But it turned into a day of research and reflection about what had really gone on in her life behind the scenes. Per Cotten: Deanna had driven to the lot about eleven; I had come through the gate an hour later. We were both working on the same film, and our bungalows were just a few buildings apart. According to Brownie, Deannas favorite breakfast was brought to her each day French Fries and ketchup. (Getty Images) I am reminded of what a magical moment it was when Charlie Chaplin returned to America to receive an honorary Oscar in 1972. Deanna Durbin. I was away from home a lot. As a final note on daughter Jessica, I was sad to read that she apparently was estranged from her mother in adulthood. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. The following year Deanna married producer/director Charles David (he directed her in 1945's excellent Lady on a Train) and moved with him to France. But there was only room for one girl talent at MGM, and Edna Mae was shuffled off the lot. 8:47 am, It breaks my heart to hear Deanna Durbin has passed. But because of his past history of becoming involved with (and usually marrying) women much younger than himself, the court ordered him to pay child support. The following year Deanna went on suspension for about four months, settling only when she was allowed to take control over her films directors, stories and songs. Deanna Durbin, one of Hollywood's biggest box-office stars in the 1930s and early '40s, has died aged 91. Family Members . Don't miss a beat. . Like Greta Garbo, she wanted to be left alone. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. Musical Film. Ms. Durbin had remained determinedly out of public view since 1949, when she retired to a village in France with her third husband. A roamer. She agreed to make three more films for them so Universal dropped the lawsuit but ultimately allowed her contract to lapse without making those films. Could it be her disregard for the proper way she was brought up? If Id had other previous romances I might not of married the first man I was permitted to go out alone with and to see. In the afternoon there was always a break for tea and sandwiches. And I did. According to Harper's research, Durbin primarily kept at home where she happily raised her children and lived a private life. He called the arm withered. I later read press reports stating that she broke her arm at a young age and it healed incorrectly. I have not watched them in chronological order for decades but as with the Jeanette and Nelson films, theres much to notice aside from just their acting when one does that. Or even true, for that matter. In 1945, Durbin made "Lady on a Train" -- directed by Charles David, whom she married five years later. Former child star Deanna Durbin has died at the age of 91, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 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.). (I cant remember the details of his health issues but I did confirm today that Deannas parents lived in those years in Leisure Village (Laguna Hills Village). So if the above indeed was her thinking, such casting and plot revision would have been unworkable for her. Unfortunately, Lorettas daughter, Judy, has passed away. Sharon, 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. 1930s child star Deanna Durbin has died, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It also was nominated for best picture, losing out to MGMs The Great Ziegfeld.. She was given a special miniature 1938 Academy Award for her significant contribution in bringing to the screen the spirit and personification of youth.. 1930s child star Deanna Durbin has died, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She made five more films after that, ending her career in 1948 with For the Love of Mary, in which she portrayed a White House switchboard operator juggling the attentions of three men. 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. This marriage was happy and they were together 50 years until Charles David died in 1999. In fact, her first marriage was violently abusive, and her second marriage to Felix Jackson was also short-lived. This has nothing to do with having a swelled ego or whether you earn money for your work or not. Durbin gained popularity during the Depression and was known for her "sweet soprano voice" that charmed American audiences, according to the New York Times. (Getty Images) See more of : Deanna Durbin 04 / 6 9:04 pm. 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. It is human nature to want to understand people we admire or care about. Wondering why Deanna retired so young, I read about some problems she had in 1946 with her brother-in-law who had been her business manager. Of course not, I said. Durbin walked away and never went back, and had a life, a real life, not one based on illusory fame, not one based on chasing the Bitch Goddess. She turned down numerous offers to perform again, including lead roles on Broadway and the London stage as well as aconcert appearances in Las Vegas. She was 91. ETimes is an Entertainment, TV & Lifestyle industry's promotional website and carries advertorials and native advertising. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Pl-qvA1X8, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDHgg1GUNlo, Save the date! We will never know, however, with modern technology at least we can enjoy and appreciate her artistry. Pat was my source for some information about Gene Raymond including his 1949 arrest. Below, a rare photo signed with her real name: Edna May Durbin. May 3, 2013 @ 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. Poignantly, even Anne Frank, confined to her familys hiding place in Amsterdam during World War II, pasted a movie magazine picture of Durbin on her wall. Brownie had only praise for Nelsons professionalism at Universal and I agreed with him that Nelsons voice was never better recorded on film than in Phantom. Durbin and David raised a son, Peter David (born in June 1951), as well as Durbin's daughter Jessica, on a farm outside of Paris. David died in 1999. Joanne, that is awesome that you corresponded with her. May 2, 2013 @ 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. 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. It would ruin the . It was really a way for the nation to thank Chaplin for his years of entertainment as a artist and to apologize for exiling him during the communist witch-hunt era when he was accused of being a Russian-sympathizer-anti-America villain (this man who had tirelessly raised bonds for the Allies during WWI and had the courage to make an anti-Hitler film in 1940 when everyone was afraid to touch that subject). No other details were given. In 1946, Ms. Durbins salary of $323,477 from Universal made her the second-highest-paid woman in America, just $5,000 behind Bette Davis. Mr. David died in 1999, a few months before their 50th wedding anniversary. maceddy In his autobiography, Easy the Hard Way, Mr. Pasternak who would eventually move to MGM and build the careers of two other coloratura sopranos, Kathryn Grayson and Jane Powell said that stardom was always a matter of chemistry between the public and the player and that no one could take credit for discovering Deanna Durbin. No other details were given. The exact date and cause of death were unspecified, though the son of former Universal director Henry Koster, who guided Durbin in some of her biggest hits, said she died around April 20. Part of HuffPost Entertainment. They were married from 1945 to 1949. 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. 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 . In 1947, she was the highest paid star in Hollywood, known for movies such as Three Smart Girls, Spring Parade and Mad about Music. Durbin's death was initially reported by her son, Peter H. David, in the Deanna Durbin Society newsletter. By the time she and David married, Durbin was completing a near total retreat from the public eye. (Getty Images). In the 1988 book The Genius of the System: Hollywood Filmmaking in the Studio Era, Thomas Schatz wrote that the film, which cost $300,000 to produce, was a bargain price for any musical let alone a runaway hit that vaulted an unknown ingenue to stardom., Boosted by Durbins appearances on Eddie Cantors radio show, Three Smart Girls was the studios biggest hit of the year. 11, Manitoba, Canada: Death: April 20, 2013 (91) Neauphle-le-Chteau, Yvelines, le-de-France, France Immediate Family: Wife of Charles David and Felix Raphael Jackson Mother of Private and Jessica Louise Jackson. Deanna Durbin, a singing child movie star of the 1930s who became one of the wo Read More, 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. Now they will be my treasures. (Getty Images), 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. In movie after movie Ms. Durbins character found a way to help the struggling grown-ups in her life: reuniting her divorced parents, persuading the conductor Leopold Stokowski to help her out-of-work musician father, cajoling a stranger into becoming her father for a day. Ill simply say you called and said you did not have a midnight tryst on the lot Forget it, Hedda, I said. In a subsequent report, the Associated Press quoted a family friend who said Durbin had died on or about April 20. The only warm thing in my igloo was my temper. My wife retired from the film world when we married, David told The Times in 1982. Like Shirley Temple, Deanna had an early disastrous marriage that failed, to assistant director on her early films, Vaughn Paul. Plus, its one thing to experience that as an adult but for the child stars who knew no other life to be has-beens so quickly with their entire adult lives ahead of themyou cant blame them for being bitter. 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. Cotton describes the whole event in his book in such a contrived way that, I felt anyway, that something had indeed happened. It was announced today that Deanna Durbin passed away, apparently a few days ago at age 91. And, if this Deanna Durbin Joseph Cotten affair didnt take off in 1943, what about later on? 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 played a series of ideal teenaged daughters over the next few years in films such as That Certain Age, First Love and Its a Date. My favourite anecdotes about Durbin concern Cant Help Singing, and I do hope theyre true when the costume designer (Walter Plunkett?) 1:18 pm. Ms. Durbin, who was originally to have ninth billing in Three Smart Girls, became the movies star when studio executives saw the first rushes. Nelson Eddy sings Christmas carols for you. (Getty Images), /celebs/international/reclusive-hollywood-actress-deanna-durbin-dies-at-91/eventshow/19820950.cms, 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. Here is part of his letter to her: catebar44 Her son. The actress was born Edna Mae Durbin in Winnipeg, Canada, but moved to California with her British-born parents when she was young. From 1936 to 1942, Ms. Durbin was everyones intrepid kid sister or spunky daughter, a wholesome, radiant, can-do girl who in a series of wildly popular films was always fixing the problems of unhappy adults. She could not have been allowed by Universal to have a child out of wedlock as the scandal would destroy her film career. The other piece of information came from a friend of Pats, a fellow nurse. She was a genuine, sweet person and I felt the only reason John Jr would have refused to do a DNA test was that he might have had to share his dads royalties, etc. With changing times I feel it would have been possible for her to maintain her privacy as well as have a career. She was wearing a ring on her left hand covered with tape which could be seen when dancing with Franchot Tone. ", "The character I was forced into had little or nothing in common with myself or with other youth of my generation, for that matter.". I loved my wife. Durbin made her first film appearance with Judy Garland in Every Sunday (1936), and . Third husband of singer and actress Deanna Durbin. Of course, who knows what I would do if I were in that situation. Deanna loves spaghetti and candy and like all youngsters she hates to diet, but now Universal has told her she must reduce. Society newsletter David married, Durbin was completing a near total retreat from film! Universal to have a child out of wedlock as the scandal would destroy her film career to... Appearance with Judy Garland in Every Sunday ( 1936 ), and Edna Mae was shuffled off the lot eleven... Inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription to maintain her privacy as well have... Buildings apart family friend who said Durbin had died on or about April 20 your! Enjoy and appreciate her artistry of research and reflection about what had really gone on her. That she apparently was estranged from her mother in adulthood same film, and their 50th anniversary... 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