DEANNA DURBIN
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Deanna Durbin made a total of 21 feature films (as well as 1 short) during her illustrious, but rather short, 12 year career. Deanna Durbin was born on the fourth of December 1921 as Edna Mae Durbin in Canada. Her parents were British. As a baby the family moved to the U.S.A. and soon afterwards her extraordinary voice drew attention. After a number of radio performances Deanna was asked in 1936 for an audition at M.G.M. The audition was done together with the also very young Judy Garland in the short film "Every Sunday", lasting 11 minutes (photo). The story goes, that when M.G.M. boss Louis B. Mayer saw the results, he must have said "drop the fat one", meaning Garland. It was understood however that he meant Deanna with the result that Deanna failed and Judy Garland for the rest of her career remained under contract at M.G.M.
The filmcompany Universal at that time was almost bankrupt and there was only money available for B-movies. One of the last acts of despair was the low budget production titled "Three Smart Girls". Producer Joe Pasternak did see the audition of Durbin and Garland and queried whether or not Durbin was available and this resulted in a contract for the 14 years old Deanna. What nobody had envisaged was that the film became an enormous success and thanks to Deanna Universal made the recovery.
Thereafter Deanna made one film after the other. But fair is fair when watching her films nowadays: they are super sweet fairytales. I regard Deanna always as a naive cinderella who burst out in singing at the most arbitrary moments. Although it may sound crazy her songs always give me a little springtime feeling�
The songs of the films were recorded and sold world-wide in huges quantities. Around 1944 Deanna herself became tired of her sweet image and in that year she played the role of the treacherous nightclub singer in Christmas Holiday together with Gene Kelly who made in this film his first appearance (photo). Although it was a first-class performance the public did not go for it and the crowd stayed away. Deanna was therefore compelled to return to her old course and made until 1948 an additional 7 films. It was then that she was really fed-up, got married (for the third time) with the French film director Henry David (who died in March of 1999). They settled down in a small village near Paris in order never ever wanting anything to do with Hollywood. And there still lives the now 79 years old Grandma�
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1935
Edna is "discovered" by talent agent Jack Sherrill while singing at a recital. She signs a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the biggest and best movie studio at the time at the young age of fourteen.
1936
Edna films a screentest with another young singer/actress under contract at M-G-M, Judy Garland. According to Judy Garland biographer John Fricke, the screentest (now lost) contrasted the two girls' singing styles and was filmed in spring. She signs a contract with the financially troubled Universal on June 13. Universal changed Edna's first name to "Deanna" .
Deanna Durbin becomes a star virtually overnight after the success of her debut film, Three Smart Girls at Universal, coupled with appearances on Eddie Cantor's popular radio show.
1937
Deanna Durbin's second film, One Hundred Men and a Girl is a box-office smash. Its tremendous success, as well as that of Three Smart Girls practically saves Universal from bankruptcy.
1938
Mad About Music, Deanna's third film, premieres at Grauman's Chinese Theater on February 7. She is honored by having her hand and footprints immortalized in cement in the theater forecourt.
1941
Deanna marries fellow Universal employee Vaughn Paul on April 18 at the age of nineteen.
1943
Deanna and Vaughn Paul divorce on December 14.
1945
Deanna, 23, marries former European playwright Felix Jackson, 43, on June 13.
1946
Deanna has a daughter, Jessica Louise Jackson.
1948
For the Love of Mary, Deanna's final film is released.
1949
Deanna Durbin leaves Universal after thirteen years.
Deanna and Felix Jackson divorce on October 27.
1950
Deanna, 29, marries French film technician Charles David, 45, who directed her in Lady on a Train in 1945. They move to Neauphle-le-Chateau, on the outskirts of Paris. Deanna retires from show business, opting instead to live a quiet life outside of Hollywood's spotlight. She declines all offers for a comeback and interviews as well, wishing to live a private life with her family.
1980
Deanna Durbin David submits a recent photo of herself to the Editors of Life Magazine in order to dispel rumors that she is overweight, hoping that the photo "...might set straight the false rumors about my figure. These, after so many years of happy oblivion, still disturb me a little and are not compensated by that first sentence of old friends when meeting me: 'Deanna! But you're not at all plump!' No, I can still pass under the Arc de Triomphe without holding my breath."
1998
Deanna Durbin David just recently celebrated her seventy-seventh birthday on December 4, 1998. Though having been retired for many years, she is still very dedicated to her many fans, by doing such things as answering almost all of her fan mail, and by sending messages to her fans through her fan club, "The Deanna Durbin Society."
1999
Deanna's third, longest, and happiest marriage ends when Charles Henri David, her husband of over 48 years, passes away on March 1 in France. And there she still lives, now 79 years old Grandma.
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