Edna Mae Durbin (December 4, 1921 – April 17, 2013),
known professionally as Deanna Durbin, was a Canadian-born actress and singer, who moved to the USA with her family in infancy. She appeared in
musical films in the 1930s and 1940s. With the technical skill and vocal range of a legitimate lyric
soprano
A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...
, she performed many styles from popular standards to operatic arias.
Durbin was a
child actress
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associated ...
who made her first film appearance with
Judy Garland
Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...
in ''
Every Sunday'' (1936), and subsequently signed a contract with
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
. She achieved success as the ideal teenaged daughter in films such as ''
Three Smart Girls
''Three Smart Girls'' is a 1936 American musical comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring Barbara Read, Nan Grey, Deanna Durbin (her feature film debut), and Ray Milland. The film's screenplay was written by Adele Comandini and Austin P ...
'' (1936), ''
One Hundred Men and a Girl
''One Hundred Men and a Girl'' (styled 100 Men and a Girl in advertising) is a 1937 American musical comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring Deanna Durbin and the maestro Leopold Stokowski. Written by Charles Kenyon, Bruce Manning, and ...
'' (1937), and ''
It Started with Eve
''It Started with Eve'' is a 1941 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring Deanna Durbin, Robert Cummings, and Charles Laughton. The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Music Score (Charles Previ ...
'' (1941). Her work was credited with saving the studio from bankruptcy,
and led to Durbin being awarded the
Academy Juvenile Award
The Academy Juvenile Award, also known informally as the Juvenile Oscar, was a Special Honorary Academy Award bestowed at the discretion of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to specifically recogni ...
in 1938.
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
Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...
''
Christmas Holiday
''Christmas Holiday'' is a 1944 American film noir crime film directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Deanna Durbin and Gene Kelly. Based on the 1939 novel of the same name by W. Somerset Maugham, the film is about a woman who marries a South ...
'' (1944) and the
whodunit
A ''whodunit'' or ''whodunnit'' (a colloquial elision of "Who asdone it?") is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction in which the puzzle regarding who committed the crime is the main focus. The reader or viewer is provided with the cl ...
''
Lady on a Train
''Lady on a Train'' is a 1945 American film noir crime film directed by Charles David and starring Deanna Durbin, Ralph Bellamy, and David Bruce.
Based on a story by Leslie Charteris, the film is about a woman who witnesses a murder in a nea ...
'' (1945). These films, produced by frequent collaborator and second husband
Felix Jackson
Felix Jackson (born Felix Joachimson; June 5, 1902 – December 7, 1992) was a German-born American screenwriter and film producer.
Biography
Jackson was born in Hamburg. He was a city editor in Germany at 21, then a dramatic and music critic, ...
, were not as successful; she continued in musical roles until her retirement. Upon her retirement and divorce from Jackson in 1949, Durbin married producer-director
Charles Henri David Charles Henri David (May 4, 1906 – March 1, 1999) was a film director. He worked as an assistant to Zoltan Korda for a number of years. He was head of Pathe in France and worked with Jean Renoir and René Clair. He was with the French army until 1 ...
and moved to a farmhouse near Paris. She withdrew from public life, granting only one interview on her career in 1983.
Early life
Edna Mae Durbin was born on December 4, 1921, at
Grace Hospital in
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
, the younger daughter of James Allen Durbin and his wife Ada (née Read) Durbin, who were originally from
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
, England. She had one older sister, Edith (later Mrs. Heckman, born in England, died in California). When she was an infant, her family moved from Winnipeg to Southern California, and the family became United States citizens in 1923. At the age of one, Edna Mae was singing children's songs. By the time she was 10, her parents recognized that she had definite talent and enrolled her in voice lessons at the Ralph Thomas Academy.
Durbin soon became Thomas's prize pupil, and he showcased her talent at various local clubs and churches.
Career and life
1935–1941: Early career
In early 1935,
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...
was planning a biographical film on the life of opera star
Ernestine Schumann-Heink
Ernestine Schumann-Heink (15 June 186117 November 1936) was a Bohemian-born Austrian-American operatic dramatic contralto of German Bohemian descent. She was noted for the flexibility and wide range of her voice.
Early life
She was born Ernes ...
and was having difficulty finding an actress to play the young opera singer. MGM casting director Rufus LeMaire heard about a talented young soloist performing with the Ralph Thomas Academy and called her in for an audition. Durbin sang "Il Bacio" for the studio's vocal coach, who was stunned by her "mature soprano" voice. She sang the number again for
Louis B. Mayer
Louis Burt Mayer (; born Lazar Meir; July 12, 1882 or 1884 or 1885 – October 29, 1957) was a Canadian-American film producer and co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios (MGM) in 1924. Under Mayer's management, MGM became the film industr ...
, who signed her to a six-month contract.
She made her first film appearance in the short ''
Every Sunday'' (1936) with
Judy Garland
Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...
, another teenage singer-actress whose career would rival Durbin's. 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. Louis B. Mayer decided to sign both, but by then, Durbin's contract option had lapsed.
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
producer
Joe Pasternak
Joseph Herman Pasternak (born József Paszternák; September 19, 1901 – September 13, 1991) was a Hungarian-American film producer in Hollywood. Pasternak spent the Hollywood "Golden Age" of musicals at MGM Studios, producing many successfu ...
wished to borrow Garland from MGM, but she was unavailable. When Pasternak learned that Durbin was no longer with MGM, he instead cast her in the film. At 14 years old, Durbin signed with Universal, giving her the professional name Deanna. Her first feature-length film, ''
Three Smart Girls
''Three Smart Girls'' is a 1936 American musical comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring Barbara Read, Nan Grey, Deanna Durbin (her feature film debut), and Ray Milland. The film's screenplay was written by Adele Comandini and Austin P ...
'' (1936), was a success and established Durbin as a young star. With Pasternak producing for Universal, Durbin starred in a succession of successful musical films, including ''
One Hundred Men and a Girl
''One Hundred Men and a Girl'' (styled 100 Men and a Girl in advertising) is a 1937 American musical comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring Deanna Durbin and the maestro Leopold Stokowski. Written by Charles Kenyon, Bruce Manning, and ...
'' (1937), ''
Mad About Music
''Mad About Music'' is a 1938 American musical film directed by Norman Taurog and starring Deanna Durbin, Herbert Marshall, and Gail Patrick. Based on a story by Marcella Burke and Frederick Kohner, the film is about a girl at an exclusive boardin ...
'' (1938), ''
That Certain Age
''That Certain Age'' is a 1938 American musical film directed by Edward Ludwig and starring Deanna Durbin and Melvyn Douglas. Based on a story by Aleen Leslie (Wetstein) that was adapted by F. Hugh Herbert, the film is about a dashing reporter wh ...
'' (1938), ''
Three Smart Girls Grow Up
''Three Smart Girls Grow Up'' is a 1939 American musical comedy film directed by Henry Koster, written by Felix Jackson and Bruce Manning, and starring Deanna Durbin, Nan Grey, and Helen Parrish. Durbin and Grey reprise their roles from ''Three Sm ...
'' (1939), and ''
First Love
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
'' (1939)—most of which were directed by
Henry Koster
Henry Koster (born Hermann Kosterlitz, May 1, 1905 – September 21, 1988) was a German-born film director. He was the husband of actress Peggy Moran.
Early life
Koster was born to Jewish parents in Berlin, Germany. He was introduced to ci ...
.
Durbin also continued to pursue singing projects. In 1936, she auditioned to provide the vocals for Snow White in Disney's animated film ''
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as T ...
'', but was rejected by
Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
, who said the 15-year-old Durbin's voice was "too old" for the part. That same year, Cesar Sturani, the general music secretary of the
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...
, offered Durbin an audition. She turned down his offer because she felt she needed more singing lessons.
Andrés de Segurola, who was the vocal coach working with Universal Studios—himself a former Metropolitan Opera singer—believed that Durbin was a potential opera star. De Segurola was commissioned to advise the Metropolitan Opera on her progress. Also in 1936, Durbin began a radio collaboration with
Eddie Cantor which lasted until 1938, when her heavy workload for Universal forced her to quit her weekly appearances.
The success of Durbin's films was reported to have saved Universal from bankruptcy.
In 1938, she received an
Academy Juvenile Award
The Academy Juvenile Award, also known informally as the Juvenile Oscar, was a Special Honorary Academy Award bestowed at the discretion of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to specifically recogni ...
with
Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...
. Producer Joe Pasternak said: Durbin continued her success with ''
It's a Date
''It's a Date'' is a 1940 American musical film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Deanna Durbin, Kay Francis, and Walter Pidgeon. Based on a story by Jane Hall, Frederick Kohner, and Ralph Block, the film is about an aspiring actres ...
'' (1940), ''
Spring Parade
''Spring Parade'' is a 1940 American musical comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring Deanna Durbin. It is a remake of the 1934 film.
Plot
Based on a story by Ernst Marischka, the film is about a Hungarian woman who attends a Viennese ...
'' (1940), and ''
Nice Girl?
''Nice Girl?'' is a 1941 American musical film directed by William A. Seiter, and starring Deanna Durbin, Franchot Tone, Walter Brennan, Robert Stack, and Robert Benchley. Based on the play ''Nice Girl?'' by Phyllis Duganne, the film is about a y ...
'' (1941).
1941–1945: Attempts to expand
![Deanna Durbin in Yank Magazine](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Deanna_Durbin_in_Yank_Magazine.jpg)
In 1941, Durbin starred in ''
It Started with Eve
''It Started with Eve'' is a 1941 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring Deanna Durbin, Robert Cummings, and Charles Laughton. The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Music Score (Charles Previ ...
'' (1941), her last film with Pasternak and director Henry Koster. Pasternak moved from Universal to MGM. Universal announced Durbin was to star in ''They Lived Alone'', scheduled to be directed by Koster. 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. Durbin turned down the role, and was suspended by the studio from October 16, 1941, to early February 1942. In late January 1942, Durbin and Universal settled their differences, with the studio conceding to Durbin the approval of her directors, stories, and songs.
Wishing to move into more sophisticated material, ''They Lived Alone'' was retooled into ''
The Amazing Mrs. Holliday'' (1943), the World War II story of refugee children from China. The film was initially conceived without musical numbers, but Durbin finally relented to Universal's demand to include some. Durbin was also able to retool her second sequel to ''Three Smart Girls'' from ''Three Smart Girls Join Up'' to ''
Hers to Hold
''Hers to Hold'' (aka ''Three Smart Girls Join Up'') is a 1943 American romantic musical comedy film and is the third film in the unofficial '' Three Smart Girls'' trilogy. In ''Hers to Hold'', Deanna Durbin reprises her role as Penny Craig, wh ...
'' (1943), revolving solely around her character. Her co-star
Joseph Cotten
Joseph Cheshire Cotten Jr. (May 15, 1905 – February 6, 1994) was an American film, stage, radio and television actor. Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original stage productions of '' The Philadelphia Story'' and ''Sabr ...
would later speak highly of her integrity and character. Durbin also dabbled in other genres, such as the romantic comedy ''
His Butler's Sister'' (1943) and the musical
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
''
Can't Help Singing
''Can't Help Singing'' is a 1944 American musical Western film directed by Frank Ryan and starring Deanna Durbin, Robert Paige, and Akim Tamiroff. Based on a story by John D. Klorer and Leo Townsend, the film is about a senator's daughter who ...
'' (1944), her only
Technicolor
Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades.
Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...
film, which was produced on location in southern Utah and co-starred
Robert Paige
Robert Paige (born John Arthur Paige, December 2, 1911 – December 21, 1987) was an actor and a TV newscaster and political correspondent and Universal Pictures leading man who made 65 films in his lifetime: he was the only actor ever allowed t ...
. The film featured some of the last melodies written by
Jerome Kern
Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over ...
.
Durbin continued her push to establish herself as a more dramatic actress with the film noir ''
Christmas Holiday
''Christmas Holiday'' is a 1944 American film noir crime film directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Deanna Durbin and Gene Kelly. Based on the 1939 novel of the same name by W. Somerset Maugham, the film is about a woman who marries a South ...
'' (1944), directed by
Robert Siodmak
Robert Siodmak (; 8 August 1900 – 10 March 1973) was a German film director who also worked in the United States. He is best remembered as a thriller specialist and for a series of films noirs he made in the 1940s, such as ''The Killers'' (19 ...
and co-starring
Gene Kelly. Siodmark praised Durbin's acting skills, but later recalled she was difficult as "she wanted to play a new part but flinched from looking like a tramp: she always wanted to look like nice wholesome Deanna Durbin pretending to be a tramp."
[Encounter with Siodmak
Taylor, Russell. Sight and Sound; London Vol. 28, Iss. 3, (Summer 1959): 180.] Although the film received mixed reviews, Durbin later called it her "only really good film". The whodunit ''
Lady on a Train
''Lady on a Train'' is a 1945 American film noir crime film directed by Charles David and starring Deanna Durbin, Ralph Bellamy, and David Bruce.
Based on a story by Leslie Charteris, the film is about a woman who witnesses a murder in a nea ...
'' (1945) also received mixed critical reviews. Most of these films had been produced by
Felix Jackson
Felix Jackson (born Felix Joachimson; June 5, 1902 – December 7, 1992) was a German-born American screenwriter and film producer.
Biography
Jackson was born in Hamburg. He was a city editor in Germany at 21, then a dramatic and music critic, ...
, whom she married in August 1945; they welcomed their daughter, Jessica Louise, in February 1946.
1946–1949: Decline and retirement
![For the Love of Mary (1948) 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/For_the_Love_of_Mary_%281948%29_1.jpg)
In 1946, Durbin was the second-highest-paid woman in the United States, just behind
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...
,;
her fan club ranked as the world's largest during her active years.
However, while her adult dramatic roles may have been more satisfying for Durbin, it was clear her fans preferred her in light musical confections.
In 1946, Universal merged with two other companies to create
Universal-International
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
. The new regime discontinued much of Universal's familiar product and scheduled only a few musicals. Jackson left Universal in November 1946; he also left Durbin in January 1947, although their separation was not announced until the following year.
[Singer Deanna Durbin Files Divorce Action: Film Actress Asks Daughter's Custody; Charges Mental Cruelty and Desertion
Hopper, Hedda. Los Angeles Times 27 Sep 1949: A1.][DIVORCE GRANTED TO DEANNA DURBIN: Singing Actress Says Director Husband, Felix Jackson, Left Her and Hollywood
Los Angeles Times 28 Oct 1949: 2.]
Durbin's final four pictures — ''
I'll Be Yours'' (1947), ''
Something in the Wind
''Something in the Wind'' is a 1947 American musical comedy film directed by Irving Pichel and starring Deanna Durbin, Donald O'Connor, and John Dall.
Durbin's third husband Charles David said she "hated" making her last three films and that she ...
'' (1947), ''
Up in Central Park
''Up in Central Park'' is a Broadway musical with a book by Herbert Fields and Dorothy Fields, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and music by Sigmund Romberg. The musical, originally called "Central Park" before Broadway (see image of sheet music), was ...
'' (1948), and ''
For the Love of Mary
''For the Love of Mary'' is a 1948 American romantic comedy film directed by Frederick de Cordova and starring Deanna Durbin, Edmond O'Brien, Don Taylor, and Jeffrey Lynn. Written by Oscar Brodney, the film is about a young woman who takes a jo ...
'' (1948) — all reverted to her previous musical-comedy structure. On August 22, 1948, Universal-International announced a lawsuit which sought to collect wages the studio had paid Durbin in advance.
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. She received a $200,000 ($ in ) severance payment,
1949–2013: Retirement
Unsatisfied by her career options, Durbin chose to retire and move to Paris. When her former producer Joe Pasternak tried to dissuade her, she 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."
In September 1949, Durbin filed for divorce from Jackson, which was finalized in November.
On December 21, 1950, Durbin married French director-producer
Charles Henri David Charles Henri David (May 4, 1906 – March 1, 1999) was a film director. He worked as an assistant to Zoltan Korda for a number of years. He was head of Pathe in France and worked with Jean Renoir and René Clair. He was with the French army until 1 ...
, who had previously directed her in ''Lady on a Train''. Durbin and David raised a son, Peter David (born in June 1951), as well as Durbin's daughter Jessica, on a farm outside of Paris. Durbin turned down several offers for a comeback, including a Broadway role as Eliza Doolittle in ''
My Fair Lady
''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons f ...
''; she later said, "I had my ticket for Paris in my pocket." In 1951, she was invited to play in London's West End production of ''
Kiss Me, Kate
''Kiss Me, Kate'' is a musical written by Bella and Samuel Spewack with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' and the conflict on and off-stag ...
'', and in the
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...
film version of the same in 1953, and
Sigmund Romberg
Sigmund Romberg (July 29, 1887 – November 9, 1951) was a Hungarian-born American composer. He is best known for his musicals and operettas, particularly '' The Student Prince'' (1924), '' The Desert Song'' (1926) and '' The New Moon'' (1928).
E ...
's operetta ''
The Student Prince
''The Student Prince'' is an operetta in four acts with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly. It is based on Wilhelm Meyer-Förster's play '' Old Heidelberg''. The piece has a score with some of Romberg's most enduri ...
'' in 1954.
In 1983, film historian
David Shipman was granted a rare interview by Durbin. 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.
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. 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". 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.
Durbin's husband of almost 50 years, Charles David, died in Paris on March 1, 1999. On April 30, 2013, a newsletter published by the Deanna Durbin Society reported that Durbin had died "in the past few days", quoting her son, Peter H. David, who thanked her admirers for respecting her privacy. No other details were given.
According to the
Social Security Death Index
The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) was a database of death records created from the United States Social Security Administration's Death Master File until 2014. Since 2014, public access to the updated Death Master File has been via the Limit ...
(under the name Edna M. David), she died on April 17, 2013
[Date of death of Edna David per Social Security Death Index](_blank)
search.ancestrylibrary.com; accessed April 11, 2018. in the
19th arrondissement of Paris.
Legacy
Deanna Durbin has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
at 1722 Vine Street. She left her hand and footprints in front of the
Grauman's Chinese Theatre on February 7, 1938. 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 The Manitoba Legislative Building (french: Palais législatif du Manitoba), originally named the Manitoba Parliament Building, is the meeting place of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, located in central Winnipeg, as well as being the twelfth pr ...
).
Frank Tashlin's Warner Bros. cartoon ''
The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos
''The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos'' is a 1937 '' Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Frank Tashlin. The short was released on December 4, 1937.
Plot
The cartoon starts with an owl named "Owl Kott" (satirizing Alexander Woolcott's ''Town Crier' ...
'' (1937) contains a turtle
caricature
A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, a ...
of Deanna Durbin called "Deanna Terrapin". An unnamed caricature of Durbin also appeared in the Warner Brother's cartoon "Malibu Beach Party" (1940).
Durbin figures prominently in the 1963
Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and r ...
short story "The Anthem Sprinters" (collected in ''
The Machineries of Joy
''The Machineries of Joy'' (1964) is a collection of short stories by American writer Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century America ...
''). Durbin's singing is featured in
Alistair MacLean
Alistair Stuart MacLean ( gd, Alasdair MacGill-Eain; 21 April 1922 – 2 February 1987) was a 20th-century Scottish novelist who wrote popular thrillers and adventure stories. Many of his novels have been adapted to film, most notably '' The ...
's 1955 novel ''
HMS Ulysses'', being broadcast over the wartime ship's internal communication system. She was also referenced in
Richard Brautigan's novel ''
Trout Fishing in America
''Trout Fishing in America'' is a novella written by Richard Brautigan and published in 1967. It is technically Brautigan's first novel; he wrote it in 1961 before '' A Confederate General from Big Sur'', which was published first.
Overview
'' ...
'' (1967), when the narrator claims to have seen one of her movies seven times, but cannot recall which one.
In song, Durbin's name found its way into the introduction to a song written by satirical writer
Tom Lehrer
Thomas Andrew Lehrer (; born April 9, 1928) is an American former musician, singer-songwriter, satirist, and mathematician, having lectured on mathematics and musical theater. He is best known for the pithy and humorous songs that he recorded in ...
in 1965. Prior to singing "Whatever Became of Hubert?", Lehrer said that Vice President
Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978) was an American pharmacist and politician who served as the 38th vice president of the United States from 1965 to 1969. He twice served in the United States Senate, representing Mi ...
had been relegated to "those where-are-they-now columns: Whatever became of Deanna Durbin, and Hubert Humphrey, and so on." She is also referenced in the
Glenn Miller
Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Arm ...
WWII novelty song "Peggy the Pin-up Girl". 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". In
Philippe Mora
Philippe Mora (born 1949) is a French Australian film director.
Early life and career
Philippe Mora was born in Paris, France in 1949, and grew up at the centre of the Australian arts scene of the 1950s and began making films with an 8mm camera ...
's film ''
The Return of Captain Invincible
''The Return of Captain Invincible'' is a 1983 Australian superhero musical comedy film directed by Philippe Mora, and starring Alan Arkin and Christopher Lee. It was a box office disappointment on release but has become a cult film since then.
...
'' (1983),
Christopher Lee
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a long career spanning more than 60 years, Lee often portrayed villains, and appeared as Count Dracula in seven Hammer Horror films, ultimat ...
sings a song called "Name Your Poison", written by
Richard O'Brien
Richard Timothy Smith. known professionally as Richard O'Brien, is a British-New Zealand actor, writer, musician, composer, and television presenter. He wrote the musical stage show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' in 1973, which has remained in conti ...
and
Richard Hartley, which has the line, "Think of young Deanna Durbin / And how she sang on rum and bourbon."
Anne Frank
Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank (, ; 12 June 1929 – )Research by The Anne Frank House in 2015 revealed that Frank may have died in February 1945 rather than in March, as Dutch authorities had long assumed"New research sheds new light on Anne Fra ...
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.
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...
was also a fan of Durbin, screening her films "on celebratory wartime occasions". Russian cellist/conductor
Mstislav Rostropovich
Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich, (27 March 192727 April 2007) was a Russian cellist and conductor. He is considered by many to be the greatest cellist of the 20th century. In addition to his interpretations and technique, he was wel ...
cites Durbin in the mid-1980s as one of his most important musical influences, stating: "She helped me in my discovery of myself. You have no idea of the smelly old movie houses I patronized to see Deanna Durbin. I tried to create the very best in my music, to try to recreate, to approach her purity."
Indian-Bengali film director
Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray (; 2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was an Indian director, screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, author, essayist, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligrapher, and music composer. One of the greatest auteurs of fil ...
, 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. (The other two were
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...
and
Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Holl ...
.)
Filmography
Box office ranking
*1938 – 15th (US), 6th (UK)
*1939 – 12th (US), 1st (UK)
*1940 – 12th (US), 2nd (UK)
*1941 – 24th (US), 2nd (UK)
*1942 – 4th (UK)
*1944 – 25th (US), 4th (UK)
Discography
Between December 15, 1936, and July 22, 1947, Deanna Durbin recorded 50 tunes for
Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...
. 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".
* "
Alice Blue Gown "Alice Blue Gown" is a popular song written by Joseph McCarthy (lyricist), Joseph McCarthy and Harry Tierney. The song, which was inspired by Alice Roosevelt Longworth's signature gown, was first performed by Edith Day in the 1919 Broadway musical ' ...
"
* "
Alleluia
Alleluia (derived from the Hebrew ''Hallelujah'', meaning "Praise Yahweh") is a Latin phrase in Christianity used to give praise to God. In Christian worship, Alleluia is used as a liturgical chant in which that word is combined with verses of ...
" (from ''100 Men and a Girl'')
* "
Always
Always may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Always'', a 1985 film directed by Henry Jaglom
* ''Always'' (1989 film), a 1989 romantic comedy-drama directed by Steven Spielberg
* ''Always'' (2011 film), a 2011 South Korean film, also known as '' ...
" (from ''Christmas Holiday'')
* "
Adeste Fideles"
* "
Amapola" (from ''First Love'')
* "
Annie Laurie
"Annie Laurie" is an old Scottish song based on a poem said to have been written by William Douglas (1682?–1748) of Dumfriesshire, about his romance with Annie Laurie (1682–1764). The words were modified and the tune was added by Alicia Sco ...
"
* "Any Moment Now" (from ''Can't Help Singing'')
* "
Ave Maria
The Hail Mary ( la, Ave Maria) is a traditional Christian prayer addressing Mary, the mother of Jesus. The prayer is based on two biblical passages featured in the Gospel of Luke: the Angel Gabriel's visit to Mary (the Annunciation) and Mary's s ...
" (from ''Mad About Music'')
* "
Ave Maria
The Hail Mary ( la, Ave Maria) is a traditional Christian prayer addressing Mary, the mother of Jesus. The prayer is based on two biblical passages featured in the Gospel of Luke: the Angel Gabriel's visit to Mary (the Annunciation) and Mary's s ...
" (from ''
It's a Date
''It's a Date'' is a 1940 American musical film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Deanna Durbin, Kay Francis, and Walter Pidgeon. Based on a story by Jane Hall, Frederick Kohner, and Ralph Block, the film is about an aspiring actres ...
'')
* "Be a Good Scout" (from ''That Certain Age'')
* "
Because" (from ''Three Smart Girls Grow Up'')
* "
Begin the Beguine
"Begin the Beguine" is a popular song written by Cole Porter. Porter composed the song between Kalabahi, Indonesia, and Fiji during a 1935 Pacific cruise aboard Cunard's ocean liner ''Franconia''. In October 1935, it was introduced by June Kni ...
" (from ''Hers to Hold'')
* "Beneath the Lights of Home" (from ''Nice Girl'')
* "
The Blue Danube
"The Blue Danube" is the common English title of "An der schönen blauen Donau", Op. 314 (German for "By the Beautiful Blue Danube"), a waltz by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, composed in 1866. Originally performed on 15 Februa ...
" (from ''Spring Parade'')
* "
Brahms' Lullaby
"" ("Lullaby"; "Cradle Song"), Op. 49, No. 4, is a lied for voice and piano by Johannes Brahms which was first published in 1868. It is one of the composer's most popular pieces.
History
Brahms based the music of his "Wiegenlied" par ...
" (from ''I'll Be Yours'')
* "Brindisi" ("
Libiamo ne' lieti calici
"" (; "Let's drink from the joyful cups") is a famous duet with chorus from Giuseppe Verdi's ''La traviata'' (1853), one of the best-known opera melodies and a popular performance choice (as is this opera itself) for many great tenors and sopranos ...
)" (from ''100 Men and a Girl'')
* "Californ-I-Ay"
* "Can't Help Singing" (from ''Can't Help Singing'')
* "Carmena Waltz"
* "Chapel Bells" (from ''Mad About Music'')
* "
Cielito Lindo
"Cielito Lindo" is a popular Mexican song '' copla'', popularized in 1882 by Mexican author Quirino Mendoza y Cortés (c. 1862–1957). It is roughly translated as "Lovely Sweet One". Although the word ''cielo'' means "sky" or "heaven", it is a ...
" ("Beautiful Heaven)"
* "
Ciribiribin
"Ciribiribin" is a merry Piedmontese ballad, originally in three-quarter time, composed by Alberto Pestalozza in 1898 with lyrics by Carlo Tiochet. It quickly became popular and has been recorded by many artists. Decades later it enjoyed conti ...
"
* "Clavelitos" (from ''It Started with Eve'')
* "
Danny Boy" (from ''Because of Him'')
* "
Embraceable You
"Embraceable You" is a jazz standard song with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. The song was written in 1928 for an unpublished operetta named ''East Is West''. It was published in 1930 and included in that year's Broadway m ...
"
* "Every Sunday" (with Judy Garland)
* "Filles de Cadiz" ("The Maids of Cadiz") (from ''That Certain Age'')
* "Gimme a Little Kiss, Will Ya, Huh?" (from ''Lady on a Train'')
* "
God Bless America
"God Bless America" is an American patriotic song written by Irving Berlin during World War I in 1918 and revised by him in the run up to World War II in 1938. The later version was notably recorded by Kate Smith, becoming her signature s ...
"
* "Goin' Home" (from ''It Started With Eve'')
* "Goodbye" (from ''Because of Him'')
* "
Granada
Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...
" (from ''I'll Be Yours'')
* "A Heart That's Free" (from ''100 Men and a Girl'')
* "
Home! Sweet Home!
"Home, Sweet Home" is a song adapted from American actor and dramatist John Howard Payne's 1823 opera ''Clari, or the Maid of Milan'', the song's melody was composed by Englishman Sir Henry Bishop with lyrics by Payne. Bishop had earlier pub ...
" (from ''First Love'')
* "Il Bacio" ("The Kiss") (from ''Three Smart Girls'')
* "I'll Follow My Sweet Heart"
* "I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen" (from ''For the Love of Mary'')
* "I'll See You In My Dreams"
* "I Love to Whistle" (from ''Mad About Music'')
* "(I'm) Happy Go Lucky and Free" (from ''Something in the Wind'')
* "(I'm) Happy Go Lucky and Free" (from ''Something in the Wind'')
* "In the Spirit of the Moment" (from ''His Butler's Sister'')
* "Italian Street Song"
* "
It's a Big Wide Wonderful World" (from ''For the Love of Mary'')
* "It's Dreamtime" (from ''I'll Be Yours'')
* "It's Foolish But It's Fun" (from ''Spring Parade'')
* "It's Only Love" (from ''Something In The Wind'')
* "It's Raining Sunbeams" (from ''100 Men and a Girl'')
* "Invitation to the Dance" (from ''Three Smart Girls Grow Up'')
* "Je Veux Vivre" (''
Roméo et Juliette'') (from ''That Certain Age'')
* "Kiss Me Again"
* "La Estrellita" ("Little Star)"
* "Largo Al Factotum" (''
The Barber of Seville
''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( it, Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L'inutile precauzione ) is an ''opera buffa'' in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was base ...
'') (from ''For the Love of Mary'')
* "
The Last Rose of Summer
"The Last Rose of Summer" is a poem by the Irish poet Thomas Moore. He wrote it in 1805, while staying at Jenkinstown Castle in County Kilkenny, Ireland, where he was said to have been inspired by a specimen of Rosa 'Old Blush'. The poem is ...
" (from ''Three Smart Girls Grow Up'')
* "
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond (; gd, Loch Laomainn - 'Lake of the Elms'Richens, R. J. (1984) ''Elm'', Cambridge University Press.) is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, often considered the boundary between the lowlands of Ce ...
" (from ''It's a Date'')
* "Love at Last" (from ''Nice Girl'')
* "Love is All" (from ''It's a Date'')
* "Lover" (from ''Because of Him'')
* "
Love's Old Sweet Song
"Love's Old Sweet Song" is a Victorian parlour song published in 1884 by composer James Lynam Molloy and lyricist Graham Clifton Bingham. The first line of the chorus is "Just a song at twilight", and its title is sometimes misidentified as su ...
"
* "
Make Believe
Make believe, also known as pretend play, is a loosely structured form of play that generally includes role-play, object substitution and nonliteral behavior. What separates play from other daily activities is its fun and creative aspect rather t ...
"
* "
Mighty Like a Rose" (from ''The Amazing Mrs. Halliday''")
* "
Molly Malone
"Molly Malone" (also known as "Cockles and Mussels" or "In Dublin's Fair City") is a traditional song set in Dublin, Ireland, which has become its unofficial anthem.
A statue representing Molly Malone was unveiled on Grafton Street by then Lo ...
"
* "More and More" (from ''Can't Help Singing'')
* "More and More/Can't Help Singing" (from ''Can't Help Singing'')
* "
Musetta's Waltz "Quando me'n vo", also known as "Musetta's Waltz", is a soprano aria, a waltz in act two of Puccini's 1896 opera ''La bohème''. It is sung by Musetta, in the presence of her bohemian friends, hoping to reclaim the attention of her occasional boyf ...
" (''
La bohème
''La bohème'' (; ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions ''quadri'', ''tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe G ...
'') (from ''It's a Date'')
* "My Heart is Singing" (from ''Three Smart Girls Grow Up'')
* "My Hero"
* "My Own" (from ''That Certain Age'')
* "
Nessun dorma
"" (; English: "Let no one sleep") is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera ''Turandot'' (text by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni) and one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera. It is sung by Calaf, (the unknown prince), ...
" (''
Turandot
''Turandot'' (; see below) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, posthumously completed by Franco Alfano in 1926, and set to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. ''Turandot'' best-known aria is " Nessun dorma", ...
'') (from ''His Butler's Sister'')
* "
Never in a Million Years/ Make Believe"
* "
Night and Day" (from ''Lady on a Train'')
* "
O Come, All Ye Faithful
"O Come, All Ye Faithful" (originally written in Latin as "") is a Christmas carol that has been attributed to various authors, including John Francis Wade (1711–1786), John Reading (1645–1692), King John IV of Portugal (1604–1656), and a ...
"
* "
Old Folks at Home
"Old Folks at Home" (also known as " Swanee River") is a minstrel song written by Stephen Foster in 1851. Since 1935, it has been the official state song of Florida, although in 2008 the original lyrics were revised. It is Roud Folk Song Ind ...
" (from ''Nice Girl'')
* "The Old Refrain" (from ''The Amazing Mrs. Holiday'')
* "
On Moonlight Bay" (from ''For the Love of Mary'')
* "One Fine Day" (''
Madama Butterfly
''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa.
It is based on the short story "Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Luther ...
'') (from ''First Love'')
* "One Night of Love"
* "Pace, Pace, Mio Dio" (''
La forza del destino'') (from ''Up In Central Park'')
* "Pale Hands I Loved" (''
Kashmiri Song
"Kashmiri Song" or "Pale Hands I Loved" is a 1902 song by Amy Woodforde-Finden based on a poem by Laurence Hope, pseudonym of Violet Nicolson.
The poem first appeared in Hope's first collection of poems, '' The Garden of Kama'' (1901), also kno ...
'') (from ''Hers to Hold'')
* "Perhaps" (from ''Nice Girl'')
* "
Poor Butterfly
"Poor Butterfly" is a popular song. It was inspired by Giacomo Puccini's opera '' Madame Butterfly'' and contains a brief musical quote from the Act two duet ''Tutti i fior'' in the verse.
The music was written by Raymond Hubbell, the lyrics ...
"
* "The Prince"
* "Russian Medley" (from ''His Butler's Sister'')
* "Sari Waltz (Love's Own Sweet Song)" (from ''I'll Be Yours'')
* "Say a Pray'r for the Boys Over There" (from ''Hers to Hold'')
* "Seal It With a Kiss"
* "
Seguidilla
The seguidilla (; ; plural in both English and Spanish ''seguidillas''; diminutive of ''seguida'', which means "sequence" and is the name of a dance). Accessed May 2008. is an old Castilian folksong and dance form in quick triple time for two peo ...
(''
Carmen
''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...
'') (from ''Hers to Hold'')
* "Serenade to the Stars" (from ''Mad About Music'')
* "
Silent Night
"Silent Night" (german: "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht", links=no, italic=no) is a popular Christmas carol, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared an ...
" (from ''Lady on a Train'')
* "Someone to Care for Me" (from ''Three Smart Girls'')
* "Something in the Wind" (from ''Something in the Wind'')
* "Spring in My Heart" (from ''First Love'')
* "Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year" (from ''Christmas Holiday'')
* "
Swanee – Old Folks at Home" (from ''Nice Girl'')
* "
Summertime" (''
Porgy and Bess
''Porgy and Bess'' () is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play '' Porgy'', itse ...
'')
* "Sweetheart"
* "Thank You America" (from ''Nice Girl'')
* "There'll Always Be An England" (from ''Nice Girl'')
* "The Turntable Song" (from ''Something in the Wind'')
* "Two Guitars" (from ''His Butler's Sister'')
* "Two Hearts"
* "
Un bel dì vedremo
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...
" (''
Madama Butterfly
''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa.
It is based on the short story "Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Luther ...
'') (from ''First Love'')
* "Viennese Waltz" (from ''For The Love Of Mary'')
* "
Vissi d'arte
"Vissi d'arte" is a soprano aria from act 2 of the opera '' Tosca'' by Giacomo Puccini. It is sung by Floria Tosca as she thinks of her fate, how the life of her beloved, Mario Cavaradossi, is at the mercy of Baron Scarpia and why God has seeming ...
(''
Tosca
''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1887 French-language drama ...
'') (from ''The Amazing Mrs. Holiday'')
* "Waltzing in the Clouds" (from ''Spring Parade'')
* "When April Sings" (from ''Spring Parade'')
* "When I Sing" (from ''It Started with Eve'')
* "When the Roses Bloom Again"
* "When You're Away" (from ''His Butler's Sister'')
* "You Wanna Keep Your Baby Looking Nice, Don't You" (from ''Something in the Wind'')
* "You're as Pretty as a Picture" (from ''That Certain Age'')
Radio appearances
See also
*
Academy Juvenile Award
The Academy Juvenile Award, also known informally as the Juvenile Oscar, was a Special Honorary Academy Award bestowed at the discretion of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to specifically recogni ...
*
List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees
This is a list of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees in the award categories Acting and Directing.
This list is based on "statistics valid through the nomination announcement for the 2015 (88th Academy Awards), announced on J ...
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Deanna Durbinat the
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
– Includes audio of her singing many of her songs.
The Deanna Durbin Showcase*
*
* – The opening scene of ''Something in the Wind'' – "The Turntable Song"
* w.
Frank Lebby Stanton
Frank Lebby Stanton (February 22, 1857 – January 7, 1927), frequently credited as Frank L. Stanton, Frank Stanton or F. L. Stanton, was an American lyricist.
He was also the initial columnist for the ''Atlanta Constitution'' and became the ...
m.
Ethelbert Nevin
Ethelbert Woodbridge Nevin (November 25, 1862February 17, 1901) was an American pianist and composer.
Early life
Nevin was born on November 25, 1862, at Vineacre, on the banks of the Ohio River, in Edgeworth, Pennsylvania.Mulkearn, Lois, p. 62 ...
(see also "
Mighty Lak' a Rose")
Photographs of Deanna DurbinDeanna Durbin Devotees*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Durbin, Deanna
1921 births
2013 deaths
20th-century Canadian actresses
Academy Juvenile Award winners
Actresses from Winnipeg
Canadian expatriates in France
Canadian film actresses
Canadian people of English descent
Canadian sopranos
Decca Records artists
Illeists
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players
Musicians from Winnipeg
Opera crossover singers
Canadian women pop singers
Canadian expatriate actresses in the United States
20th-century Canadian women singers
Universal Pictures contract players