The one woman play just opened at the Soho Playhouse, on Van Dam Street, in New York. Deanna left successfully, without a lot of looking back and regretting. Durbin had been effectively typecast as the good girl and wanted to be able to choose different roles. Between December 15, 1936, and July 22, 1947, Deanna Durbin recorded 50 tunes for Decca Records. Her . Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. What makes Deanna Durbin's story different is that she was never comfortable with adulation. Durbin gained popularity during the Depression and was . 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. Judy had, well, Judy had it all. You can't hide that kind of light under a bushel. She stated that the studio pushed a "childlike image" on her, but I'm not so sure about that. Needless to say, I was, along with her other fans, shocked to hear about her passing. 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. She actually grew up in the Los Angeles area, where her father, formerly a Canadian Pacific railway blacksmith, set up shop shortly after her birth. (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. [6], Durbin also continued to pursue singing projects. Her major motion pictures were Three Smart Girls (1936), Mad About Music (1938) and That Certain Age (1938). (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. She likely made lots of money during her career and didnt have to work again. 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. Below are some excerpts: I knew that sooner or later I would give an interview and decided that I would do it with you. 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 have never been so frightened. Breakdown Silences KFI Do you remember Deanna Durbin? I did two films with my special friend, Charles Laughton. 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. D.J.. These films, produced by frequent collaborator and second husband Felix Jackson, were not as successful; she continued in musical roles until her retirement. Actress/singer Melanie Gall has merged the two stories into one, Ingenue: Deanna Durbin and Judy Garland, and the Golden Age of Hollywood. or redistributed. France Wt Remember Deanna Durbin' Well, she is now a happy French housewife who says nothing could lure her back to Hollywood. 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. INTERVIEW: DEANNA DURBIN - 1983 greatentertainersarchives.blogspot.com. 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. It is Deannas story, not Judys, and she sings Deannas music and not Judys (except forSomewhere Over the Rainbow). The images she created on the screen were in many ways similar. Also in the interview, she steadfastly asserted her right to privacy, something she maintained until the end of her life, declining to be profiled on websites. Gall says she was tired of Hollywood, found fame tedious and wanted to live a normal life. Then suddenly, she disappeared. The play should be subtitled Show Biz History 101. ". Her co-star Joseph Cotten would later speak highly of her integrity and character. I know Durbin has an enormous fan base but I've just never gotten into her films. Gall tells a fascinating and colorful story. Deanna was also Winston Churchills favorite actress. She certainly was a mysterious woman. Her parents took her to live in California when she was a baby. Even as a young child, she could hold her own on the screen. Gall carries the play well, but you really need a richer story and more nuance about Judys life. Andrs de Segurola, who was the vocal coach working with Universal Studioshimself a former Metropolitan Opera singerbelieved that Durbin was a potential opera star. [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. (The other two were Ginger Rogers and Billy Wilder.). ALL MATERIALS, CONTENTS, AND ARTICLES ARE THE COPYRIGHT OF DAVID LOBOSCO (unless otherwise stated). Samuel Leroy Jackson (Washington, DC, 21 de dezembro de 1948) um ator e produtor norte-americano.Alcanou a fama no incio da dcada de 1990.. Recebeu diversos prmios por suas atuaes cinematogrficas, e atua em diversas mdias alm de filmes, como sries de televiso, dublagem de videogames e etc. 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. And thanks for the javabeanrush link. And Durbins popularity wasnt just on the silver screen. 30S STAR GRETA GARBO HAD SOCIAL ANXIETY AND A FEAR OF CROWDS BUT WAS NOT A RECLUSIVE FIGURE, AUTHOR SAYS, Actress Deanna Durbin and David Bruce in a scene from the movie 'Lady on a Train.' Neighbors? 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. In 1936, she auditioned to provide the vocals for Snow White in Disney's animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but was rejected by Walt Disney, who said the 15-year-old Durbin's voice was "too old" for the part. 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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. By the time she was 18 her income was $250,000 a year. Deanna Durbin has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1722 Vine Street. Ive gained weight. She didnt really care to do interviews that all the promotional things that came with doing films. 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. 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. He said, She was very young when she left Hollywood. That cant be all of it, though. Would someone elaborate about where in Texas was Deanna and her mother mobbed. Deanna is a favourite on my local nostalgia radio. 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.". He also teaches writing at New Jersey City University. The way he lives, it never crosses his mind to try to make himself happy or to make others happy. Deanna was a Hollywood star in every way. Eventually, the inevitable happened: Durbin and her bosses had different ideas about what represented the right kind of vehicle. Jackson left Universal in November 1946;[17] he also left Durbin in January 1947, although their separation was not announced until the following year. She certainly was a mysterious woman. Deanna Durbin was a child starin the '30s. He's a fun guy, and he has lots of great qualities. What makes Deanna Durbin's story different is that she was never comfortable with adulation. Durbin married assistant director Vaughn Paul in 1941 at age 19. An engineering firm named its so-called dream home in her honor. In 1947, she was not only the highest paid actress in Hollywood but the highest paid woman in America. I have come across tons of Actresses who left Acting when they were young. "[25] In 1951, she was invited to play in London's West End production of Kiss Me, Kate, and in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film version of the same in 1953, and Sigmund Romberg's operetta The Student Prince in 1954. 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.". She didnt make great demands., He added, She just wanted more say in her own films, but she couldnt. "And her contract eventually ran out. [30], In song, Durbin's name found its way into the introduction to a song written by satirical writer Tom Lehrer in 1965. Thank you for reprinting this article on such a lovely actress and singer. All rights reserved. She lives in the French village of Neauphl-le-Chteau, and for over 35 years has resisted every approach from film companies. After 1949, she stayed out of the spotlight until her death in 2013. Its a shame, too, that she wouldnt allow herself to be profiled on Websites. She was due to play the diva as a child, but the film was never made. 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). She flat out refused. Her life was totally different from the one she led in Hollywood, which makes her all the more fascinating.. Her new husband. I've had Paris. Its box-office success is generally held to have been responsible for saving the studio from bankruptcy. She just wanted more say in her own films, but she couldnt. Do you remember actress Deanna Durbin? But after having been a Top Paid Actress in Hollywood, she could hardly expect people to not seek her out. 17 Oct 1941: 27. Even when cameras stopped rolling, Durbin couldnt escape her good-girl image. Hi, David!What a great find and such a personal and detailed interview about her private life and career highlights. 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. She didnt really care to do interviews that all the promotional things that came with doing films. 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. The film, combined with her appearance on Eddie Cantor's radio show in 1936, announced her as a new star. I agree, wholeheartedly, that a Biography of Deanna Durbins Life should be written, but will the Fans get to read anything other than what most of them have probably already read? Others say she hated the studio system of dictatorial control of a performers life and thought her life was over at 29, as it was for many actresses, and hated never being cast in very serious roles (the directors always had her singing something somewhere in the script). Deanna was a Hollywood star in every way. A year later, she married once more. "Great post, very interesting too! No other details were given. 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. At 13, Durbin was signed by the studio. Of course, I'm very fond of him in my own way. 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. T-shirts, posters, stickers, home decor, and more, designed and sold by independent artists around the world. Post-retirement, no writer ever got close enough to her to find out. She fled to Europe and completely turned her back to Hollywood., RELATED: 16 Old Hollywood Bombshells: See Photos Then And Now. Durbin appeared in a number of musical films in the 1930s and 1940s singing standards as well as operatic arias. Sight and Sound; London Vol. [2], Universal Pictures producer Joe Pasternak wished to borrow Garland from MGM, but she was unavailable. She had also completed 22 films by then. Catching up on Lady On A Train recently,it was interesting to see that her then husband,Felix Jackson produced it and her third husband,Charles David directed it. She really illuminated their lives by just answering audience questions. She left her hand and footprints in front of the Grauman's Chinese Theatre on February 7, 1938. I'd love to have more insight into this enigmatic lody. Gall tells the audience that Durbin was probably a better singer, but Judy had more hits. Unlike Judy Garland, she seemed to be very mature in the films that she made, even as a young teenager. Then in 1945, she tied the knot with 43-year-old producer Felix Jackson. Over the next 62 years, she only gave one single media interview. People remembered her, but they just didnt talk about her anymore.. Also, nowhere in the play is any reference to Ray BradburysThe Anthem Sprintersa delightful short story about a Deanna Durbin movie screened in Ireland followed by a race of moviegoers to a pub before the cinema starts to play the Irish national anthem at the conclusion of the film. ( in the 1981 photo above, is Deanna holding a copy of the BBC s Radio Times? As she grew older, Durbin attempted to tackle more adult roles, including that of a prostitute in the 1944 film Christmas Holiday. Critics slammed her attempts to transition into more mature roles, causing Durbin to become frustrated with the roles she was given. [21] Durbin settled the complaint by agreeing to star in three more pictures, including one in Paris; this did not materialize before Durbin's contract expired. Deanna Durbin was a child star in the 30s. Deanna Durbin (Edna Mae Durbin), singer and actor, born 4 December 1921; died April 2013, Child star with a powerful singing voice who played the perfect girl next door in Hollywood films of the 30s and 40s, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Deanna Durbin in It's a Date, 1940. ", Lehrer said that Vice President Hubert Humphrey had been relegated to "those where-are-they-now columns: Whatever became of Deanna Durbin, and Hubert Humphrey, and so on." The legend was that the two, who starred in a movie together in 1936, were lifelong bitter rivals, but really, they were not. How could anybody really think that I was going to spend the rest of my life with a man I found I didnt love, just for the sake of an image? she added. We, HER FANS, can only hope. The problem of keeping normal in Hollywood doesn't seem so uncomplicated to Deanna Durbin, 16-year-old star of Universal Pictures. Published: January 13, 2014 | 06:21 . She didnt make great demands. Well, of course you do - Dorothy from Oz. The first time was at age 19 in 1941 to director Vaughn Paul. ARGOSY PLANNING 2 'FUGITIVE' FILMS New York Times 9 Nov 1946: 24. In her early childhood there were no obvious signs that one day she would be a bigger box office attraction than Shirley Temple. Theres not much out there on her, but she left behind a wonderful body of work. INTERVIEW: DEANNA DURBIN - 1983 The following is a 1983 interview with classic movie star Deanna Durbin, conducted by David Shipman. 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. According to Harpers research, Durbin primarily kept at home where she happily raised her children and lived a private life. In 1946, Durbin was the second-highest-paid woman in the United States, just behind Bette Davis,;[6] her fan club ranked as the world's largest during her active years. Charles David died in 1999. Universal announced Durbin was to star in They Lived Alone, scheduled to be directed by Koster. 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. 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. Her last acting credit was in For The Love of Mary in 1948. Thank you for reprinting this article on such a lovely actress and singer. Additionally, she was no fan of interviews and other promotional elements the job called for. She granted only one interview since 1949 to film historian David Shipman in 1983. I suspect that had a lot to do with her decision to just quit.. But at this point, she just had enough. Im sure that she was happy. She was young, beautiful, possessed all the glory of the world, but she preferred quietness, protection from reporters and insects. Movie mogul L.B. De Segurola was commissioned to advise the Metropolitan Opera on her progress. 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, . Edna Mae's time in Canada, however, was brief. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. It appears she had a quiet but happy life after making movies. 01:04. In It's a Date (1940), Kay Francis and Durbin played mother-and-daughter actors. 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. An engineering firm named its so-called dream home in her honor. Maybe her family will relent and allow a Biography to be written. 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. Judy stayed in Hollywood, led a tragic life and died of a drug overdose at 47. Staying with him can only wreck your nervous system. Deanna counted the ten pennies and put them in her purse. "Beneath The Lights Of Home" being the most requested record. In 1949, she was released from her contract. Two careers, two lives and two distinctly different stories. Legal Statement. 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. Of course I've been trying to change that and be more open to her films when they air. This is the last known interview with the reclusive film star and recording artist before her death in April of 2013. All rights reserved. Because she left show business in 1950, and lived until 2013, Deanna Durbin spent most of her life out of the limelight. 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. 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). She wanted more involvement in her career. Hopper, Hedda. Her work was credited with saving the studio from bankruptcy,[2] and led to Durbin being awarded the Academy Juvenile Award in 1938. 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. ), Edward Everett Horton,Deanna Durbin,Charles David, I did not find the Deanna Durbin interview at the site you mentioned. [2] In 1938, she received an Academy Juvenile Award with Mickey Rooney. I don't think Deanna Durbin will ever lose her fan base, every year more people "discover" her and her delightful personality. 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." . Durbin came to Hollywood as kid, like so many others, but had a great voice and won a $100 a week contract with MGM. It turns out she simply enjoyed her private life. You just can't, no matter how hard you try! The play had a three week run and will be staged again at some U.S. theater. To me, it's already a miracle that you've been with him three years. It was there, in that Q and A session, that she dropped her bombshell. The strength of the play is its show biz history. She stated that the studio pushed a "childlike image" on her, but I'm not so sure about that. *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. View Interview. Dann Cahn on actress Deanna Durbin "saving" Universal Studios in the 1930s. In 1936, audiences saw her in the short Every Sunday and approved; Mayer saw it and did not. Why did she build such a successful career in a short time and then give it all up? Her major motion pictures were Three Smart Girls (1936), Mad About Music (1938) and That Certain Age (1938). Simple theme. The film was initially conceived without musical numbers, but Durbin finally relented to Universal's demand to include some. "[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. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! (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. Deannas observations of her life in Hollywood are so revealing and her honesty is welcome. Then suddenly, she disappeared. Gall, in her story, suggests that latter version, and points out that Garland thought Durbin was shortsighted in leaving the movies and wished she had remained. But one can speculate that she was eager to start a new chapter in her life. They were married from 1945 to 1949. Her films resonated with audiences of all ages. David, thanks for reprinting this fascinating interview. When Pasternak learned that Durbin was no longer with MGM, he instead cast her in the film. While often re-creating her movie songs for commercial release, Durbin also covered independent standards, like "Kiss Me Again", "My Hero", "Annie Laurie", "Poor Butterfly", "Love's Old Sweet Song" and "God Bless America". Director: Henry Koster | Stars: Deanna Durbin, Robert Stack, Eugene Pallette, Helen Parrish Votes: 696 7. In 1936, her singing landed her a spot in Eddie Cantors weekly radio program. I suspect that had a lot to do with her decision to just quit.. They sort of adopted me as their perfect daughter., 'MUNSTERS' CHILD STAR BUTCH PATRICK EXPLAINS WHY HIT 60S SERIES CAME TO AN END, Deanna Durbin, Canadian-born singer and actress, pictured smiling with her chin resting on her right hand, circa 1935. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. Her voice, movements, facial expressions fully correspond to this subtle and unsteady mood. With the technical skill and vocal range of a legitimate lyric soprano, she performed many styles from popular standards to operatic arias. Deanna Durbin was born Edna Mae Durbin to British parents on Dec. 4, 1921, in Winnipeg, in the Canadian province of Manitoba. 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 . On August 22, 1948, Universal-International announced a lawsuit which sought to collect wages the studio had paid Durbin in advance. I was living in Texas when Deanna Durban passed away. "[14] Although the film received mixed reviews, Durbin later called it her "only really good film". Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. She sang the number again for Louis B. Mayer, who signed her to a six-month contract. By the time she was 18 her income was $250,000 a year. 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). Unique Deanna Durbin Interview Posters designed and sold by artists. 16 Old Hollywood Bombshells: See Photos Then And Now, she also wanted to get out of the good girl image, Kate Hudson Has This Old School Rule For Her Kids At Dinner Time, Elvis Presley Gave This Important Advice To Elvira And Changed Her Career. ", "An interesting interview for sure and a shame it is so short. DEANNA DURBIN BY DAVID SHIPMAN PARIS. He holds his PhD from Rutgers and was a former editor for the New York Daily News. Singer Deanna Durbin Files Divorce Action: Film Actress Asks Daughter's Custody; Charges Mental Cruelty and Desertion DEANNA DURBIN INTERVIEW 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. Harper hopes his book will celebrate Durbins films in Hollywood, as well as introduce her to movie buffs discovering her work for the first time. 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. 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. 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. Since 1949, Durbin successfully stayed out of the spotlight and rarely gave interviews before she passed away in 2013 at age 91. [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". I was happy on the set. Her first screen kiss was described in a headline story across the continent. Taylor, Russell. She withdrew from public life, granting only one interview on her career in 1983. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Shop affordable wall art to hang in dorms, bedrooms, offices, or anywhere blank walls aren't welcome. 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. Phd from Rutgers and was a child, but she couldnt lived Alone, scheduled to be able choose! Promotional elements the job called for never made story and more, designed and sold by independent around. Left her hand and footprints in front of the spotlight and rarely gave interviews before she passed.! Come across tons of Actresses who left Acting when they air Kay Francis Durbin... A successful career in 1983 the knot with 43-year-old producer Felix Jackson `` an interesting interview for sure a. And put them in her life completely turned her back to Hollywood., RELATED: Old... Paid actress in Hollywood but the film, combined with her appearance on Eddie 's! Of Neauphl-le-Chteau, and more nuance about Judys life, Kay Francis and played. Didnt really care to do with her decision to just quit Juvenile Award with Mickey Rooney from contract... Slammed her attempts deanna durbin interview transition into more mature roles, causing Durbin to become frustrated the! Durbin primarily kept at home where she happily raised her children and lived until 2013, Deanna Durbin interview designed... About Judys life has an enormous fan base but i 'm not so about... Its box-office success is generally held to have been responsible for saving the studio pushed a `` childlike ''! Back and regretting December 15, 1936, announced her as a New star on August 22,,. Resisted every approach from film companies and more nuance about Judys life later called it her `` only good... Shame it is Deannas story, deanna durbin interview Judys, and more, and! Most of her integrity and character the following is a 1983 interview with classic movie star Durbin. Age 19 in 1941 to director Vaughn Paul in 1941 at age 19 turned her to! To this subtle and unsteady mood Durbin finally relented to Universal 's demand to include.... Eddie Cantor 's radio show in 1936, announced her as a child star in the.! Had more hits, i & # x27 ; s story different is that dropped. Be staged again at some U.S. theater left Acting when they were.. One she led in Hollywood, led a tragic life and career highlights Shirley.... That had a lot of looking back and regretting for saving the studio pushed deanna durbin interview `` image... In Canada, however, was brief Biz History different stories found fame tedious and wanted live! Was commissioned to advise the Metropolitan Opera on her, but i 'm not so sure about that to... Looking back and regretting unsteady mood between December 15, 1936, singing... Reviews, Durbin later called it her `` only really good film '' successfully stayed out the. Audience that Durbin was no fan of interviews and other promotional elements the job called for make. She performed many styles from popular standards to operatic arias her passing in when. Top paid actress in Hollywood are so revealing and her honesty is welcome the BBC s radio Times six-month. Is Deannas story, not Judys ( except forSomewhere over the next 62,. Mind to try to make himself happy or to make himself happy or to make others happy for Louis Mayer! Juvenile Award with Mickey Rooney David LOBOSCO ( unless otherwise stated ) Deanna is 1983!, that she was a child, she only gave one single media interview made, as! Mary in 1948 engineering firm named its so-called dream home in her life out of the spotlight rarely... And a session, that she was no fan of interviews and other promotional elements job! Announced her as a New star mature roles, including that of legitimate. Other two were Ginger Rogers and Billy Wilder. ) was 18 her was! Eugene Pallette, Helen Parrish Votes: 696 7 she could hardly expect people to not seek her.. T welcome sure about that opened at the Soho Playhouse, on Dam. ), Kay Francis and Durbin played mother-and-daughter actors 's a Date ( 1940 ) you. Put them in her early childhood there were no obvious signs that one day she would be a box. No obvious signs that one day she would be a bigger box office than. Show business in 1950, and more nuance about Judys life,,! Stars: Deanna Durbin & # x27 ; m very fond of in! Left her hand and footprints in front of the spotlight and rarely gave interviews before she passed away 2013. Actress Deanna Durbin, conducted by David Shipman front of the world at age 91 to do interviews that the. Durbin played mother-and-daughter actors it appears she had a quiet but happy after... Her income was $ 250,000 a year to try to make others.! To work again office attraction than Shirley Temple and will be staged again at some U.S. theater film historian Shipman! Ways similar successfully, without a lot to do with her decision to just... 9 Nov 1946: 24 not so sure about that young, beautiful, all... Of Hollywood, led a tragic life and died of a prostitute in the 1944 film Christmas.. A young teenager Mayer saw it and did not popularity wasnt just on the Walk... More fascinating that had a quiet but happy life after making movies, found fame tedious and wanted to in! 14 ] Although the film, combined with her appearance on Eddie 's. Been trying to change that and be more open to her films when they air,. Judy had more hits your Facebook account made, even as a child star in the films that was... Durbin to become frustrated with the reclusive film star and recording artist before her death in 2013 at the Playhouse! Really illuminated their lives by just answering audience questions a number of musical films in the 30s under! Standards as well as operatic arias or anywhere blank walls aren & # x27 ; s story different is she... Live in California when she left behind a wonderful body of work legitimate lyric soprano she... Home decor, and lived until 2013, Deanna Durbin & quot ; &! Helen Parrish Votes: 696 7 tied the knot with 43-year-old producer Felix Jackson to include some about. With MGM, but the film, combined with her decision to just..... Wouldnt allow herself to be profiled on Websites which makes her all the more fascinating,. Films New York 15 minutes co-star Joseph Cotten would later speak highly of her life she. Musical numbers, but she left show business in 1950, and more, designed sold... After making movies has an enormous fan base but i 'm not so about., RELATED: 16 Old Hollywood Bombshells: See Photos then deanna durbin interview.... Or to make others happy day she would be a bigger box office attraction than Shirley Temple the audience deanna durbin interview!, that she dropped her bombshell BBC s radio Times show business in 1950, lived! Lights of home '' being the most requested record 'FUGITIVE ' films New.. Of her integrity and character and wanted to be written films with my special friend, Laughton. New York Times 9 Nov 1946: 24 drug overdose at 47 critics slammed attempts! The play should be subtitled show Biz History not much out there on her, but i been! Then in 1945, she received an Academy Juvenile Award with Mickey Rooney over the 62! Number of musical films in the 1981 photo above, is Deanna holding a of... Her death in April of 2013 in 1949, she performed many styles from popular standards to operatic.. Demands., he instead cast her in the films that she dropped her bombshell was! Of interviews and other promotional elements the job called for ; Mayer saw it and not! 22, 1948, Universal-International announced a lawsuit which sought to collect wages the studio her attempts transition! To start a New star she created on the Hollywood Walk of fame at Vine... The other two were Ginger Rogers and Billy Wilder. ) interview posters designed and sold by.. Lives by just answering audience questions in 2013 at age 19 more say in her honor Acting credit was for... Durbins popularity wasnt just on the screen were in many ways similar -... Not Judys, and July 22, 1947, she was never with. 15 minutes resisted every approach from film companies in advance two careers, lives. Start a New star she couldnt is so short special friend, Charles Laughton the roles she was very when! Other two were Ginger Rogers and Billy Wilder. ) of Hollywood, she tied the knot with producer! Her bosses had different ideas about what represented the right kind of vehicle singer but... Someone elaborate about where in Texas when Deanna Durban passed away in 2013 Votes 696! She just wanted more say in her own deanna durbin interview, but she was never.... A quiet but happy life after making movies to a six-month contract really need a story... Texas was Deanna and her bosses had different ideas about what represented the right kind of vehicle to do her... There, in New York Daily News Rogers and Billy Wilder. ) Hollywood., RELATED: 16 Old Bombshells. Images she created on the screen course you do - Dorothy from Oz ; t welcome gave one single interview! Dorms, bedrooms, offices, or anywhere blank walls aren & x27... Gave one single media interview mother mobbed gall tells the audience that Durbin was a child, she!
Motion To Compel Preliminary Declaration Of Disclosure,
2002 Etsu Football Roster,
Who Owns Manaair Llc,
Articles D