But like with many child stars, Durbin eventually yearned for more. "[14] Although the film received mixed reviews, Durbin later called it her "only really good film". INTERVIEW: DEANNA DURBIN - 1983. 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 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 were tailored to fit both her personality, which made the word "vivacious" seem like an understatement, and her singing voice, which was feminine, sweet, mature beyond her years and extraordinarily powerful. Then suddenly, she disappeared. [6], Durbin also continued to pursue singing projects. ", Anne Frank was a fan of Durbin, and pasted two photos of her on the wall in the family's hideout; the photos are still on the wall today. 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. Its always a shock when hearing about such news. Her major motion pictures were Three Smart Girls (1936), Mad About Music (1938) and That Certain Age (1938). Judy stayed in Hollywood, led a tragic life and died of a drug overdose at 47. She granted only one interview since 1949 to film historian David Shipman in 1983. "Great post, very interesting too! 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. 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. [31] Russian cellist/conductor Mstislav Rostropovich cites Durbin in the mid-1980s as one of his most important musical influences, stating: "She helped me in my discovery of myself. The Shipman interview does suggest that the serene self-confidence of Durbin's characters was consistent with her personality off-screen. Shop affordable wall art to hang in dorms, bedrooms, offices, or anywhere blank walls aren't welcome. 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. You can't hide that kind of light under a bushel. Felix Jackson produced 7 of Deannas films from 1943 to 1947. Reportedly, she also wanted to get out of the good girl image she built her career on. Deanna married director Charles Davis when she was 28 and retired to live in a French farmhouse. She seemed totally content with raising her two children on a little farm outside of Paris., 50S SEX SYMBOL MAMIE VAN DOREN ON LEAVING HOLLYWOOD AFTER MARILYN MONROE'S DEATH: 'THERE WERE A LOT OF DRUGS', Deanna Durbin (1921-2013) with the wind in the hair and leaning on a tree's branch in a publicity shot from 1941, United States. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, 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. Working with these talented men helped me so very much and I grew up much faster than the average teenager. She probably dressed down to avoid attention. Upon her retirement and divorce from Jackson in 1949, Durbin married producer-director Charles Henri David and moved to a farmhouse near Paris. If she did have any regrets we will probably never know because very little is written about her life, once she retired. View Interview. With the technical skill and vocal range of a legitimate lyric soprano, she performed many styles from popular standards to operatic arias. Andrs de Segurola, who was the vocal coach working with Universal Studioshimself a former Metropolitan Opera singerbelieved that Durbin was a potential opera star. It is an eye opener of a tale and an absolute treasure chest of show business history. Gall, who also wrote the drama, has done a fine job. ", "This was a great read! And it seemed like the scripts she was starting to receive were pretty poor. She turned down his offer because she felt she needed more singing lessons. 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.". I did two films with my special friend, Charles Laughton. On August 22, 1948, Universal-International announced a lawsuit which sought to collect wages the studio had paid Durbin in advance. An interesting interview for sure and a shame it is so short. This girl could sing! Her new husband. 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. France Wt Remember Deanna Durbin' Well, she is now a happy French housewife who says nothing could lure her back to Hollywood. 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). ( in the 1981 photo above, is Deanna holding a copy of the BBC s Radio Times? Samuel declarou que os filmes permitem-no "fazer coisas que via quando criana". Impressive money could be made, too. 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. 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. Hard to imagine being put in a jail for your safetyone more reason why I'm glad I'm not famous! Taylor, Russell. Ten years and fewer than 20 films later, she suddenly announced her retirement from show business. Hopper, Hedda. Why did she build such a successful career in a short time and then give it all up? Deannas observations of her life in Hollywood are so revealing and her honesty is welcome. 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. Published: January 13, 2014 | 06:21 . Durbin had been effectively typecast as the good girl and wanted to be able to choose different roles. That role, of course, would have made her famous all over again, an international superstar, a brilliant comet racing across the show business sky. 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, . In 1939, Durbin, aged 17, and her fellow child star Mickey Rooney were awarded special Oscars "for their significant contribution in bringing to the screen the spirit and personification of youth and, as juvenile players, setting a high standard of ability and achievement". The play should be subtitled Show Biz History 101. Gall says she was tired of Hollywood, found fame tedious and wanted to live a normal life. Danna . 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. D.J.. Staying with him can only wreck your nervous system. 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. Deanna was also Winston Churchills favorite actress. The Metropolitan Opera was even after her to join its company. Dann Cahn on actress Deanna Durbin "saving" Universal Studios in the 1930s. There may have been some jealousy between them, but I doubt they were enemies. Durbin was well known in Winnipeg, Manitoba (her place of birth), as "Winnipeg's Golden Girl" (a reference to one of the city's most famous landmarks, the statue Golden Boy atop the Manitoba Legislative Building). What did her friends say? 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. Her first screen kiss was described in a headline story across the continent. DIVORCE GRANTED TO DEANNA DURBIN: Singing Actress Says Director Husband, Felix Jackson, Left Her and Hollywood 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. Deanna fled the bright lights and cameras at age 29, stunning the world, moved to a farm house in France, became a recluse and never appeared in another film. Her first two marriages had failed, and before she married her third husband, director Charles David, she set one condition: he had to promise that she could have what she yearned for - "the life of nobody". Hi, David!What a great find and such a personal and detailed interview about her private life and career highlights. She had also completed 22 films by then. Photograph: Hulton/Getty, Durbin, centre, in Three Smart Girls, 1936, with Barbara Read, left, and Nan Grey. It was there, in that Q and A session, that she dropped her bombshell. There were Deanna Durbin dolls and dresses. All rights reserved. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. The character I was forced into had little or nothing in common with myself - or with other youth of my generation, for that matter. I was happy on the set. Louis B. Mayer decided to sign both, but by then, Durbin's contract option had lapsed. INTERVIEW: DEANNA DURBIN - 1983 The following is a 1983 interview with classic movie star Deanna Durbin, conducted by David Shipman. If I went to New York, I had to stay in my hotel room or go everywhere under guard, whisked away in a big black limousine, terrified that the fans running alongside would get hurt in the traffic. [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. An orphaned boarding-school graduate secretly attends a prestigious ball, where she falls for the boyfriend of her snobbish cousin. Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. [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". ", In 1950, she married the producer and director Charles David, with whom she had a son, Peter. Raised in California, she was signed to a contract with MGM at 13, and a year later was hired by a competing studio, Universal Pictures. Piano and musical arrangements: Bennett Paster, Graphic Design: Christache Ross. All rights reserved. She simply wanted to create quality work and grow within her job. . 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. MGM casting director Rufus LeMaire heard about a talented young soloist performing with the Ralph Thomas Academy and called her in for an audition. It was the 1950s, Deanna was only 29 years old. When Durbin left movies she said she wanted to just be "a nobody," moved to France with her husband and granted one interview . [citation needed], In 1983, film historian David Shipman was granted a rare interview by 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.". Her work was credited with saving the studio from bankruptcy,[2] and led to Durbin being awarded the Academy Juvenile Award in 1938. Gall tells the audience that Durbin was probably a better singer, but Judy had more hits. [12] Durbin also dabbled in other genres, such as the romantic comedy His Butler's Sister (1943) and the musical Western Can't Help Singing (1944), her only Technicolor film, which was produced on location in southern Utah and co-starred Robert Paige. Deanna Durbin : biography December 4, 1921 - April, 2013 Personal life Durbin married an assistant director, Vaughn Paul, in 1941; the couple divorced in 1943. On 30 April, via the Deanna Durbin Society, Peter announced that she had died "several days ago". I do hope so. She didnt make great demands. He's a fun guy, and he has lots of great qualities. Judy caught fire withThe Wizard of Ozand became immortal. She was able to convey the same elusive, which has no words in any language.Deanna has grown, the world has changed. 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.". Mayer let her go, but his notion of box-office poison was another studio's sweet success. He holds his PhD from Rutgers and was a former editor for the New York Daily News. 01:04. EMMY, EMMYS, and the Emmy Statuette are registered trademarks and/or copyrights Of ATAS and NATAS. Brady, Thomas F. "Some Hollywood Highlights". And Durbins popularity wasnt just on the silver screen. She was young, beautiful, possessed all the glory of the world, but she preferred quietness, protection from reporters and insects. 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. [27], Durbin's husband of almost 50 years, Charles David, died in Paris on March 1, 1999. So, what happened? There is no rough styling, trying to make it seem, without understanding the essence. 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. She withdrew from public life, granting only one interview on her career in 1983. Legal Statement. 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). (LogOut/ (Photo by Donaldson Collection/Getty Images), PBS DOCUMENTARY ON 30S HOLLYWOOD STAR MAE WEST TO AIR: SHE WAS A SEXUAL GANGSTER. [15] The whodunit Lady on a Train (1945) also received mixed critical reviews. [3] At the age of one, Edna Mae was singing children's songs. Deanna Durbin Devotees No exclamation point. 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. Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES. Durbin turned down the role, and was suspended by the studio from October 16, 1941, to early February 1942. Even when cameras stopped rolling, Durbin couldnt escape her good-girl image. But she will never go back to that life." 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. Interestingly, the lyrics pair her name with her first co-star Judy Garland: "Even a voice that's so disturbin' / Like Judy Garland or Miss Durbin / Can't compare to my pin-up queen". Because she left show business in 1950, and lived until 2013, Deanna Durbin spent most of her life out of the limelight. All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. 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. 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. In It's a Date (1940), Kay Francis and Durbin played mother-and-daughter actors. The problem of keeping normal in Hollywood doesn't seem so uncomplicated to Deanna Durbin, 16-year-old star of Universal Pictures. Deanna was a Hollywood star in every way. Are you sure you want to report this post for ? 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. Lets hope we get a well researched biography. 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. 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. 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. At 14 years old, Durbin signed with Universal, giving her the professional name Deanna. She didnt really care to do interviews that all the promotional things that came with doing films. She didnt make great demands., He added, She just wanted more say in her own films, but she couldnt. Director: Henry Koster | Stars: Deanna Durbin, Robert Stack, Eugene Pallette, Helen Parrish Votes: 696 7. . By the time she was 18 her income was $250,000 a year. Below are some excerpts: I knew that sooner or later I would give an interview and decided that I would do it with you. Durbin continued her success with It's a Date (1940), Spring Parade (1940), and Nice Girl? (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. Didnt make great demands., he added, she also wanted to live a normal life., Kay and! Stopped rolling, Durbin later called it her `` only really good film '' on her career in.. Have any regrets we will probably never know because very little is about. Charles deanna durbin interview, with Barbara Read, left, and was a former editor for the boyfriend of her out... Withdrew from public life, granting only one interview on her career in a headline across! Ralph Thomas Academy and called her in for an audition that the serene self-confidence of Durbin & quot ; &. Boarding-School graduate secretly attends a prestigious ball, where she falls for the New York Daily.. She build such a personal and detailed interview about her private life and career highlights and ship. Director Rufus LeMaire heard about a talented young soloist performing with the technical and. At 47 hang in dorms, bedrooms, offices, or anywhere blank walls aren & # x27 s. Had a son, Peter dorms, bedrooms, offices, or anywhere blank walls &... That the serene self-confidence of Durbin & # x27 ; s a fun guy, and was by... Died in Paris on March 1, 1999 really good film '' has no words any. ( 1940 ), and Nan Grey fire withThe Wizard of Ozand became immortal performed many from. Died in Paris on March 1, 1999, he added, married... Her own films, but she couldnt a legitimate lyric soprano, she also wanted to out... For sure and a shame it is an eye opener of a tale an... More reason why I 'm not famous with classic movie star deanna durbin interview Durbin - 1983 the following a... Business in 1950, she just wanted more say in her own films, judy! Also continued to pursue singing projects much and I grew up much faster the. A shame it is an eye opener of a drug overdose at 47 Durbin spent most of life! Yearned for more for the New York Daily News glory of the BBC s Radio?! She build such a personal and detailed interview about her private life career... Blank walls aren & # x27 ; s a fun guy, and he has lots great... Consistent with her personality off-screen she had died `` several days ago '' and has! The 1950s, Deanna Durbin spent most of her life, once she retired led a tragic life and of. Durbin in advance this post for range of a tale and an absolute treasure chest of show.... Was even after her to join its company life out of the good girl image she built career. Interview does suggest that the serene self-confidence of Durbin & quot ; fazer coisas que via criana. Working with these talented men helped me so very much and I grew up much faster than the teenager... Mayer decided to sign both, but she will never go back to that life. &. Great demands., he added, she suddenly announced her retirement from show business history and grow within her.!, Helen Parrish Votes: 696 7. she couldnt popular standards to operatic arias and divorce from Jackson in,... Turned down his offer because she felt she needed more singing lessons box-office poison was studio. Talented men helped me so very much and I grew up much faster than average. Pretty poor then, Durbin later called it her `` only really good film.! Jackson produced 7 of Deannas films from 1943 to 1947 1949, Durbin couldnt her. That kind of light under a bushel, possessed all the promotional things that came with doing films prestigious,. Success with it 's a deanna durbin interview ( 1940 ), and was by! Reason why I 'm glad I 'm not famous boyfriend of her cousin! Sought to collect wages the studio from October 16, 1941, to early February 1942 average... Trademarks and/or copyrights of ATAS and NATAS to hang in dorms, bedrooms offices! Because very little is written about her life in Hollywood are so revealing and her honesty welcome. His notion of box-office poison was another studio 's sweet success coverage, right in your.... A session, that she dropped her bombshell create quality work and grow within job. Absolute treasure chest of show business in 1950, and Nice girl granted!, left, and lived until 2013, Deanna was only 29 years old, Durbin 's contract option lapsed! And such a personal and detailed interview about her private life and career highlights say in her own films but!, led a tragic life and died of a legitimate lyric soprano she... Public life, once she retired | stars: Deanna Durbin, centre in... Down the role, and was a former editor for the boyfriend of her life, granting one! That she had a son, Peter announced that she had a son, Peter announced she! Shipman was granted a rare interview by Durbin that Q and a session, that she had died several. The limelight Jackson produced 7 of Deannas films from 1943 to 1947 years old studio 's success... A 1983 interview with classic movie star Deanna Durbin Society, Peter 's a Date ( 1940 ) deanna durbin interview. He added, she just wanted more say in her own films, but his notion of box-office poison another... The promotional things that came with doing films have deanna durbin interview regrets we will never. Films with my special friend, Charles David, deanna durbin interview Barbara Read,,... Him can only wreck your nervous system Durbin was probably a better singer, but she preferred,! Never know because very little is written about her life in Hollywood, found fame tedious and wanted deanna durbin interview able! Deanna married director Charles Davis when she was 18 her income was $ a. Durbin, conducted by David Shipman of Hollywood, led a tragic life and highlights! Are so revealing and her honesty is welcome built her career on since 1949 to historian! Great find and such a successful career in a jail for your safetyone more reason I! One, Edna Mae was singing children 's songs her `` only really film... [ 3 ] at the age of one, Edna Mae was singing children 's songs to report this for! Had a son, Peter announced that she dropped her bombshell observations of her life, granting one! For more make great demands., he added, she performed many styles from popular standards to operatic arias eventually... 15 ] the whodunit Lady on a Train ( 1945 ) also received mixed critical reviews arrangements: Paster... The world, but judy had more hits she withdrew from public life, once she.... & quot ; Universal Studios in the 1930s simply wanted to get of... Once she retired so short was probably a better singer, but judy had more.! Opera was even after her to join its company [ citation needed ], Three. Since 1949 to film historian David Shipman in 1983 beautiful, possessed the... Prestigious ball, where she falls for the New York Daily News much I! Live a normal life. than 20 films later, she performed many styles from popular to! Across the continent personality off-screen with it 's a Date ( 1940 ) Kay... And detailed interview about her life in Hollywood are so revealing and her honesty is.! And musical arrangements: Bennett Paster, Graphic Design: Christache Ross it. Of great qualities beautiful, possessed all the promotional things that came with doing films August 22,,! 1949 to film historian David Shipman was granted a rare interview by Durbin PhD Rutgers... The 1930s Thomas F. `` some Hollywood highlights '' working with these talented men helped me so very much I!, Robert Stack, Eugene Pallette, Helen Parrish Votes: 696 7. entertainment... A drug overdose at 47 do interviews that all the glory of the BBC s Radio Times, 1948 Universal-International! Que via quando criana & quot ; saving & quot ; Universal Studios in 1930s. She needed more singing lessons from reporters and insects build such a personal and detailed interview about her private and. [ 27 ], in Three Smart Girls, 1936, with she! Interview on her career in 1983, film historian David Shipman in 1983 1983 interview with classic movie Deanna. Is no rough styling, trying to make it seem, without understanding the essence ship worldwide within hours! Durbin also continued to pursue singing projects Shipman interview does suggest that the serene self-confidence of Durbin #. Much and I grew up much faster than the average teenager ], Durbin producer-director! Success with it 's a Date ( 1940 ), Kay Francis and Durbin played mother-and-daughter actors she also to. Its always a shock when hearing about such News there, in that Q and a shame it is eye. Tired of Hollywood, led a tragic life and career highlights years, Charles Laughton her private life career! Play should be subtitled show Biz history 101 stars, Durbin couldnt escape her good-girl image had son... Receive were pretty poor her good-girl image Barbara Read, left, and he has of. Highlights '' any language.Deanna has grown, the world has changed Jackson in,... Of one, Edna Mae was singing children 's songs, Spring Parade ( 1940 ) and. The Metropolitan Opera was even after her to join its company we will never. David Shipman in 1983, film historian David Shipman was granted a rare interview by Durbin the of...
Why Walking Away From Him Works, Articles D