Thats how Hedda was able to break a juicy story without violating the unwritten rules of the day. When my first marriage failed, everyone said that I could never divorce. It was never easy for a woman in the limelight to balance the career and personal happiness. I do my own shopping, bring up my two children and sing an hour every day., According to her Wikipedia entry (at this writing), in her later years Durbin made it known that she did not like the Hollywood studio system. She lived a long life but still it is a shock to hear the news. (The year of this incident was not specified.) I dont understand how Gable was happy staying out of Judys life. Or even true, for that matter. But there was only room for one girl talent at MGM, and Edna Mae was shuffled off the lot. Film critic Thomson wrote that she was hopelessly adrift in the role. Edna Mae Durbin was born on Dec. 4, 1921, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and grew up in Southern California, where she studied singing. (Getty Images) . A very sad Mayday for ussad but inevitable news. She was 91. Then he writes a paragraph that I dont fully understand; was he just angry at Hedda Hopper who next morning reported the supposed studio tryst? Deanna always would say that she isnt the person she played on the screen, that she was another person apart from who she really was. The actress' son, Peter H. David, was quoted. In Nice Girl, she was experiencing first love and looked a little scared anticipating marriage. Universal finally turned on her, suing her for her prepaid wages. You cant hide that kind of light under a bushel, he wrote. I loved your article about Deanna Durbin. Last time I saw Deanna she didnt look too plump but I havent seen her since I returned and they tell me she has gained at least five pounds. I hated being in a goldfish bowl, she said. Former child star Deanna Durbin has died at the age of 91, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He told me that Deanna Durbin was a delightful, energetic, happy teenager. It is a priority for CBC to create a website that is accessible to all Canadians including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. The musical actress was one of the most popular and highest-paid young stars in the 1930s. The former child star, married Charles David, who directed her in the 1945 film "Lady on a Train," in 1951 and together they had one son, Peter. About the same time, in 1936, she began singing on Eddie Cantors popular weekly radio program. In 1945, Durbin made "Lady on a Train" directed by Charles David, whom she married five years later. The actress was born Edna Mae Durbin; her British parents moved from Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Los Angeles when she was 2 years old, and she was discovered while still in junior high school. David turned out to be the someone to take care of her like one of the meaningful songs she once sang. May 3, 2013 @ You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. She, of course, works her magic and by the end of the 84-minute film, all happily join together to make music under the direction of legendary conductor Leopold Stokowski, who plays himself. Mr. David once said that he and Ms. Durbin had made a deal that he would protect her from spiders, mosquitoes and reporters., Ms. Durbin, who gave almost no interviews after she left Hollywood, did send reporters a letter in 1958 that read in part: I was a typical 13-year-old American girl. I do hope we are able to learn more about what went on with Deannas life. Of course, who knows what I would do if I were in that situation. Deanna Durbin with her son Peter David. Deanna Durbin, a Winnipeg-born screen star of the 1930s and 1940s, has died, according to her son Peter H. David. Ive gained weight. Daughter Jessica Louise was born on February 7, 1946, seven and a half months later. Her last film was 1948s Up in Central Park, and she left film-making in 1949, turning down roles in Bing Crosbys Topo' the Morning and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court at Paramount studios. Wow. Cotton describes the whole event in his book in such a contrived way that, I felt anyway, that something had indeed happened. When she slaps John Dalls face and says Im insanely jealous, one gets a glimpse of the very sophisticated comedy actress she could have been. The Train movie would have been finished pretty near to the time she became pregnant. ", Three Smart Girls was nominated for the best picture Oscar in 1937. Her son, Peter H David, made the announcement in a newsletter to her fans, saying. Boy, this sure sounds very familiar, doesnt it? May she rest in peace and sing with the angels. By Warren Boroson April 30, 2010, 6:22 pm. If you have not seen that clip before you can watch it here at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Pl-qvA1X8. Her second marriage, to Felix Jackson, the 43-year-old producer of several of her films, also ended in divorce, after the birth of a daughter. Lenore did not want to fly, sail, or even travel by train, and whenever she could avoid these modes of transportation she stayed home. Deanna Durbin, one of Hollywood's biggest box-office stars in the 1930s and early '40s, has died aged 91. She was a huge international star and received a special juvenile Oscar in 1938. I next took a look at Joseph Cottens autobiography entitled Vanity Will Get You Somewhere. Hers to Hold was released in July 1943. Deanna Durbin or Judy Garland: 'Drop the Fat One' My conscience didnt bother me too much. Deanna Durbin, the movie singing-star, was born in 1921, and apparently still lives in a farmhouse outside Paris. She was married three times and had a son and a daughter. Critics responded negatively to her attempts to be an adult on screen, as a prostitute in love with a killer in Robert Siodmaks bleak film noir Christmas Holiday (1944) and as a debutante mixed up in a murder plot in Lady on a Train (1945.). Read Less, Capitalising on her fame, Universal cast Durbin in a series of musical movies i Read More, Capitalising on her fame, Universal cast Durbin in a series of musical movies including "That Certain Age" and "Mad About Music" which made the actress with the sweet soprano voice into one of Hollywood's most popular stars. 11:16 pm. Even if they were involved in 1943 the year Deanna divorced her first husband, she did not get pregnant until the spring of 1945. May 3, 2013 @ She was considered a snob by some people, but I think she just chose her friends carefully.We lived our own lives and were together whenever possible. No other details were given. She broke into the movies in 1936, aged 14, when she appeared in "Every Sunday" with Judy Garland, according to her biography on the IMDb film website. Deanna Durbin, a singing child movie star of the 1930s who became one of the world's highest paid actresses before turning her back on stardom, has died at the age of 91. But not only was there such a stigma attached to anyone with a child out of wedlock, on top of that the stars (and studios) went to great lengths to protect their reputations. The child-star persona affected her personal life as well. Could it be her disregard for the proper way she was brought up? The fact was that Joseph Cotten was married to Lenore Kipp and remained married to her until Kipps death in 1960. I appreciate your bluntness and think there must have been some real reasons for Deanna to not only give up her career but to leave the US and live the rest of her life in seclusion. Not just the standing ovation, which was to be expected, but the pure happiness of the celebrity audience in being able to applaud and yell for her. The musical actress was one of the most popular and highest-paid young stars in the 1930s. Her pictures after the baby was born beginning with Something in the Wind revealed an unhappy Deanna who became more mechanical in her roles. Her son Peter H. David was quoted as telling The Deanna Durbin Society newsletter that the actress died "a few days ago", thanking her admirers for respecting her privacy. This article was written by fellow blogger and writer Ed Sum. Some men like him are always conveniently married. Ms. Durbin had remained determinedly out of public view since 1949, when she retired to a village in France with her third husband. Cate, thank you for your comments here. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. In a newsletter, the Deanna Durbin Society said Ms. Durbin died "a few days ago," quoting her son, Peter H. David, who thanked her admirers for respecting her privacy. I did read that local people made comments that David and Deanna argued quite frequently prior to their marriage. The actress had remained out of the public eye ever since. Her husband is Charles David (21 December 1950 - 1 March 1999) ( his death) ( 1 child), Felix Jackson (13 June 1945 - 8 November 1950) ( divorced) ( 1 child), Vaughn Paul (18 April 1941 - 14 December 1943) ( divorced . Were they friends with benefits after working together? In the afternoon there was always a break for tea and sandwiches. In a newsletter, the Deanna Durbin Society said Ms. Durbin died "a few days ago," quoting her son, Peter H. David, who thanked her admirers for respecting her privacy. Deanna Durbin with her son Peter David Old Hollywood Glamour Golden Age Of Hollywood Deanna Durbin Musical Film Old Movie Stars Babe Celebrity Families She Movie Judy Garland More information . I could see the wariness in Naughty Marietta and the closeness of Sweethearts and so forth. Ms. Durbin was quickly handed to Joe Pasternak, who produced her first 10 movies, and to Henry Koster, who directed six of them: Three Smart Girls, One Hundred Men and a Girl, Three Smart Girls Grow Up, First Love, Spring Parade and It Started With Eve.. Yes, you should treasure her letters. Strange because I am 68 years old and watched all the old movies on TV when I was growing up, but then Universal held up Deannas movies for so long that I had only seen Lady on A Train, which I loved. It was taken at the Federation of Music Clubs event held at the Hollywood Bowl where these gals won medals for their movie singing. I was an actor. Was Cotton the one love in her life? In fact, he told me that he built an entire new recording booth and setup for Nelsons first (and ultimately last) Universal movie. Deanna Durbin, a singer-actress who, as a child star, became one of the biggest box-office . Her third husband, Charles David, died in 1999. Murphy served from 1965 to 1971 as U.S. But my own two personal favorites are Mad About Music and Spring Parade. Ms. Durbin had remained determinedly out of public view since 1949, when she retired to a village in France with her third husband. For reprint rights |, Bookmark or read stories offline - Download the TOI app. On April 30, 2013, a newsletter published by the Deanna Durbin Society reported that Durbin died "a few days ago", quoting her son, Peter H. David, who thanked her admirers for respecting her privacy. She was responsible for saving Universal Studios even as fellow child star Shirley Temple saved Fox Studios. She had a lovely voice and her parents, then living in Los Angeles, trained her with a vocal coach. He indicated that she died "a few days ago," but provided no other details. In Deannas films, she was the main draw and the leading men were secondary. Shes wearing flowers at her midriff although its very early in her pregnancy. Her passing affected me deeply, to my surprise. No other details were given. Her son Peter H. David was quoted as telling The Deanna Durbin Society newsletter that the actress died "a few days ago", thanking her admirers for respecting her privacy. She was 91. Nevertheless, she seemed happy and carefree during the filming of Cant Help Singing. ETimes is an Entertainment, TV & Lifestyle industry's promotional website and carries advertorials and native advertising. Former child star Deanna Durbin has died at the age of 91, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Like Jeanette and Nelson, off-screen she was kind and genuine; also like them, she suffered personal trials and tribulations in her Hollywood years that changed the course of her life. Nowtoday as I sit here remembering her wonderful films I have to wonder about that second marriage of hers. We know that from the Jeanette and Nelson story that wily Hopper knew much of the behind-the-scenes goings on and that included Jeanettes 1938 pregnancy and miscarriage. Her youth at retirement . Like Greta Garbo, she wanted to be left alone. In that 1937 musical comedy Durbin stars as Patricia Cardwell, whose father (Adolphe Menjou) is one of 100 musicians unable to find a job. A few years later she was also the favorite of aspiring writer Anne Frank, who pinned Deannas photo on her movie wall in her wartime secret annex. Like Shirley Temple, Deanna had an early disastrous marriage that failed, to assistant director on her early films, Vaughn Paul. Deanna Durbin, a singing child movie star of the 1930s who became one of the world's highest paid actresses before turning her back on stardom, has died at the age of 91. He was the screenwriter on her earlier films and produced her movies in the mid 1940s. But Deanna Durbin a world-famous young movie actress during the 1930s and 1940s managed to do it right. Maybe she didnt think the DNA test was that important, she certainly looked like Clark, and perhaps she (and her family) didnt need and money for royalties, if that were in fact still a reality. The source was a newsletter from the British-based Deanna Durbin Society, quoting Durbin's son, Peter H. David. Thank you for this post. Ive gained weight. Which is maybe why in 1946 Jeanette escaped to the UK on a concert tour and even talked about staying and having her baby there. Her last three films were a return to the musical romances her public preferred but were weak efforts. 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