Deanna Durbin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Deanna Durbin
Deanna Durbin in 1944
Born	Edna Mae Durbin (1921-12-04)December 4, 1921 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Died	April 17, 2013(2013-04-17) (aged 91) Paris, France
Occupation	Actress, Singer
Years active	1936–1948
Spouse(s)	Vaughn Paul ​ ​ (m. 1941; div. 1943)​ Felix Jackson ​ ​ (m. 1945; div. 1949)​ Charles Henri David ​ ​ (m. 1950; died 1999)​
Children	2

Edna Mae Durbin (born December 4, 1921 – died April 17, 2013), known as Deanna Durbin, was a famous actress and singer. She was born in Canada but moved to the USA as a baby.

Deanna starred in many musical films during the 1930s and 1940s. She had an amazing singing voice, a type called a soprano. She could sing many different styles, from popular songs to opera.

Deanna started acting as a child. Her first movie was Every Sunday (1936) with Judy Garland. After that, she signed a contract with Universal Studios. She became very popular playing sweet, ideal teenage girls in movies like Three Smart Girls (1936) and One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937).

Many people said her movies helped save Universal Studios from going out of business. In 1938, she even won a special award called the Academy Juvenile Award. As she grew up, Deanna wanted to try different kinds of roles. She tried more serious, non-musical films like Christmas Holiday (1944). However, her fans still loved her most in musicals. She retired from acting in 1948 and moved to a farm near Paris, France. She lived a private life and rarely gave interviews.

Early Life and Talent

Edna Mae Durbin was born on December 4, 1921, in Winnipeg, Canada. Her parents, James and Ada Durbin, were from England. She had an older sister named Edith. When Deanna was very young, her family moved to Southern California. They became American citizens in 1923.

Even as a one-year-old, Edna Mae loved to sing children's songs. By the time she was 10, her parents saw her amazing talent. They enrolled her in voice lessons. Deanna quickly became the best student and performed at local clubs and churches.

Amazing Career Highlights

Starting in Hollywood (1935–1941)

In 1935, a big movie studio called Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) was looking for a young singer. They heard about Deanna and invited her to audition. She sang a song called "Il Bacio" and amazed everyone with her strong, grown-up voice. MGM signed her to a contract.

Deanna's first movie was a short film called Every Sunday (1936). She starred alongside another talented young singer, Judy Garland. The film showed off both their singing skills.

Later, Universal Studios signed Deanna, giving her the professional name Deanna Durbin. Her first full-length movie, Three Smart Girls (1936), was a huge hit! This movie made her a young star. She then made many successful musical films for Universal. These included One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937) and First Love (1939). Most of these popular movies were directed by Henry Koster.

Deanna also loved singing outside of movies. In 1936, she tried out to be the voice of Snow White in Disney's animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. However, Walt Disney thought her 15-year-old voice sounded "too old" for the part. That same year, the famous Metropolitan Opera offered her an audition. She turned it down because she felt she needed more singing lessons. Her vocal coach, Andrés de Segurola, believed she could become an opera star.

From 1936 to 1938, Deanna also sang on the radio with Eddie Cantor. She had to stop because her movie schedule became too busy.

Many people believed that Deanna's successful films saved Universal Studios from going bankrupt. In 1938, she and Mickey Rooney both received a special Academy Juvenile Award for their work. Deanna continued her success with movies like It's a Date (1940) and Nice Girl? (1941).

Trying New Roles (1941–1945)

Deanna Durbin on the cover of Yank magazine in 1945

In 1941, Deanna starred in It Started with Eve. This was her last film with her producer Joe Pasternak and director Henry Koster. Deanna wanted to try more grown-up and serious roles. She even turned down a role she didn't like and was suspended by the studio for a few months. In 1942, Deanna and Universal worked things out. She gained more control over her movies, including choosing directors, stories, and songs.

She starred in The Amazing Mrs. Holliday (1943), a World War II story about refugee children. Even though it was planned without songs, Deanna agreed to include a few. She also made Hers to Hold (1943), which focused on her character. Her co-star, Joseph Cotten, later said she was a person with great honesty.

Deanna also tried other types of movies. She made the romantic comedy His Butler's Sister (1943) and the musical Western Can't Help Singing (1944). This was her only film made in Technicolor, which meant it was in full color.

She continued to push for more dramatic roles. She starred in the serious film Christmas Holiday (1944) with Gene Kelly. The director, Robert Siodmak, praised her acting. Deanna later said this was her "only really good film." She also starred in the mystery movie Lady on a Train (1945). Many of these films were produced by Felix Jackson, whom she married in 1945. They had a daughter named Jessica Louise in 1946.

Later Career and Retirement (1946–2013)

Deanna Durbin and cinematographer William H. Daniels on the set of For the Love of Mary (1948)

In 1946, Deanna Durbin was the second-highest-paid woman in the United States. Only Bette Davis earned more! Her fan club was the biggest in the world. However, her fans preferred her in light, happy musicals, even though she enjoyed her serious roles more.

Universal Studios merged with other companies in 1946. The new company, Universal-International, made fewer musicals. Deanna's last four movies, like I'll Be Yours (1947) and For the Love of Mary (1948), went back to her musical-comedy style.

In 1949, Deanna decided to retire from movies. She was not happy with the roles she was offered. When her old producer tried to change her mind, she said she didn't want to keep playing the "Little Miss Fix-It who bursts into song." She received a payment of $200,000 when her contract ended.

On December 21, 1950, Deanna married French director-producer Charles Henri David. He had directed her in Lady on a Train. Deanna and Charles raised their son, Peter, and Deanna's daughter, Jessica, on a farm near Paris. Deanna turned down many offers to return to acting. She chose to live a quiet life away from the public eye.

In 1983, a film historian named David Shipman was able to interview Deanna. She said she didn't like the Hollywood studio system. She also said she never felt like the "Deanna Durbin" character that the media created. She thought of that character as a part of her youth, not her true self. In her private life, she continued to use her birth name, Edna. She always protected her privacy until the end of her life.

Deanna's husband, Charles David, passed away in 1999. Deanna Durbin died on April 17, 2013, in Paris, France. Her son, Peter, announced her passing and thanked her fans for respecting her privacy.

Legacy and Influence

Deanna Durbin has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She also left her hand and footprints in front of the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre in 1938. In her birthplace, Winnipeg, Canada, she was known as "Winnipeg's Golden Girl."

Deanna Durbin has been mentioned in many different ways.

• A cartoon from 1937, The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos, had a turtle character named "Deanna Terrapin" that looked like her.
• She is mentioned in the 1963 short story "The Anthem Sprinters" by Ray Bradbury.
• Her singing is featured in Alistair MacLean's 1955 novel HMS Ulysses.
• She is referenced in Richard Brautigan's 1967 novel Trout Fishing in America.
• In songs, Tom Lehrer mentioned her in 1965. The Glenn Miller song "Peggy the Pin-up Girl" also mentions her alongside Judy Garland.
• In the 1983 film The Return of Captain Invincible, Christopher Lee sings a line about her.

Many famous people were fans of Deanna Durbin.

• Anne Frank, whose diary is famous, had two photos of Deanna Durbin on the wall of her family's hiding place. These photos are still there today.
• Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister during World War II, loved her films. He would watch them on special wartime occasions.
• The famous Russian musician Mstislav Rostropovich said Deanna Durbin was one of his most important musical influences. He said she helped him discover himself.
• Indian film director Satyajit Ray mentioned Deanna Durbin in his 1992 Oscar acceptance speech. He said she was the only one of three cinema stars he wrote to as a young man who replied to his fan letter.

Filmography

Here are some of the films Deanna Durbin starred in:

Short films

Feature films

Discography

Deanna Durbin recorded many songs for Decca Records between 1936 and 1947. She often sang her movie songs for commercial release. She also recorded other popular songs and opera pieces.

Some of her well-known recordings include:

• "Alleluia" (from 100 Men and a Girl)
• "Ave Maria" (from Mad About Music)
• "Begin the Beguine" (from Hers to Hold)
• "God Bless America"
• "Home! Sweet Home!" (from First Love)
• "Il Bacio" ("The Kiss") (from Three Smart Girls)
• "Night and Day" (from Lady on a Train)
• "Silent Night" (from Lady on a Train)
• "Summertime" (from Porgy and Bess)
• "Un bel dì vedremo" (from First Love)

Images for kids

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  Deanna Durbin in 1944

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  Deanna Durbin on the cover of Yank (1945)

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  Deanna Durbin and cinematographer William H. Daniels on set of For the Love of Mary (1948)

• Academy Juvenile Award
• List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees