Deanna Durbin
Also Known As: Edna Mae Durbin
Biography: 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, she performed many styles from popular standards to operatic arias. In 1946, Durbin was the second-highest-paid woman in the United States, just behind Bette Davis; her fan club ranked as the world's largest during her active years. Durbin was a child actress who made her first film appearance with Judy Garland in Every Sunday (1936), and subsequently signed a contract with Universal Studios. She achieved success as the ideal teenaged daughter in films such as Three Smart Girls (1936), One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937), and It Started with Eve (1941). Her work was credited with saving the studio from bankruptcy, and led to Durbin being awarded the Academy Juvenile Award 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 Christmas Holiday (1944) and the whodunit Lady on a Train (1945). These films, produced by frequent collaborator and second husband Felix Jackson, 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 and moved to a farmhouse near Paris. She withdrew from public life, granting only one interview on her career in 1983.
Department: Acting
Place of Birth: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Birthday: December 04, 1921
Deathday: April 20, 2013
Adult: No
Gender: Female
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Known For:
Lady on a Train
Overview: While watching from her train window, Nikki Collins witnesses a murder in a nearby building. When she alerts the police, they think she has read one too many mystery novels. She then enlists a popular mystery writer to help her solve the crime on her own, but her sleuthing attracts the attentions of suitors and killers.
Genres: Comedy Crime Mystery Romance Thriller
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1945-08-03
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It Started with Eve
Overview: A young man asks a hat check girl to pose as his fiancée in order to make his dying father's last moments happy. However, the old man's health takes a turn for the better and now his son doesn't know how to break the news that he's engaged to someone else, especially since his father is so taken with the impostor.
Genres: Comedy Romance Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1941-09-26
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Christmas Holiday
Overview: Don't be fooled by the title. Christmas Holiday is a far, far cry from It's a Wonderful Life. Told in flashback, the story begins as Abigail Martin marries Southern aristocrat Robert Monette. Unfortunately, Robert has inherited his family's streak of violence and instability, and soon drags Abigail into a life of misery.
Genres: Drama Romance Crime
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1944-07-31
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Nice Girl?
Overview: Jane is a nice girl and has had her eyes on a young man who seems more interested in his hand-built car than in Jane. She decides to shed her "nice girl" image when an associate of her father comes to town on his way to study Australian Aboriginal tribes.
Genres: Comedy Drama Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1941-02-21
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First Love
Overview: In this reworking of Cinderella, orphaned Connie Harding is sent to live with her rich aunt and uncle after graduating from boarding school. She's hardly received with open arms, especially by her snobby cousin Barbara. When the entire family is invited to a major social ball, Barbara sees to it that Connie is forced to stay home. With the aid of her uncle, who acts as her fairy godfather, Connie makes it to the ball and meets her Prince Charming in Ted Drake, her cousin's boyfriend.
Genres: Comedy Romance Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1939-11-10
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Mad About Music
Overview: A young woman at a girl's school in Switzerland makes up stories about and writes herself letters from an imaginary explorer-adventurer father; and is eventually put in a position where she has to produce him. Interesting things happen as she talks a visiting Englishman into helping her out.
Genres: Comedy Drama Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1938-02-27
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One Hundred Men and a Girl
Overview: The daughter of a struggling musician forms a symphony orchestra made up of his unemployed friends and through persistence, charm and a few misunderstandings, is able to get Leopold Stokowski to lead them in a concert that leads to a radio contract.
Genres: Comedy Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1937-09-05
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Something in the Wind
Overview: A grandson of a recently deceased millionaire mistakes a beautiful female disc jockey for her aunt, who once dated the grandfather.
Genres: Comedy Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1947-07-21
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That Certain Age
Overview: Dashing reporter Vincent Bullit has just returned from covering the Spanish Civil War. His boss, newspaper magnate Fullerton, has more plans to send him off to China. However, first Fullerton invites Bullit to the peace and quiet of his own home to write a series of European affair articles. When Fullerton's adolescent daughter Alice develops a crush on Bullit, her suitor, boyscout Ken Warren, doesn't seem to stand a chance. Mr. and Mrs. Fullerton, Ken Warren, and even Vincent Bullit himself do their best to sway young Alice's feelings away from the older man. It's a difficult task though, as she is at 'that certain age.'
Genres: Comedy Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1938-10-06
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The Amazing Mrs. Holliday
Overview: A missionary tries to outwit the U.S. government and smuggle Chinese orphans into the country.
Genres: Comedy Drama Music Romance War
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1943-02-19
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Because of Him
Overview: A young woman who wants to break into the theater schemes to become the protege of a famous Broadway star.
Genres: Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1946-01-18
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Three Smart Girls
Overview: The three Craig sisters – Penny, Kay, and Joan – go to New York to stop their divorced father from marrying gold digger Donna Lyons and re-unite him with their mother.
Genres: Comedy Romance Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1936-12-20
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Three Smart Girls Grow Up
Overview: Three sisters who believe life is going to be easy, now that their parents are back together, until one sister falls in love with another's fiancé, and the youngest sister plays matchmaker.
Genres: Comedy Drama Romance Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1939-03-24
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His Butler's Sister
Overview: Aspiring singer Ann Carter visits her stepbrother in New York, hoping to make it on Broadway.
Genres: Comedy Music Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1943-11-26
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Every Sunday
Overview: Edna's grandfather is a conductor of a small orchestra that gives concerts in the park every Sunday. Because of lack of audience the city officials want to cancel these concerts. To stop this from happening, Judy and Edna gather a crowd the following Sunday; and to keep its attention, they themselves perform with the orchestra. Edna sings an aria and Judy sings 'Americana'.
Genres: Comedy Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1936-11-28
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Can't Help Singing
Overview: With the California Gold Rush beginning, Senator Frost's singing daughter Caroline loves a young army officer; the Senator can't stand him, and has him sent to California. Headstrong Caroline follows him by train, riverboat, and covered wagon, gaining companions en route: a vagrant Russian prince and gambler Johnny Lawlor, who just might take her mind off the army.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1944-12-25
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Los Angeles Plays Itself
Overview: From its distinctive neighborhoods to its architectural homes, Los Angeles has been the backdrop to countless movies. In this dazzling work, Andersen takes viewers on a whirlwind tour through the metropolis' real and cinematic history, investigating the myriad stories and legends that have come to define it, and meticulously, judiciously revealing the real city that lives beneath.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2004-07-28
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For the Love of Mary
Overview: Young girl gets a job at the White House as a switchboard operator and gets mixed up in politics.
Genres: Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1948-09-01
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I'll Be Yours
Overview: A small-town girl tells a small fib to a wealthy businessman; complications ensue.
Genres: Music Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1947-02-02
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It's a Date
Overview: An aspiring actress is offered the lead in a major new play, but discovers that her mother, a more seasoned performer, expects the same part. The situation is further complicated when they both become involved with the same man.
Genres: Comedy Music Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1940-03-22
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Hers to Hold
Overview: Deanna Durbin is all grown up in Hers to Hold, the unofficial sequel to her "Three Smart Girls" films of the 1930s. Durbin plays Penelope Craig, the starry-eyed daughter of wealthy Judson and Dorothy Craig (Charles Winninger, Nella Walker). Developing a crush on much-older playboy Bill Morley (Joseph Cotton), Penelope stops at nothing to land the elusive Morley as her husband. Highlights include Durbin's renditions of "Begin the Beguine" and the "Seguidilla" from Carmen, and a captivating sequence that includes highlights from Durbin's earlier films, presented as home movies!
Genres: Drama Music Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1943-07-16
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Spring Parade
Overview: In this light and lovely romantic musical, a Hungarian woman attends a Viennese fair and buys a card from a gypsy fortune teller. It says that she will meet someone important and is destined for a happy marriage. Afterward she gets a job as a baker's assistant. She then meets a handsome army drummer who secretly dreams of becoming a famous composer and conductor. Unfortunately the military forbids the young corporal to create his own music. But then Ilonka secretly sends one of the drummer's waltzes to the Austrian Emperor with his weekly order of pastries. Her act paves the way toward the tuneful and joyous fulfillment of the gypsy's prediction.
Genres: Comedy Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1940-09-27
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Up in Central Park
Overview: A newspaper reporter and the daughter of an immigrant maintenance man help expose political corruption in New York City.
Genres: Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1948-07-09
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The Shining Future
Overview: Documentary short film intended to drum up support for the Fifth War Loan Campaign. It shows a happy family in the future of 1960 enjoying the prosperity and advantages made possible by the successful prosecution of the war, and how the sacrifices of 1944 have made the world a better place.
Genres: Music Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1944-04-11
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That's Entertainment!
Overview: Various MGM stars from yesterday present their favorite musical moments from the studio's 50 year history.
Genres: Documentary Family Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1974-06-21
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Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story
Overview: The story of the short film from the beginning of the movies in the 1890s, when all movies were shorts, through the 1950s when short subjects virtually disappeared from theaters.
Genres: Documentary TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2002-02-05
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Show-Business at War
Overview: A multi-studio effort to show the newsreel audience the progress of the Hollywood war effort.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1943-05-21
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Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
Overview: This 1940 presentation features highlights of earlier (1928 onward) Oscar ceremonies including Shirley Temple and Walt Disney, plus acceptance speeches for films released in 1939 with recipients and presenters including Vivien Leigh, Judy Garland, Hattie McDaniel, Fay Bainter, Mickey Rooney, Thomas Mitchell, Sinclair Lewis, and more, with host Bob Hope.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1940-07-31
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Marlene Dietrich: Her Own Song
Overview: The films, affairs and struggles of the iconic star of The Blue Angel as told by Rosemary Clooney, Roger Corman, Deanna Durbin and many more.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2002-03-21
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Hollywood’s Children
Overview: A documentary about child actors, since the beginning of motion pictures (narrated by Roddy McDowell).
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1982-02-24
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A Friend Indeed
Overview: An American Red Cross fund-raising short starring Deanna Durbin.
Genres: Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1941-01-02
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Angels of Mercy
Overview: Short film in support of the Red Cross showing civilian volunteers'work, radio and movie personalities at a fund-raising gala and encouraging recruitment. Deanna Durbin performs a song dedicated to the nurses. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2012.
Genres: Documentary Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1940-11-10
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Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression
Overview: A two-hour in-depth exploration into the Hollywood musicals of the 1930s.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2009-01-01
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Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1940s: Stars, Stripes and Singing
Overview: This is a two-hour in-depth exploration into the Hollywood musicals of the 1940s.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2009-12-31
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