She did seem to know that Its only a film In fact, her first marriage was violently abusive, and her second marriage to Felix Jackson was also short-lived. Invalid memorial. Deannas father outlived his wife by four years and died in 1976. 'Winnipeg's sweetheart' actress Deana Durbin dies | CBC News Loaded. Durbin passed away "a few days ago",. In the 1944 film noir Christmas Holiday, she played an unhappy honky-tonk singer opposite Gene Kelly, but the movie was seen as a disappointment. When my first marriage failed, everyone said that I could never divorce. (Getty Images), 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. To my surprise, there was much speculation to be found on whether Durbin and Cotten had had even a brief affair during the filming. 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? To get back at Hopper for the sex scandal smear, Joseph Cotten allegedly pulled the chair out from her at a party as she was sitting down, causing her to fall flat on her butt.. More information Deanna Durbin with her son Peter David More like this Vintage Hollywood Stars Hollywood Glam Golden Age Of Hollywood Classic Hollywood Although I think she would have liked us to be together, she thought separations were unharmful. All of her films were shown and he was one of the guest speakers. She was given a special miniature 1938 Academy Award for her significant contribution in bringing to the screen the spirit and personification of youth.. The camera captured a palpable chemistry between Deanna Durbin and leading man Joseph Cotten. He continues: Of all the Durbin films, this is the one where she registers the most chemistry with her leading man. At a time when most girls her age were barely discovering boys, Durbin was catapulted into her role as a wholesome teen idol to millions of young girls. My conscience didnt bother me too much. Could this also be a little inner guilt because she was still seeing Cotton, a married man? This made me immediately think that there definitely was something between them. Durbin's husband of over 48 years, Charles David, died in Paris on March 1, 1999. 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. Her next husband would be this films producer.) I do hope we are able to learn more about what went on with Deannas life. Celebrity Families. Daughter Jessica Louise was born on February 7, 1946, seven and a half months later. (Getty Images). The man was Vaughn Paul, an assistant director, whom she had married at 19 in 1941. My wife retired from the film world when we married, David told The Times in 1982. The French born David married Deanna in 1950 and Deanna chose to leave America and settle in France. I spent an afternoon with Judy Lewis when we did a joint book signing in Beverly Hills. Embarrassment expanded to humiliation, and humiliation exploded into anger. At 25, Durbin was the second highest-paid woman in America behind her fellow actress Bette Davis, according to the New York Times, and her fan club ranked as the world's largest during her active years. In that 1937 musical comedy Durbin stars as Patricia Cardwell, whose father (Adolphe Menjou) is one of 100 musicians unable to find a job. Here, for example, is a recent quote from Doug Bonner, a filmmaker and Emmy-winning sound designer. She was 91. This has nothing to do with having a swelled ego or whether you earn money for your work or not. The two moved to France and had a son. 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. Like Shirley Temple, Deanna had an early disastrous marriage that failed, to assistant director on her early films, Vaughn Paul. Edna Mae Durbin was born on Dec. 4, 1921, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and grew up in Southern California, where she studied singing. I looked up what kind of schedule Cotton was on with his films and he was pretty busy during 44 and early 45, but I am sure he could find time to get away when he wanted to. Yes, I said. Im sure it was more of a money issue than anything else. It was taken at the Federation of Music Clubs event held at the Hollywood Bowl where these gals won medals for their movie singing. What I particularly like about Durbins voice is its range, and her ability to adapt her voice to the song hearing her sing, for instance, You wanna keep your baby looking right, or, better yet, Spring will be a little late this year, one couldnt imagine that this woman could sing grand opera so many opera singers have tried to sing popular songs and always sound like an opera singer singing a popular song, but not Durbin. Were they friends with benefits after working together? No comments were ever recorded after that, but I presume they settled into a contented life together. After that, Durbin, Pasternak and Koster became known as the Durbin unit, which became the key to Universals survival for the next few years. (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. Her MGM career ended suddenly, however, when Schumann-Heink, who was to play herself as an adult in the movie about her life, died at 75 and the studio did not pick up Ms. Durbins option. Her popularity peaked by her late teens and by her mid-20s Durbin had left Hollywood forever, made wealthy by her relatively brief career. Deanna Durbin was well-treated in her early years at Universal, according to Bernard Brown who was the sound director on her films there. In 1945, Durbin made "Lady on a Train" directed by Charles David, whom she married five years later. (As it would be difficult for any woman in those circumstances.) I do my own shopping, bring up my two children and sing an hour every day.. The comparison with Garbo is, I feel, a false one Garbo didnt want to stop being a movie star, events overtook her, and Garbo played with fame in the years of her retirement the impression one gets with Garbo is that she just didnt really know what to do with herself. No other details were given. Six of her early films, including 100 Men, were directed by Henry Koster, who had fled Hitlers Germany in 1933, moved to the U.S. and directed such films as The Bishops Wife (1947) with Cary Grant and Harvey (1950) with James Stewart. One of Hollywood's Deanna Durbin has died, aged 91. The story goes that MGM head Louis B. Mayer said, after this short subject was released, Get rid of the fat one. He meant Judy Garland but instead Deanna Durbin was dropped. 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. I really venture to say that I believe one of the major reasons for Deanna to move to France was to protect her daughter and family from scandal. As soon as she could, she gave it up.. I dont understand how Gable was happy staying out of Judys life. 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. I think my response is partially due to the fact that except for the written correspondence she shared with fans like you, she did not have that open give-and-take that so many stars enjoy in their old age of being honored newly for their life achievements. In addition to Peter, her son from her marriage to David, Ms. Durbin had a daughter, Jessica, from her second marriage. No other details were given. 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. He was the screenwriter on her earlier films and produced her movies in the mid 1940s. ETimes is an Entertainment, TV & Lifestyle industry's promotional website and carries advertorials and native advertising. We will never know, however, with modern technology at least we can enjoy and appreciate her artistry. That Joseph Cotten would not have left his wife for Deanna if he indeed was the father of her child would have been very painful for Deanna, if indeed he was her great love. I was happy on the set. In 1939, Durbin and fellow teen star Mickey Rooney were presented with Juvenile Academy Awards for their "significant contribution in bringing to the screen the spirit and personification of youth.". It would ruin the . Boy, this sure sounds very familiar, doesnt it? All those years of being important and making millions for your studioand then you are given the boot and your dressing room belongings are unceremoniously dumped at the studio gate. David died in 1999, a few months before their 50th wedding anniversary. 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. 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. I was saddened to read this news today. But Deanna Durbin -- a world-famous young movie actress during the 1930s and 1940s -- managed to do it right. May 2, 2013 @ 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. Throughout her career, she would perform everything from operatic arias to popular songs. Shes wearing flowers at her midriff although its very early in her pregnancy. What I think saddens me about Deanna Durbin is that she never was able to have that experience, to have that group hug. She spoke of the Deanna persona in the third person, and considered the film character Deanna Durbin to be a by-product of her youth and not her true identity., Deanna herself told film historian David Shipman: I did not hate show business. Durbin had previously been married to assistant director Vaughn Paul from 1941 to 1943, and writer-actor Felix Jackson, with whom she had a daughter, Jessica, from 1945 to 1949. 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. Deanna Durbin or Judy Garland: 'Drop the Fat One' She was 91. 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. She was 91. However, when at age 15 she auditioned to sing the part of Snow White in the Disney animated film, Walt Disney rejected her voice as "too mature. I, too, always wondered how Loretta could keep that secret. 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. And Durbins first screen kiss with Robert Stack in the 1939 Cinderella story First Love generated international headlines. I too, wrote Deanna many times and received in return an autographed photograph which I will always treasure. Hedda Hopper couldnt openly discuss it so she did the next best thing, had a picture taken of herself sitting at ailing Jeanettes bedside, with the caption stating that Hedda heard that Jeanette was going to have a baby Jeanette just laughed and said she wished it was true but it wasnt. The marriage lasted two years. She emphasized that she never identified herself with the public image that the media created around her. Additionally, she wasnt happy with the direction her career was taking. David turned out to be the someone to take care of her like one of the meaningful songs she once sang. The other piece of information came from a friend of Pats, a fellow nurse. Bernard Brown had similar praise for and enjoyed recording Deanna Durbin during her movie career and he also received Oscar nominations for four of her films: That Certain Age, Spring Parade, His Butlers Sister and Lady on a Train. In 1938 there was a nationwide search to choose the young man who would give Ms. Durbin her first screen kiss in the movie First Love. (Robert Stack was the actor chosen.) Cate, thank you for your comments here. They sort of adopted me as their perfect daughter., In the letter, which was excerpted in some newspapers, she also wrote: I was never happy making pictures. 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