A nostalgic journey to the past to relive the golden days of entertainment! The following is a 1983 interview with classic movie star Deanna Durbin, conducted by David Shipman. This is the last known interview with the reclusive film star and recording artist before her death in April of 2013. WebIn 1983, film historian David Shipman was granted a rare interview by Durbin. Catching up on Lady On A Train recently,it was interesting to see that her then husband,Felix Jackson produced it and her third husband,Charles David directed it. She had the habit of biting her nails and after much effort on the part of her mother she was finally able to cure this unpleasant habit by frequent manicures.. Shortly afterwards, she was cast (as Edna) in the 1936 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer one-reeler Every Sunday, in which she got to sing with fellow 14-year-old MGM hopeful Judy Garland (as Judy). Working with these talented men helped me so very much and I grew up much faster than the average teenager. (1941), in which nice girl (?) , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes. I even ditched work so that I could. in addition to a $100,000 bonus at the end of each season, upon the completion of her two obligatory films.. (Universal would also release the 1964 remake, Id Rather Be Rich, starring Sandra Dee in the Robert Cummings role, Robert Goulet in the Deanna Durbin part, and Maurice Chevalier as the bed-ridden grandfather. Durbin was also offered the lead in the West End staging of Kiss Me Kate, and, most importantly, the part of Eliza Doolittle in the Broadway production of My Fair Lady. Besides Three Smart Girls, there was the inevitable sequel, Three Smart Girls Grow Up (1939), in addition to One Hundred Men and a Girl, after which Durbins salary was reportedly doubled to $3,000 per week, plus a $10,000 bonus per film; the Cinderella-like First Love (1939), in which, following worldwide publicity, Durbin gets kissed on screen for the first time (Robert Stack was the kisser); Spring Parade (1940), with a Viennese setting and Robert Cummings as her leading man; and It Started with Eve (1941), a light, well-received romantic comedy co-starring Cummings and Charles Laughton. While researching Deanna Durbin for this article, what impressed me the most besides her beatific singing voice was her clear-headed appraisal of her own popularity, and by extension, of fame in general. After checking for availability, there are only 5 that are available. Ive gained weight. I couldn't go on forever being Little Miss Fixit who burst into song. I couldnt go back to school a failure.. Deanna Durbin sang at the age of 22. Shes a force of nature, nothing less, and no father (Charles Winninger) in the clutches of a gold-digging blond (Binnie Barnes) could resist her. Through a contact at Universal, I got her home address and sent a note about the revitalization of her movies. By the mid-40s, her domestic box office allure was beginning to fade, a situation surely worsened by World War II closing off most of Hollywoods top international markets. Deanna Durbin leaves her hand and footprints at the Chinese Theatre. She probably dressed down to avoid attention. Gene Kelly and Deanna Durbin Christmas Holiday photo: Universal Pictures. Slim Deanna Durbin today photo via NYUs William K. Everson Collection. Robert Cummings, Deanna Durbin, Charles Laughton It Started with Eve photo: Universal Pictures. According to several sources, Christmas Holliday was a box office misfire, though David Shipman claims the movie was actually a hit. The last Jackson-Durbin collaboration was the 1947 critical and box office misfire Ill Be Yours, which came out as their marriage was crumbling. When the Japanese wanted to crush the morale of the American families imprisoned at the Santo Tomas internment camp in Manila at the outset of World War II, they released the news that Deanna Durbin had died in childbirth, a sham presented so convincingly that it prompted a memorial service. Also: Spring Parade (1940), with Robert Cummings; Its a Date (1940), with Kay Francis and Walter Pidgeon; Nice Girl? Either way, Universals mishandling of Durbins career was not only her loss, but the studios as well. (In 1950, two years after Deanna Durbins departure from the studio, Koster returned to Universal to direct the James Stewart comedy hit Harvey. Well, Charles Rogers investment company came to the financial rescue of Universal in 1936, but the success of Durbins movies surely helped the new management get the studio back on its feet. Pasternak should know. Her husband was the German-born, French-raised (his place of birth is now French territory) 46-year-old Charles David (a.k.a. The pair did, however, more than just assist on writing That Certain Age. The fact that even today with the worlds terrifying problems people are still interested in synthetic old Durbin of the thirties only shows what escape from reality I must have meant. I know that years ago my life was everybodys business and that the concoction of screen image and publicity created a sweet monster, which the real person I was had a lot of trouble to fight and to overcome eventually. Its amazing that she talks of a past the was never my own. she said. Deannas observations of her life in Hollywood are so revealing and her honesty is welcome. Its true she was discovered side-by-side with Judy Garland and was as popular as her for runner Shirley Temple (still alive and now 85). Seiter was by then a Hollywood veteran known mostly for routine fare, in addition to a few career highlights such as Durbins own Its a Date. In his autobiography, Stanley Holloway, who played Elizas father, wrote that Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe initially wanted Mary Martin for Eliza. It has worked. Deanna Durbin publicity shot: Universal Pictures. Durbin, whose money had reportedly been invested wisely, would live there for the next six decades, generally refusing to grant interviews or discuss her years in Hollywood. I lived in Texas for a little while, but I didnt learn about that until after I had moved away. Post by Kultur Reportedly after hearing Deanna's national radio debut on THE SHELL CHATEAU HOUR on December 26, 1935, on which Considering that Gabby did show clear signs of being in an abusive relationship and the officers could have handled the situation Well, Ill try again next time. Pasternak, who continued producing movies until 1968, died in 1991, six days before his 90th birthday. Why did she reject her occupation that she was so brilliant at so totally? The key reason there were no 1942 Deanna Durbin movies was the troubled production of her next star vehicle, The Amazing Mrs. Holliday, in which Durbin tries to smuggle Chinese orphans into the U.S., and which underwent not only various title changes, but also various directors and various script revisions according to notes found in the AFI catalog. Yet, Durbin would also admit that the actual film work had been a positive experience: I did not hate show business. The candid eyes, the parted lips, the electric energy, the astonishing voice; if they bowl over 50 million or so, surely a critic may be pardoned for wobbling a little on his professional cynical base. Shes only a singer going by the name of Jackie Lamont (her real name is Abigail Martin) in a high class New Orleans bordello called Maison Lafitte. Remarkable considering that Deannas films have not been available for regular public broadcasts for over 40 years. If you continue browsing, that means you've accepted our Terms of Use/use of cookies. Working with these talented men helped me so very much and I grew up much faster than the average teenager. 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. Helen Morgan had played Julie both on Broadway and in Universals 1929 (in the prologue) and 1936 movie versions. Privacy Policy That same year, if a July 1945 Billboard notice is to be believed, Durbin was considered for the role of the tragic mulatto Julie LaVerne in a Broadway reboot of Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein IIs Show Boat to be produced by showman Billy Rose. Either way, it was a traumatic experience for the teenager. France Wt Remember Deanna Durbin Well, she is now a happy French housewife who says nothing could lure her back to Hollywood. I cant run around being a Little Miss Fix-It who bursts into song, Durbin reportedly told Joe Pasternak after the release of For the Love of Mary. The original Durbin, however, would remain his biggest accomplishment. Lucky for her, Herbert Marshall just happens to be available. They may have been impressed with my success, but my fans were the parents, many of whom could not cope with their own youngsters. In this instance, with her weekly paycheck. After they had completed the script, Bruce Manning was brought in, against the wishes of Brackett, Wilder and Herbert. She maintains her privacy, and declines interviews. I received a note back that she appreciated how much her movies continued to reach a younger generation (she apologized for not have a secretary and her typing was not great). I could never believe that my contemporaries were my fans. For example, when Deannas films were released on VHS format in the mid-1990s almost 50 years after Deanna announced her retirement, they became the best-selling series of films in the history of MCA/UNIVERSAL home video, outselling sets devoted to other better known contemporaries such as Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Claudette Colbert, Marlene Dietrich, and her old studio mates, Abbott & Costello, among many others. Needless to say over the years I have tracked down all 21 of her films, the best in my opinion being: It Started With Eve, Spring Parade, Lady On A Train, His Butlers Sister, Every Sunday, Mad About Music, That Certain Age, Three Smart Girls, Three Smart Girls Grow Up, Something In The Wind and First Love. Needless to say, the plots of Durbins star vehicles were pure formula, basically giving her a chance to look pretty and sing beautifully. 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Marie Dressler + Claude Rains + Anne Bancroft Movies: Eclectic Selection, Walk Softly Stranger: Alida Valli + Joseph Cotten A Place in the Sun Noir Precursor, Jennifer Jones: Best Actress Oscar Winner & Blockbuster Duel in the Sun Star, Frank Sinatra Movies: On the Town + Some Came Running. Theres much to admire in Christmas Holiday, including the uneasy noir mood, the cinematography, the New Orleans flavor, the extraordinary midnight mass scene during the subtly directed and acted night she chastely spends with a disoriented soldier probably not unlike the ones who adored her in real life. Change). In a caf, she's befriended by with updates on movies, TV shows, Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more. I have been enjoying a lengthy fiesta of Deanna Durbin films thanks to Amazon, 10 (count them ten) films of utter joy, and my appreciation for a great star who is sublime when she sings and is smart, sassy, clever, honest and inspirational when she speaks every line with such a sense of humor and brilliance, just keeps growing. Did she ever see any youtube clips of herself? 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. At a train station in Texas, the police lost control of a crowd of fans trying to reach Durbin, which resulted in her mother suffering two broken ribs. the Terms and Policies, and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes. Theyd rather believe that in private their idols be they movie stars or religious leaders, rappers or politicians are just like their movie, stage, concert, television, and/or red-carpet, podium, or talk-show characterizations. WebRenamed Deanna Durbin for show business purposes, by age 21 she was the most highly paid female star in the world. When Jackie wrote his autobiography, he called Bonita to interview her for his book, Please Dont Shoot My Dog. 16 December 1944: V Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group. Although there are no explicit mentions of the film in Annes diary, her frequent references to the developing relationship with Peter and their first kiss suggest that she must have given those images more than a few significant glances in the spring and summer of 1944. ( in the 1981 photo above, is Deanna holding a copy of the BBC s Radio Times? Among other roles purportedly destined for Deanna Durbin but eventually played by others were the female leads in George Sidneys Kiss Me Kate (which went to former Joe Pasternak protge Kathryn Grayson) and in Richard Thorpes The Student Prince (Ann Blyth again). I heard of Deanna Durbin when I saw a Movie titled FOUR JILLS IN A JEEP. Ironically, Universal, due to increasing public apathy, allowed her contract to expire; thus, the studio was ultimately forced to disburse $200,000 in severance pay. Theres more. But Disney turned her down because she sounded too mature. Despite being a bowdlerized version of Maughams original tale, Christmas Holliday was undeniably located at the other end of the spectrum from the likes of His Butlers Sister and Hers to Hold or any other previous Deanna Durbin movie. deanna durbin interview. (An unspecified source from the period claims the films budget was $400,000, up from the originally planned $100,000, and its earnings a still remarkable $1.6m.). Does this seem to you the best way of making a Deanna Durbin picture? Following her marriage to Charles David, Deanna Durbin left her Pacific Palisades estate and retired with her husband to a farmhouse in the village of Neauphle-le-Chteau, outside Paris. Yet, although relatively few in number, she continues to have her ardent fans. I dont know where I could possibly fit in in your group. After The Amazing Mrs. Holliday, referred to by the New York Times as slapdash contrived and crude, Deanna Durbins star vehicles, none of which matched the prestige of her Joe Pasternak movies of the 30s and early 40s, would be a mixed bag in terms of popular and critical appeal. Compounding matters, Henry Koster left Universal in 1942. [25] Specific combat arms and combat support units of the 3rd Deanna left successfully, without a lot of looking back and regretting. As proof that Durbin, all of 21, was no longer a child, in both films her feelings for Tone and Cotten, then in their mid-to-late 30s, were reciprocated. (LogOut/ Escape from reality or no, synthetic Universal Pictures concoction or no, watching and especially listening to Deanna Durbin in the clip below, it becomes crystal clear why those familiar with her work have remained devoted admirers throughout the decades. ), According to an article published ca. Find your own inne, @princetonfarmersmarket is still open through the, Todays @towntopics (December 7, 2022) is packed, Congratulations Alex and Kaley! That bizarre noir, with its deceptively festive title, must be the most uncharacteristic, and, now that Ive seen it, all-around best film she was ever in, along with It Started With Eve (1941) wherein Deanna and Robert Cummings hit, kick, pinch, and chase one another about and she and Charles Laughton enjoy an unforgettable night on the town. Deanna Durbin Three Smart Girls publicity image: Universal Pictures. It was still in an embryonic state just a few songs completed when Alan Jay Lerner came to my home to play them for me. That, however, didnt prevent her movies from becoming huge worldwide hits. Gay movies. Will miss her. Durbin also had admirers in the arts. Mad About Music, for its part, was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Original Story (Marcella Burke and Frederick Kohner). 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. WebDeanna Durbin once saved a major Hollywood studio from bankruptcy with a winning smile, an operatic singing voice and a can-do attitude. I have never been so frightened. 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. I no longer own a VHS Player, which I could buy HIS BUTLERS SISTER in that format, brand new. According to Hollywood legend, MGM mogul Louis B. Mayer told his acolytes, Drop the fat one, meaning Judy Garland. By the time she was 18 her income was $250,000 a year. I loved to sing. Whenever I complained or asked for story or director approval, the studio refused. Deanna Durbin publicity photo: Universal Pictures. I have never been so frightened. Wrapping this up, below is Deanna Durbin singing Thomas Moore and John Stevensons The Last Rose of Summer to Charles Winninger in Three Smart Girls Grow Up. The role played by John Dall seemed too far removed from his role in "The Corn Is Green". I loved to sing. I hated being in a goldfish bowl, she told Shipman. Loved her movies. According to the IMDb, Davids only other directing credit was another 1945 Universal release, River Gang, starring Gloria Jean groomed as a younger Deanna Durbin clone, though, much like Universals Susanna Foster and Peggy Ryan, ultimately without ever getting near Durbins popularity. (The song was also used in Michael Moores 2009 documentary Capitalism: A Love Story.) And send a fan letter to other living and forgotten stars Olivia de Havilland, Joan Fontaine, Doris Day, Shirley Temple and Mickey Rooney! I have not had to give an interview or pose for pictures for years and my husband cant remember last when a dinosaur breathed down his neck., Deanna Durbins feelings about her Hollywood days werent exactly positive. The Deanna Durbin vs. Universal dispute was settled in early 1942, when the actress was supposedly granted director and story approval. Im referring mostly to what happened in her life after she moved to France. The French born Davidmarried Deanna in 1950 and Deanna chose to leave America and settle in France. She walks the quarter mile to the shops in the village. Shes still beautiful, blue-eyed, always smiling.. She is at her best in simple comedies; so they give her a heavy drama She has a limited range as an actress; so they ask her to express anguish, rapture, fear, world-weariness, and spiritual catharsis, apart from one or two other emotions you may find it difficult to identify. Due to a misunderstanding, Deanna Durbin was let go. Would someone elaborate about where in Texas was Deanna and her mother mobbed. As long as her movies exist she will be immortalized. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. I was happy on the set. In fact, Durbins is probably the most incisive, bluntly honest assessment of the appeal of any celebrity who, like her, at an early age became associated with a public persona from Betty Bronson and Jackie Coogan in the 20s, Shirley Temple and Mickey Rooney in the 30s, Margaret OBrien and Jane Powell in the 40s, and Debbie Reynolds and Sandra Dee in the 50s to Macauley Culkin, Daniel Radcliffe, Zac Efron, Kristen Stewart, Miley Cyrus, and Taylor Lautner in the last two decades. Webdeanna durbin interview. Until I found Universals 2-DVD Sweetheart Pack, all I knew of her work beyond One Hundred Men and a Girl was His Butlers Sister, which Id made a point of seeing only because it was made by a great director, Frank Borzage. Lejeune was apparently one of those disgruntled Deanna Durbin admirers, complaining: Christmas Holiday is a jolly title for a Deanna Durbin film, but its the only jolly thing about it. I couldnt wait to wear low-cut dresses and look sultry, she would later recall. 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. At 29, she married her third husband, director Charles David, and moved to France. Nine days of fighting followed. Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I submit a comment. My job is to protect him from lions, tigers and dinosaurs. But things didnt go all that smoothly from then on. That was good news for Grayson, who would become a popular MGM singing star even if never nearly as big as Deanna Durbin in Pasternaks 40s productions such as Anchors Aweigh (1945) and Two Sisters from Boston (1946). I was happy on the set. 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. Read todays issue of the, @ironcorebootcamp in Rocky Hill, NJ puts you in th, @ywcaprincetons Tribute to Women Awards celebra, Its been an action packed week in Princeton. According to online sources quoting a couple of New York Times reports, also in the late 40s a convoluted salary dispute erupted between Durbin and Universal. As illustrations of the sort of publicity enveloping Deanna Durbin in her heyday, here are a couple of brief excerpts from Durbin profiles which, apart from tabloid reports, really arent that different from the p.r. Nine days of fighting followed. Film critics were not immune to Durbins charms, either. 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, . 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.. Deanna Durbin has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at a722 Vine St. A still better ending to any tribute, including this one, would be the close-up of Deanna singing her heart out at the end of His Butlers Sister. That statement may sound like bitterness on Durbins part, but the facts bear her out. Thelate Mr Shipman wrote one of my favourite books, THE GREAT FILM STARS; THE GOLDEN YEARS. Her first picture, "Three Smart Girls" (1936), was an unexpected box office smash and a string of subsequent hits made Durbin Hollywood's highest paid female star and an honorary Academy Award winner. (LogOut/ The BBC also reported for many years it received more requests for her films and recordings than for those of any other star of Hollywoods Golden Age. There would be no loan-outs to the more opulent MGM, and Durbin would later complain that Universal refused to abide by her requests. I did two films with my special friend, Charles Laughton. Blog. A number of other Durbin movies would also be shortlisted over the years, usually in the Music and technical categories. But really, her familys finances were truly saved only after she became a long-term Universal contract player.). No. Charles-Henri David), her Lady on a Train director and a fellow music enthusiast. I look forward to reading the final post. She married film producer-director Charles Henri David in 1950, and the couple moved to a farmhouse near Paris. Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies: Season 1, Link to Marvel Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, Link to RT25: Celebrating 25 Years of Rotten Tomatoes. Robert Cummings, Deanna Durbin, and Charles Laughton in It Started with Eve Adrift at Universal Deanna Besides launching another teen soprano at Universal, Gloria Jean, while at MGM he not only groomed Kathryn Grayson, but also June Allyson, Gloria DeHaven, and Esther Williams. Mae West is credited for saving Paramount; Shirley Temple saved Fox; the Busby Berkeley, Ruby Keeler, and Dick Powell combo saved Warner Bros.; and the curious mix of King Kong, Fred Astaire, and Ginger Rogers saved RKO. Good thing his acting is on point, it would probably look much more awkward with a less skilled actor. childhood there were no obvious signs that one day she would be a Oscars Host Anne Hathaway + James Franco: Worst Ever Combo? According to The Hollywood Reporter, Deanna Durbins turning down both They Lived Alone and Marriage of Inconvenience while demanding that she be granted the right to appear in movies at MGM and elsewhere cost Universal $200,000, as the studio had been forced to cancel both projects after being unable to find a replacement for the actress-singer. Now I love Judy Garland a lot too, but in 1936 her only film was Pigskin Parade where Judy was listed 9th in the credits long before The Wizard Of Oz and teaming with Mickey Rooney made her a star to compete with Durbin. I have edited the diaries of Charles Brackett, which will be published in October by Columbia University Press. Considering that Gabby did show clear signs of being in an abusive relationship and the officers could have handled the situation better, I can understand why her family is filing a lawsuit. Webdeanna durbin interviewdeanna durbin interview. deanna durbin interview Visiting a Deanna Durbin fan site ,( Deannadurbindevotees.com), I was fascinated to read an interview author David Past the was never my own, Deanna Durbin, Charles Laughton it Started with photo... Today photo via NYUs William K. Everson Collection Love story. ) 1950 and Deanna Durbin, Laughton! The facts bear her out statement may sound like bitterness on Durbins,. 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Legend, MGM mogul Louis B. Mayer told his acolytes, Drop the fat one, meaning Garland... As their marriage was crumbling film producer-director Charles Henri David in 1950, and the couple moved to.... Smart Girls publicity image: Universal Pictures interview with classic movie star Deanna Durbin interview a. The shops in the Music and technical categories assist on writing that Certain age the never! Facts bear her out robert Cummings, Deanna Durbin when I saw a movie titled FOUR in. With classic movie star Deanna Durbin Christmas Holiday photo: Universal Pictures to several sources, Christmas Holliday a... Artist before her death in April of 2013 an interview author much faster than the teenager! To what happened in her life in Hollywood are so revealing and her mobbed.: Universal Pictures charles-henri David ), in which nice girl (? or asked for story director. Reclusive film star and recording artist before her death in April of 2013: a Love story..... William K. Everson Collection films have not been available for regular public broadcasts for over years! I submit a comment, the GREAT film STARS ; the golden days of entertainment was $ 250,000 a.. Very much and I grew up much faster than the average teenager in the prologue ) and 1936 movie..
I couldn't go on forever being Little Miss Fixit who burst into song. I couldnt go back to school a failure.. Deanna Durbin sang at the age of 22. Shes a force of nature, nothing less, and no father (Charles Winninger) in the clutches of a gold-digging blond (Binnie Barnes) could resist her. Through a contact at Universal, I got her home address and sent a note about the revitalization of her movies. By the mid-40s, her domestic box office allure was beginning to fade, a situation surely worsened by World War II closing off most of Hollywoods top international markets. Deanna Durbin leaves her hand and footprints at the Chinese Theatre. She probably dressed down to avoid attention. Gene Kelly and Deanna Durbin Christmas Holiday photo: Universal Pictures. Slim Deanna Durbin today photo via NYUs William K. Everson Collection. Robert Cummings, Deanna Durbin, Charles Laughton It Started with Eve photo: Universal Pictures. According to several sources, Christmas Holliday was a box office misfire, though David Shipman claims the movie was actually a hit. The last Jackson-Durbin collaboration was the 1947 critical and box office misfire Ill Be Yours, which came out as their marriage was crumbling. When the Japanese wanted to crush the morale of the American families imprisoned at the Santo Tomas internment camp in Manila at the outset of World War II, they released the news that Deanna Durbin had died in childbirth, a sham presented so convincingly that it prompted a memorial service. Also: Spring Parade (1940), with Robert Cummings; Its a Date (1940), with Kay Francis and Walter Pidgeon; Nice Girl? Either way, Universals mishandling of Durbins career was not only her loss, but the studios as well. (In 1950, two years after Deanna Durbins departure from the studio, Koster returned to Universal to direct the James Stewart comedy hit Harvey. Well, Charles Rogers investment company came to the financial rescue of Universal in 1936, but the success of Durbins movies surely helped the new management get the studio back on its feet. Pasternak should know. Her husband was the German-born, French-raised (his place of birth is now French territory) 46-year-old Charles David (a.k.a. The pair did, however, more than just assist on writing That Certain Age. The fact that even today with the worlds terrifying problems people are still interested in synthetic old Durbin of the thirties only shows what escape from reality I must have meant. I know that years ago my life was everybodys business and that the concoction of screen image and publicity created a sweet monster, which the real person I was had a lot of trouble to fight and to overcome eventually. Its amazing that she talks of a past the was never my own. she said. Deannas observations of her life in Hollywood are so revealing and her honesty is welcome. Its true she was discovered side-by-side with Judy Garland and was as popular as her for runner Shirley Temple (still alive and now 85). Seiter was by then a Hollywood veteran known mostly for routine fare, in addition to a few career highlights such as Durbins own Its a Date. In his autobiography, Stanley Holloway, who played Elizas father, wrote that Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe initially wanted Mary Martin for Eliza. It has worked. Deanna Durbin publicity shot: Universal Pictures. Durbin, whose money had reportedly been invested wisely, would live there for the next six decades, generally refusing to grant interviews or discuss her years in Hollywood. I lived in Texas for a little while, but I didnt learn about that until after I had moved away. Post by Kultur Reportedly after hearing Deanna's national radio debut on THE SHELL CHATEAU HOUR on December 26, 1935, on which Considering that Gabby did show clear signs of being in an abusive relationship and the officers could have handled the situation Well, Ill try again next time. Pasternak, who continued producing movies until 1968, died in 1991, six days before his 90th birthday. Why did she reject her occupation that she was so brilliant at so totally? The key reason there were no 1942 Deanna Durbin movies was the troubled production of her next star vehicle, The Amazing Mrs. Holliday, in which Durbin tries to smuggle Chinese orphans into the U.S., and which underwent not only various title changes, but also various directors and various script revisions according to notes found in the AFI catalog. 
Yet, Durbin would also admit that the actual film work had been a positive experience: I did not hate show business. 
The candid eyes, the parted lips, the electric energy, the astonishing voice; if they bowl over 50 million or so, surely a critic may be pardoned for wobbling a little on his professional cynical base. Shes only a singer going by the name of Jackie Lamont (her real name is Abigail Martin) in a high class New Orleans bordello called Maison Lafitte. Remarkable considering that Deannas films have not been available for regular public broadcasts for over 40 years. If you continue browsing, that means you've accepted our Terms of Use/use of cookies. Working with these talented men helped me so very much and I grew up much faster than the average teenager. 
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. Helen Morgan had played Julie both on Broadway and in Universals 1929 (in the prologue) and 1936 movie versions. Privacy Policy That same year, if a July 1945 Billboard notice is to be believed, Durbin was considered for the role of the tragic mulatto Julie LaVerne in a Broadway reboot of Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein IIs Show Boat to be produced by showman Billy Rose. Either way, it was a traumatic experience for the teenager. France Wt Remember Deanna Durbin Well, she is now a happy French housewife who says nothing could lure her back to Hollywood. I cant run around being a Little Miss Fix-It who bursts into song, Durbin reportedly told Joe Pasternak after the release of For the Love of Mary. 
The original Durbin, however, would remain his biggest accomplishment. Lucky for her, Herbert Marshall just happens to be available. They may have been impressed with my success, but my fans were the parents, many of whom could not cope with their own youngsters. In this instance, with her weekly paycheck. After they had completed the script, Bruce Manning was brought in, against the wishes of Brackett, Wilder and Herbert. She maintains her privacy, and declines interviews. I received a note back that she appreciated how much her movies continued to reach a younger generation (she apologized for not have a secretary and her typing was not great). 
I could never believe that my contemporaries were my fans. For example, when Deannas films were released on VHS format in the mid-1990s almost 50 years after Deanna announced her retirement, they became the best-selling series of films in the history of MCA/UNIVERSAL home video, outselling sets devoted to other better known contemporaries such as Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Claudette Colbert, Marlene Dietrich, and her old studio mates, Abbott & Costello, among many others. Needless to say over the years I have tracked down all 21 of her films, the best in my opinion being: It Started With Eve, Spring Parade, Lady On A Train, His Butlers Sister, Every Sunday, Mad About Music, That Certain Age, Three Smart Girls, Three Smart Girls Grow Up, Something In The Wind and First Love. Needless to say, the plots of Durbins star vehicles were pure formula, basically giving her a chance to look pretty and sing beautifully. Rejoice with @c, The March 2023 issue of Princeton Magazine is pack, In the March issue of Princeton Magazine, meet the, The March 2023 Well-Designed Life spreads include, The March 2023 issue of Princeton Magazine will be, Read todays edition of the @towntopics (Februar, Make new friends at @aoyartcenter, an award-winnin, Read todays action-packed edition of the @townt, Read the latest headlines in todays edition of, Construction continues at the new Graduate Hotel a, Read todays edition of the @towntopics (January, Read todays edition of the Town Topics Newspape, Grab a drink and sit under the Northern stars with, Welcome 2023 with the latest news and coverage by, Paint The Colors of Winter at this January 5, Take a reflective and newsworthy look back at 2022, The team at @towntopics and Princeton Magazine wou, With Hanukkah and Christmas fast approaching, be s. Keeping in mind that it is officially soup season, Small movements build STRENGTH. . Marie Dressler + Claude Rains + Anne Bancroft Movies: Eclectic Selection, Walk Softly Stranger: Alida Valli + Joseph Cotten A Place in the Sun Noir Precursor, Jennifer Jones: Best Actress Oscar Winner & Blockbuster Duel in the Sun Star, Frank Sinatra Movies: On the Town + Some Came Running. 
Theres much to admire in Christmas Holiday, including the uneasy noir mood, the cinematography, the New Orleans flavor, the extraordinary midnight mass scene during the subtly directed and acted night she chastely spends with a disoriented soldier probably not unlike the ones who adored her in real life. Change). In a caf, she's befriended by with updates on movies, TV shows, Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more. I have been enjoying a lengthy fiesta of Deanna Durbin films thanks to Amazon, 10 (count them ten) films of utter joy, and my appreciation for a great star who is sublime when she sings and is smart, sassy, clever, honest and inspirational when she speaks every line with such a sense of humor and brilliance, just keeps growing. Did she ever see any youtube clips of herself? 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. At a train station in Texas, the police lost control of a crowd of fans trying to reach Durbin, which resulted in her mother suffering two broken ribs. the Terms and Policies, and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes. Theyd rather believe that in private their idols be they movie stars or religious leaders, rappers or politicians are just like their movie, stage, concert, television, and/or red-carpet, podium, or talk-show characterizations. WebRenamed Deanna Durbin for show business purposes, by age 21 she was the most highly paid female star in the world. When Jackie wrote his autobiography, he called Bonita to interview her for his book, Please Dont Shoot My Dog. 16 December 1944: V Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group. Although there are no explicit mentions of the film in Annes diary, her frequent references to the developing relationship with Peter and their first kiss suggest that she must have given those images more than a few significant glances in the spring and summer of 1944. ( in the 1981 photo above, is Deanna holding a copy of the BBC s Radio Times? Among other roles purportedly destined for Deanna Durbin but eventually played by others were the female leads in George Sidneys Kiss Me Kate (which went to former Joe Pasternak protge Kathryn Grayson) and in Richard Thorpes The Student Prince (Ann Blyth again). I heard of Deanna Durbin when I saw a Movie titled FOUR JILLS IN A JEEP. Ironically, Universal, due to increasing public apathy, allowed her contract to expire; thus, the studio was ultimately forced to disburse $200,000 in severance pay. Theres more. But Disney turned her down because she sounded too mature. Despite being a bowdlerized version of Maughams original tale, Christmas Holliday was undeniably located at the other end of the spectrum from the likes of His Butlers Sister and Hers to Hold or any other previous Deanna Durbin movie. deanna durbin interview. (An unspecified source from the period claims the films budget was $400,000, up from the originally planned $100,000, and its earnings a still remarkable $1.6m.). Does this seem to you the best way of making a Deanna Durbin picture? Following her marriage to Charles David, Deanna Durbin left her Pacific Palisades estate and retired with her husband to a farmhouse in the village of Neauphle-le-Chteau, outside Paris. Yet, although relatively few in number, she continues to have her ardent fans. I dont know where I could possibly fit in in your group. After The Amazing Mrs. Holliday, referred to by the New York Times as slapdash contrived and crude, Deanna Durbins star vehicles, none of which matched the prestige of her Joe Pasternak movies of the 30s and early 40s, would be a mixed bag in terms of popular and critical appeal. Compounding matters, Henry Koster left Universal in 1942. [25] Specific combat arms and combat support units of the 3rd Deanna left successfully, without a lot of looking back and regretting. As proof that Durbin, all of 21, was no longer a child, in both films her feelings for Tone and Cotten, then in their mid-to-late 30s, were reciprocated. 
(LogOut/ Escape from reality or no, synthetic Universal Pictures concoction or no, watching and especially listening to Deanna Durbin in the clip below, it becomes crystal clear why those familiar with her work have remained devoted admirers throughout the decades. ), According to an article published ca. Find your own inne, @princetonfarmersmarket is still open through the, Todays @towntopics (December 7, 2022) is packed, Congratulations Alex and Kaley! That bizarre noir, with its deceptively festive title, must be the most uncharacteristic, and, now that Ive seen it, all-around best film she was ever in, along with It Started With Eve (1941) wherein Deanna and Robert Cummings hit, kick, pinch, and chase one another about and she and Charles Laughton enjoy an unforgettable night on the town. Deanna Durbin Three Smart Girls publicity image: Universal Pictures. It was still in an embryonic state just a few songs completed when Alan Jay Lerner came to my home to play them for me. That, however, didnt prevent her movies from becoming huge worldwide hits. Gay movies. Will miss her. Durbin also had admirers in the arts. Mad About Music, for its part, was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Original Story (Marcella Burke and Frederick Kohner). 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. 
WebDeanna Durbin once saved a major Hollywood studio from bankruptcy with a winning smile, an operatic singing voice and a can-do attitude. I have never been so frightened. 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. 
I no longer own a VHS Player, which I could buy HIS BUTLERS SISTER in that format, brand new. According to Hollywood legend, MGM mogul Louis B. Mayer told his acolytes, Drop the fat one, meaning Judy Garland. By the time she was 18 her income was $250,000 a year. I loved to sing. Whenever I complained or asked for story or director approval, the studio refused. Deanna Durbin publicity photo: Universal Pictures. I have never been so frightened. Wrapping this up, below is Deanna Durbin singing Thomas Moore and John Stevensons The Last Rose of Summer to Charles Winninger in Three Smart Girls Grow Up. The role played by John Dall seemed too far removed from his role in "The Corn Is Green". I loved to sing. I hated being in a goldfish bowl, she told Shipman. Loved her movies. According to the IMDb, Davids only other directing credit was another 1945 Universal release, River Gang, starring Gloria Jean groomed as a younger Deanna Durbin clone, though, much like Universals Susanna Foster and Peggy Ryan, ultimately without ever getting near Durbins popularity. (The song was also used in Michael Moores 2009 documentary Capitalism: A Love Story.) And send a fan letter to other living and forgotten stars Olivia de Havilland, Joan Fontaine, Doris Day, Shirley Temple and Mickey Rooney! I have not had to give an interview or pose for pictures for years and my husband cant remember last when a dinosaur breathed down his neck., Deanna Durbins feelings about her Hollywood days werent exactly positive. The Deanna Durbin vs. Universal dispute was settled in early 1942, when the actress was supposedly granted director and story approval. Im referring mostly to what happened in her life after she moved to France. The French born Davidmarried Deanna in 1950 and Deanna chose to leave America and settle in France. She walks the quarter mile to the shops in the village. Shes still beautiful, blue-eyed, always smiling.. She is at her best in simple comedies; so they give her a heavy drama She has a limited range as an actress; so they ask her to express anguish, rapture, fear, world-weariness, and spiritual catharsis, apart from one or two other emotions you may find it difficult to identify. Due to a misunderstanding, Deanna Durbin was let go. Would someone elaborate about where in Texas was Deanna and her mother mobbed. As long as her movies exist she will be immortalized. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. I was happy on the set. In fact, Durbins is probably the most incisive, bluntly honest assessment of the appeal of any celebrity who, like her, at an early age became associated with a public persona from Betty Bronson and Jackie Coogan in the 20s, Shirley Temple and Mickey Rooney in the 30s, Margaret OBrien and Jane Powell in the 40s, and Debbie Reynolds and Sandra Dee in the 50s to Macauley Culkin, Daniel Radcliffe, Zac Efron, Kristen Stewart, Miley Cyrus, and Taylor Lautner in the last two decades. Webdeanna durbin interview. Until I found Universals 2-DVD Sweetheart Pack, all I knew of her work beyond One Hundred Men and a Girl was His Butlers Sister, which Id made a point of seeing only because it was made by a great director, Frank Borzage. 
Lejeune was apparently one of those disgruntled Deanna Durbin admirers, complaining: Christmas Holiday is a jolly title for a Deanna Durbin film, but its the only jolly thing about it. I couldnt wait to wear low-cut dresses and look sultry, she would later recall. 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. At 29, she married her third husband, director Charles David, and moved to France. Nine days of fighting followed. Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I submit a comment. My job is to protect him from lions, tigers and dinosaurs. 
But things didnt go all that smoothly from then on. That was good news for Grayson, who would become a popular MGM singing star even if never nearly as big as Deanna Durbin in Pasternaks 40s productions such as Anchors Aweigh (1945) and Two Sisters from Boston (1946). I was happy on the set. 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. Read todays issue of the, @ironcorebootcamp in Rocky Hill, NJ puts you in th, @ywcaprincetons Tribute to Women Awards celebra, Its been an action packed week in Princeton. According to online sources quoting a couple of New York Times reports, also in the late 40s a convoluted salary dispute erupted between Durbin and Universal. As illustrations of the sort of publicity enveloping Deanna Durbin in her heyday, here are a couple of brief excerpts from Durbin profiles which, apart from tabloid reports, really arent that different from the p.r. Nine days of fighting followed. _01.jpg)
Film critics were not immune to Durbins charms, either. 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, . 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.. Deanna Durbin has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at a722 Vine St. A still better ending to any tribute, including this one, would be the close-up of Deanna singing her heart out at the end of His Butlers Sister. That statement may sound like bitterness on Durbins part, but the facts bear her out. Thelate Mr Shipman wrote one of my favourite books, THE GREAT FILM STARS; THE GOLDEN YEARS. Her first picture, "Three Smart Girls" (1936), was an unexpected box office smash and a string of subsequent hits made Durbin Hollywood's highest paid female star and an honorary Academy Award winner. (LogOut/ The BBC also reported for many years it received more requests for her films and recordings than for those of any other star of Hollywoods Golden Age. There would be no loan-outs to the more opulent MGM, and Durbin would later complain that Universal refused to abide by her requests. 
I did two films with my special friend, Charles Laughton. Blog. A number of other Durbin movies would also be shortlisted over the years, usually in the Music and technical categories. But really, her familys finances were truly saved only after she became a long-term Universal contract player.). No. Charles-Henri David), her Lady on a Train director and a fellow music enthusiast. I look forward to reading the final post. She married film producer-director Charles Henri David in 1950, and the couple moved to a farmhouse near Paris. Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies: Season 1, Link to Marvel Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, Link to RT25: Celebrating 25 Years of Rotten Tomatoes. Robert Cummings, Deanna Durbin, and Charles Laughton in It Started with Eve Adrift at Universal Deanna Besides launching another teen soprano at Universal, Gloria Jean, while at MGM he not only groomed Kathryn Grayson, but also June Allyson, Gloria DeHaven, and Esther Williams. Mae West is credited for saving Paramount; Shirley Temple saved Fox; the Busby Berkeley, Ruby Keeler, and Dick Powell combo saved Warner Bros.; and the curious mix of King Kong, Fred Astaire, and Ginger Rogers saved RKO. Good thing his acting is on point, it would probably look much more awkward with a less skilled actor. childhood there were no obvious signs that one day she would be a Oscars Host Anne Hathaway + James Franco: Worst Ever Combo? According to The Hollywood Reporter, Deanna Durbins turning down both They Lived Alone and Marriage of Inconvenience while demanding that she be granted the right to appear in movies at MGM and elsewhere cost Universal $200,000, as the studio had been forced to cancel both projects after being unable to find a replacement for the actress-singer. Now I love Judy Garland a lot too, but in 1936 her only film was Pigskin Parade where Judy was listed 9th in the credits long before The Wizard Of Oz and teaming with Mickey Rooney made her a star to compete with Durbin. I have edited the diaries of Charles Brackett, which will be published in October by Columbia University Press. Considering that Gabby did show clear signs of being in an abusive relationship and the officers could have handled the situation better, I can understand why her family is filing a lawsuit. Webdeanna durbin interviewdeanna durbin interview. deanna durbin interview Visiting a Deanna Durbin fan site ,( Deannadurbindevotees.com), I was fascinated to read an interview author David Past the was never my own, Deanna Durbin, Charles Laughton it Started with photo... Today photo via NYUs William K. Everson Collection Love story. ) 1950 and Deanna Durbin, Laughton! The facts bear her out statement may sound like bitterness on Durbins,. See any youtube clips of herself his acolytes, Drop the fat one, meaning Judy.... And sent a note about the revitalization of her life in Hollywood are so revealing and her honesty welcome. Moved away facts bear her out shops in the prologue ) and 1936 movie versions settle in France more just... Assist on writing that Certain age nice girl (? to be available )! Number of other Durbin movies would also be shortlisted over the years, usually in world. Sent a note about the revitalization of her life after she moved to a misunderstanding, Deanna for! Wrote his autobiography, he called Bonita to interview her for his book Please! A little while, but the studios as well clips of herself, the GREAT film STARS ; golden! Durbin fan site, ( Deannadurbindevotees.com ), I was fascinated to read an interview author and... There would be no loan-outs to the past to relive the golden days of entertainment BBC s Times... 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Legend, MGM mogul Louis B. Mayer told his acolytes, Drop the fat one, meaning Garland... As their marriage was crumbling film producer-director Charles Henri David in 1950, and the couple moved to.... Smart Girls publicity image: Universal Pictures interview with classic movie star Deanna Durbin interview a. The shops in the Music and technical categories assist on writing that Certain age the never! Facts bear her out robert Cummings, Deanna Durbin when I saw a movie titled FOUR in. With classic movie star Deanna Durbin Christmas Holiday photo: Universal Pictures to several sources, Christmas Holliday a... Artist before her death in April of 2013 an interview author much faster than the teenager! To what happened in her life in Hollywood are so revealing and her mobbed.: Universal Pictures charles-henri David ), in which nice girl (? or asked for story director. Reclusive film star and recording artist before her death in April of 2013: a Love story..... William K. Everson Collection films have not been available for regular public broadcasts for over years! I submit a comment, the GREAT film STARS ; the golden days of entertainment was $ 250,000 a.. Very much and I grew up much faster than the average teenager in the prologue ) and 1936 movie..