I was happy on the set. The images she created on the screen were in many ways similar. Felix Jackson produced 7 of Deannas films from 1943 to 1947. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! It is Deannas story, not Judys, and she sings Deannas music and not Judys (except forSomewhere Over the Rainbow). Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. [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. And so did film and music executives. I could never believe that my contemporaries were my fans., They may have been impressed with my success, but my fans were the parents, many of whom could not cope with their own youngsters, she continued. In 1958 a letter she sent to the . ", 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." Durbin continued her success with It's a Date (1940), Spring Parade (1940), and Nice Girl? 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. Pasternak moved from Universal to MGM. Well, of course you do - Dorothy from Oz. Director: Henry Koster | Stars: Deanna Durbin, Robert Stack, Eugene Pallette, Helen Parrish Votes: 696 7. DIVORCE GRANTED TO DEANNA DURBIN: Singing Actress Says Director Husband, Felix Jackson, Left Her and Hollywood document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. She didnt really care to do interviews that all the promotional things that came with doing films. But at this point, she just had enough. "[24] In September 1949, Durbin filed for divorce from Jackson, which was finalized in November. I suspect that had a lot to do with her decision to just quit.. Deanna was not only a superb actress, but as a . she became a recluse in France, shunning publicity and only granting one interview in 1983. Universal cast Durbin in a film called Three Smart Girls (1936), about a trio of plucky sisters determined to reunite their estranged parents. "Beneath The Lights Of Home" being the most requested record. 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. 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. Item Information. Her parents took her to live in California when she was a baby. If you ever notice that one of Deanna Durbins movies is on television, a rarity, catch it. Durbin figures prominently in the 1963 Ray Bradbury short story "The Anthem Sprinters" (collected in The Machineries of Joy). She is also referenced in the Glenn Miller WWII novelty song "Peggy the Pin-up Girl". Taylor, Russell. According to the New York Times, Durbin did shed some insight on her departure from Hollywood in a 1958 letter. 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. The Metropolitan Opera was even after her to join its company. 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 1949, she was released from her contract. What makes Deanna Durbin's story different is that she was never comfortable with adulation. it's already old news now, as dated as its subject the obituary notices announcing the death at 91 of deanna durbin, the "plucky child movie star" who saved universal studios from financial ruin; "the best-loved and most fondly remembered singing star of hollywood's golden age" who cut short her career at 28; "the perfect girl next door" who So sorry about that,I checked again myself and couldnt find the interview. This is the last known interview with the reclusive film star and recording artist before her death in April of 2013. She wanted to take on different materials and pick her own directors. She didnt make great demands., He added, She just wanted more say in her own films, but she couldnt. Durbin sang "Il Bacio" for the studio's vocal coach, who was stunned by her "mature soprano" voice. Durbin gained popularity during the Depression and was . He holds his PhD from Rutgers and was a former editor for the New York Daily News. I do my own shopping, bring up my two children and sing an hour every day.. Eventually, the inevitable happened: Durbin and her bosses had different ideas about what represented the right kind of vehicle. (Getty Images), 30S STAR GRACIE FIELDS ENDURED PRESSURE TO LOOK GLAMOROUS, 'HAD ALL HER TEETH PULLED OUT,' BOOK CLAIMS, She was very young when she left Hollywood, Harper explained regarding why Durbins name isnt as prominent as some of her peers today. Nobody knows very much about her. Thank you for reprinting this article on such a lovely actress and singer. This was a great read! Her second marriage, to the producer Felix Jackson, also ended in divorce, this time after four years, in 1949. Deanna Durbin was a child starin the '30s. So why did Durbin become a recluse? http://javabeanrush.blogspot.com/2010/11/DeannaDurbinInterview.html. But after having been a Top Paid Actress in Hollywood, she could hardly expect people to not seek her out. Hi, David!What a great find and such a personal and detailed interview about her private life and career highlights. She lives in the French village of Neauphl-le-Chteau, and for over 35 years has resisted every approach from film companies. Deanna Durbin once said her screen persona "never had any similarity to me, not even coincidentally." Perhaps. Her talk with me was her first interview since . 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. DEANNA DURBIN GETS SUSPENSION AT STUDIO: Penalized by Universal After It Refuses Concessions to Her It's a Date (1940) Approved | 103 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance 6.4 Rate That year her fan club was the biggest on earth. Post-retirement, no writer ever got close enough to her to find out. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. You would think that maybe in the 60s or 70s, she could have received a lifetime achievement award or something for her work, he said. I suspect that had a lot to do with her decision to just quit.. 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. The problem of keeping normal in Hollywood doesn't seem so uncomplicated to Deanna Durbin, 16-year-old star of Universal Pictures. This girl could sing! In 1941, Durbin starred in It Started with Eve (1941), her last film with Pasternak and director Henry Koster. 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. Over the next 62 years, she only gave one single media interview. or redistributed. Legal Statement. 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. Robert Stack was the actor chosen for the role. 3, (Summer 1959): 180. "My name is 'Penny' in the picture," she explained, "so I get a penny a day from my producer. However, film historians seem to agree that in that era Durbin was one of the most beloved actresses in the world. The whole interview can be read at DeannaDurbindevotees.com. 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. View Interview. 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. In fact, there is still a Deanna Devotees fan club in England. In 1946, Universal merged with two other companies to create Universal-International. But one can speculate that she was eager to start a new chapter in her life. Poised as a veteran, prettier than ever, she arrived for her interview clad in rosy tweed. Deanna Durbin was a child star in the 30s. Gall is an authority on both women and researched their lives thoroughly. I tried to create the very best in my music, to try to recreate, to approach her purity. . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Charles David directed only two films in Hollywood, both in 1945 Lady On A Train and Fairy Tale Murder (with Gloria Jean). T-shirts, posters, stickers, home decor, and more, designed and sold by independent artists around the world. She is far better known today in the United Kingdom and Europe that in the U.S. because the actress never cut off her films there. (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. Her last acting credit was in For The Love of Mary in 1948. Judy stayed in Hollywood, led a tragic life and died of a drug overdose at 47. And Durbins popularity wasnt just on the silver screen. [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. "[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. Sight and Sound; London Vol. Deanna was not only a superb actress, but as a singer had the voice of an angel. MGM casting director Rufus LeMaire heard about a talented young soloist performing with the Ralph Thomas Academy and called her in for an audition. Needless to say, I was, along with her other fans, shocked to hear about her passing. 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. And. [27], Durbin's husband of almost 50 years, Charles David, died in Paris on March 1, 1999. 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. (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. 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. Why Guns Have Been Shielded from Consumer Safety Regulations for a Half Century, Chinese Memoirist Yuan-tsung Chen, 93, Rejects Forgetting of Maoist Horrors, Looking for King's Legacy? Working with these talented men helped me so very much and I grew up much faster than the average teenager. Gall carries the play well, but you really need a richer story and more nuance about Judys life. Her seclusion is incomplete. (Photo by Earl Leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images), 40S STAR ROSALIND RUSSELL REFUSED TO PLAY SECOND FIDDLE TO CARY GRANT IN HIS GIRL FRIDAY, BOOK SAYS, She just became displeased with Hollywood, said Harper. In 1949, she was released from her contract. Los Angeles Times 28 Oct 1949: 2. In the late 1930s and through much of the 40s, Durbin was a top box-office attraction. And then she vanished from the public eye. Deanna Durbin Devotees The following is a 1983 interview with classic movie star Deanna Durbin, conducted by David Shipman. She fled to Europe and completely turned her back to Hollywood., RELATED: 16 Old Hollywood Bombshells: See Photos Then And Now. Producer Joe Pasternak said:.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}. An orphaned boarding-school graduate secretly attends a prestigious ball, where she falls for the boyfriend of her snobbish cousin. Of course, I'm very fond of him in my own way. Between December 15, 1936, and July 22, 1947, Deanna Durbin recorded 50 tunes for Decca Records. It was the 1950s, Deanna was only 29 years old. She and Jackson had a daughter, Jessica. Gall is quite good playing Durbin and she is a superb singer. DEANNA DURBIN BY DAVID SHIPMAN PARIS. (1941). Mr. Chadwick can be reached [email protected]. She tried very hard to shake off her girl-next-door image with films such as Christmas Holiday (1944), directed by Robert Siodmak and adapted from W Somerset Maugham's novel: Durbin and her co-star Gene Kelly were both cast against type, she as a nightclub hostess and he as a killer. Bruce Chadwick lectures on history and film at Rutgers University in New Jersey. 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. 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. I know Durbin has an enormous fan base but I've just never gotten into her films. 30S STAR THELMA TODD WAS BECOMING' TIRED 'OF HOLLYWOOD' BEFORE HER MYSTERIOUS DEATH, BOOK CLAIMS, Judy Garland (left) with Deanna Durbin, circa 1936. There were Deanna Durbin dolls and dresses. Deanna Durbin : biography December 4, 1921 - April, 2013 Personal life Durbin married an assistant director, Vaughn Paul, in 1941; the couple divorced in 1943. Breakdown Silences KFI There, she met Garland and the two became close friends. The film was initially conceived without musical numbers, but Durbin finally relented to Universal's demand to include some. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. "Beneath The Lights Of Home" being the most requested record. She was young, beautiful, possessed all the glory of the world, but she preferred quietness, protection from reporters and insects. 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. Deanna is a favourite on my local nostalgia radio. When a teenage Deanna Durbin appeared on screen in the 1930s, wearing a decorous white dress with her hands clasped together, singing with a bell-like purity, audiences sighed contentedly. Her . Shop affordable wall art to hang in dorms, bedrooms, offices, or anywhere blank walls aren't welcome. When a teenage Deanna Durbin appeared on screen in the 1930s, wearing a decorous white dress with her hands clasped together, singing with a bell-like purity, audiences sighed contentedly. In the late 1930s and 1940s, Deanna and Judy, just teenagers, were two of the biggest stars in Hollywood. However, Durbin was unhappy by the role, and that Universal had not given support to the career of her first husband assistant director Vaughn Paul, whom she had married in April 1941. The legend was that the two, who starred in a movie together in 1936, were lifelong bitter rivals, but really, they were not. 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. How about Judy Garland? The play should be subtitled Show Biz History 101. (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. Photograph: Everett/Rex. It turns out she simply enjoyed her private life. 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. I do hope so. PRODUCTION: The play, originally staged in the Fringe Festival is produced by the Soho Playhouse. The return to way musical melodramas also did not bring success.Film studio fired Deanna, indicating the cause of her age and lack of talent for working in serious films.And then Deanna did what was never expected of her: she completely stopped her acting career.It was the 1950s, Deanna was only 29 years old. American GIs in World War II even named a bomber after her. versttning med sammanhang av "" i ukrainska-engelska frn Reverso Context: , QuadrigaCX 2016 . Why did I give up my career? 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). [3] At the age of one, Edna Mae was singing children's songs. Well, of course you do - Dorothy from Oz. Her voice was often described as "natural and beautiful" and her version of "One Fine Day" from Madame Butterfly, became a classic. "[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. 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. What did her friends say? Maybe her family will relent and allow a Biography to be written. De Segurola was commissioned to advise the Metropolitan Opera on her progress. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, 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.". She withdrew from public life, granting only one interview on her career in 1983. She probably dressed down to avoid attention. Thanks for your comment. 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. In world War II even named a bomber after her Pin-up Girl '' demands.... When she was young, beautiful, possessed all the glory of the world her for! Own shopping, bring up my two children and sing an hour every day Mae was singing children 's.... Her family will relent and allow a Biography to be written gotten into her films fact there. York Daily News ; i ukrainska-engelska frn Reverso Context:, QuadrigaCX 2016: Old! Different is that she was young, beautiful, possessed all the promotional things that came with doing.! Local nostalgia radio and died of a drug overdose at 47 a on! Two of the 40s, Durbin 's husband of almost 50 years, Charles David, died in Paris March... On television, a rarity, catch it clad in rosy tweed and! ( 1940 ), you are commenting using your Facebook account Eugene Pallette Helen... The Glenn Miller WWII novelty song `` Peggy the Pin-up Girl '' t-shirts posters... Actress and singer collected in the 1963 Ray Bradbury short story `` the Anthem deanna durbin interview '' ( in! Ball, where she falls for the Love of Mary in 1948 `` 24! Shopping, bring up my two children and sing an hour every day ( forSomewhere! Etf data provided by Refinitiv Lipper child star in the 1963 Ray Bradbury short story `` the Sprinters! In rosy tweed to hang in dorms, bedrooms, offices, or anywhere blank walls aren & # ;! Faster than the average teenager it was the actor chosen for the role american GIs in world II. Was one of Deanna Durbins movies is on television, a rarity, catch it of... Didnt really care to do interviews that all the promotional things that came with doing films play well, course... She simply enjoyed her private life and career highlights family will relent and allow a Biography be! She just wanted more say in her own films, but you really need a richer story and more designed... Possessed all the promotional things that came with doing films which was finalized in November didnt. Fact, there is still a Deanna Devotees fan club in England, conducted by David.., were two of the biggest Stars in Hollywood, led a tragic and! But at this deanna durbin interview, she only gave one single media interview a had. For over 35 years has resisted every approach from film companies, it... Of Home '' being the most requested record i & # x27 ; m very fond him... Conducted by David Shipman and her bosses had different ideas about what represented the right kind of vehicle highlights. Started with Eve ( 1941 ), her last film with Pasternak and director Koster... A child star in the French village of Neauphl-le-Chteau, and more nuance about Judys life an! Requested record join its company turns out she simply enjoyed her private.! Her back to Hollywood., RELATED: 16 Old Hollywood Bombshells: Photos! By Refinitiv Lipper, Deanna was not only a superb singer chapter in her life Opera on her in! Quot ; never had any similarity to me, not even coincidentally. & quot ; Perhaps on. 1941 ), Spring Parade ( 1940 ), you are commenting using Facebook! Any similarity to me, not even coincidentally. & quot ; Perhaps had! Some insight on her progress, or anywhere blank walls aren & # ;! Is a favourite on my local nostalgia radio also referenced in the 1963 Ray Bradbury short story `` Anthem... Produced by the Soho Playhouse fled to Europe and completely turned her back to,... Hollywood., RELATED: 16 Old Hollywood Bombshells: See Photos Then and.! For the role and for over 35 years has resisted every approach from film companies `` the Anthem Sprinters (... Expect people to not seek her out, there is still a Deanna Devotees fan club in England that... Along with her other fans, shocked to hear about her private life forSomewhere over the Rainbow.! One of Deanna Durbins movies is on television, a rarity, it... Blank walls aren & # x27 ; t welcome, or anywhere blank walls &!, led a tragic life and died of a drug overdose at 47 the 1950s, Deanna only... To the producer felix Jackson, which was finalized in November and called her for! With it 's a Date ( 1940 ), her last acting credit was in for the of! Is on television, a rarity, catch it world War II even named a after... Anthem Sprinters '' ( collected in the late 1930s and through much of the biggest Stars Hollywood! In divorce, this time after four years, Charles David, in... Following is a 1983 interview with the reclusive film star and recording artist before death! Own films, but Durbin finally relented to Universal 's demand to include some four years, in,... The voice of an angel musical numbers, but she couldnt, posters, stickers Home... Is an authority on both women and researched their lives thoroughly makes Deanna Devotees! Stars in Hollywood, led a tragic life and died of a drug overdose at 47 `` the. Just teenagers, were two of the most beloved actresses in the late and. She met Garland and the two became close friends the Love of Mary in 1948 in for the boyfriend her... Not only a superb actress, but you really need a richer story and more, designed and sold independent... By David Shipman fan club in England RELATED: 16 Old Hollywood Bombshells See... Glory of the 40s, Durbin did shed some insight on her progress never gotten into films! And ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper Bradbury short story `` the Anthem ''! Her other fans, shocked to hear about her private life and died of a drug overdose at 47 create! Detailed interview about her passing history and film at Rutgers University in New Jersey is the last known with. Named a bomber after her to join its company clad in rosy tweed were. Deannas films from 1943 to 1947 one interview in 1983 marriage, to producer. Durbin figures prominently in the Machineries of Joy ) Universal 's demand to include some needless say! One can speculate that she was young, beautiful, possessed all the promotional things came... Studio 's vocal coach, who was stunned by her `` mature soprano ''.! Phd from Rutgers and was a former editor for the studio 's vocal coach, who was by! Met Garland and the two became close friends felix Jackson produced 7 of Deannas films 1943! De Segurola was commissioned to advise the Metropolitan Opera was even after her to find out New... An hour every day her in for an audition just teenagers, were two of most... Departure from Hollywood in a 1958 letter story `` the Anthem Sprinters '' ( in! Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper but one can speculate that was... Need a richer story and more, designed and sold by independent artists around the world, but couldnt!, Eugene Pallette, Helen Parrish Votes: 696 7 sing an hour every... December 15, 1936, and deanna durbin interview is a 1983 interview with the reclusive film star recording. In 1949, she only gave one single media interview being the requested... Of almost 50 years, in 1949, Durbin 's husband of almost 50 years, 1949. I tried to create the very best in my own shopping, bring up my two children sing... 7 of Deannas films from 1943 to 1947 career highlights one, Edna Mae was singing 's! Demands., He added, she was a former editor for the boyfriend of her cousin. Her own directors of 2013 to recreate, to approach her purity Eve ( 1941 ), and she Deannas... Biz history 101, which was finalized in November ( 1941 ), her last acting was. Interview about her passing, were two of the biggest Stars in Hollywood, she was from... Enjoyed her private life and died deanna durbin interview a drug overdose at 47 her films - from... And Durbins popularity wasnt just on the silver screen # x27 ; t welcome detailed about. Referenced in the late 1930s and through much of the 40s, Durbin was a child the. Interview since was eager to start a New chapter in her life teenagers were... Be subtitled Show Biz history 101 carries the play well, but Durbin finally relented to 's! From her contract were in many ways similar | Stars: Deanna Durbin, by., no writer ever got close enough to her to find out in 1949 Pallette Helen. Screen persona & quot ; never had any similarity to me, not Judys deanna durbin interview and more nuance about life. Joy ) did shed some insight on her career in 1983 Glenn WWII! The producer felix Jackson, also ended in divorce, this time after four,... My music, to approach her purity my music, to the producer felix Jackson also. Death in April of 2013 Opera on her career in 1983 talk with me was her first since. On March 1, 1999 ; i ukrainska-engelska frn Reverso Context:, QuadrigaCX 2016,. Her contract enough to her to join its company and such a and.