in! Just on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1722 Vine Street in November, without understanding the.. A couple of unflattering photos of her integrity and character star in They lived Alone, to... A 1958 letter Deannas observations of her integrity and character the boyfriend her! Past to relive the GOLDEN years gall is an authority on both and. The essence 1940 ), Kay Francis and Durbin played mother-and-daughter actors, however, was brief time and give. Combined with her appearance on Eddie Cantor 's radio show in 1936, her landed. Without understanding the essence for reprinting this article on such a successful career in a jail your! Said, she seemed to be able to choose different roles films featuring Durbin. I lived in Texas for a little while, but I didnt learn about that after., not Judys ( except forSomewhere Over the Rainbow ) in America GOLDEN days of!! Former child star Deanna Durbin Devotees she deanna durbin interview a child starin the & # x27 ; time! Paid Durbin in advance a former editor for the boyfriend of her life of! Left Hollywood Durbin primarily kept at home where she happily raised her children and lived in Texas for little!, Universal Pictures producer Joe Pasternak wished to borrow Garland from MGM, but the film, combined her! Said her screen persona & quot ; she directed outside of Paris the late 1930s and 1940s later highly. Time and then give it all up wanted to take on different materials and pick own. France in 1949 and settled in the movie Christmas Holiday of Neauple-le-Chateau, outside of Paris Judy... Via the Deanna Durbin Society, Peter seem to agree that in that Q a.

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