Deanna Durbin dies

Jimmy ConnorsJimmy Connors Posts: 117,524
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Can't find a thread on this.

91 years old .... I was watching a film of hers a few weeks ago on YouTube. What a beautiful voice she had.

RIP

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22364605

Comments

  • stvn758stvn758 Posts: 19,656
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    My Mum loves her, she had a good innings as they say.
  • SloopySloopy Posts: 65,209
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    Sad to hear about this, not widely publicised. Still, 91 is a solid innings.
  • Walter NeffWalter Neff Posts: 9,148
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    Both Deanna and Judy Garland made their film debut in a ten minute MGM short, entitled, Every Sunday Afternoon, released in 1936.

    Deanna retired aged just 27, and seemed to have had a happy and fulfilling life, she also outlived Judy by 44 years, not bad going.
  • BritFlicks1BritFlicks1 Posts: 631
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    I don't mean this in a nasty way but I thought she was already dead.

    RIP.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,532
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    That's a hell of a retirement.
  • IRITALIAIRITALIA Posts: 6,508
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    One forgets just what a huge, huge star she was in her heyday. RIP.
  • GORTONIANGORTONIAN Posts: 8,673
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    Both Deanna and Judy Garland made their film debut in a ten minute MGM short, entitled, Every Sunday Afternoon, released in 1936.

    Deanna retired aged just 27, and seemed to have had a happy and fulfilling life, she also outlived Judy by 44 years, not bad going.

    She did indeed...After two marriages broke down and producers wanting to shoe box her into the same roles she decided enough was enough met and wed Henri David and moved to France.
    She apparently continued to sing for her family and friends and despite being offered millions of pounds over the years to make concert appearances and films (they were particularly interested in pairing her with Mario Lanza) resisted ALL attempts to do so...how different from todays called "celebs"
    Having said that never forgot her fans and remember had it not been for her films Universal studios would have gone bust in the 1930s
    RIP Deanna ..x:)
  • BungitinBungitin Posts: 5,356
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    Golly.

    IIRC she kept Universal profitable so they could make Abbott and Costello films.
  • angelafisherangelafisher Posts: 4,150
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    Can't find a thread on this.

    91 years old .... I was watching a film of hers a few weeks ago on YouTube. What a beautiful voice she had.

    RIP

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22364605

    Sad news, I enjoyed her films and thought her singing was lovely.
  • jeff_vaderjeff_vader Posts: 938
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    Love musicals and, yes, sad news. She was worthy of that title Living Legend. Can't be many of the classic MGM musical stars left (Mickey Rooney?). :cry:
  • Walter NeffWalter Neff Posts: 9,148
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    jeff_vader wrote: »
    Love musicals and, yes, sad news. She was worthy of that title Living Legend. Can't be many of the classic MGM musical stars left (Mickey Rooney?). :cry:

    Thankfully, Debbie Reynolds, Jane Powell, and Leslie Caron are still with us, as is the amazing Marge Champion at 93, and the fabulous swimmer, Esther Williams at 91. :)
  • BirdsworthBirdsworth Posts: 1,223
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    In her time she was probably the biggest star in the world, but because she retired so young, she'd been all but forgotten. Coverage of her death has been miniscule which is very sad, although perhaps that's what she would have wanted.

    Fantastic voice, and it seems like she had a very happy retirement, so RIP Miss Durbin.
  • BirdsworthBirdsworth Posts: 1,223
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    Bungitin wrote: »
    Golly.

    IIRC she kept Universal profitable so they could make Abbott and Costello films.

    So, she wasn't all good, then.

    She was still one of the best, despite that criminal behaviour. :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 24,724
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    Sad, my mum loves her voice
  • FilliAFilliA Posts: 864
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    Didn't Joseph Cotton kick Louella Parsons in her rear end for besmirching Deanna's honour in her horrible gossip column?
    Deanna was lovely, I saw all her films in a BBC2 Saturday afternoon season when I was a child. Lovely that she had such a long happy life after her retirement.
  • FlannoFlanno Posts: 1,427
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    FilliA wrote: »
    Didn't Joseph Cotton kick Louella Parsons in her rear end for besmirching Deanna's honour in her horrible gossip column?
    Deanna was lovely, I saw all her films in a BBC2 Saturday afternoon season when I was a child. Lovely that she had such a long happy life after her retirement.

    Actually it was Hedda Hopper whom Joseph Cotten pulled a chair from under her at a social event after she published a story of Joseph & Deanna committing an extramartial affair together in her gossip column. Joseph kept pulling the chair several times as she attempted to sit down. :)

    Also it was Spencer Tracy who actually kicked Hedda's rear-end at a Hollywood nightclub after she did a similiar thing by hinting that Spencer & Katharine Hepburn were more than just friends in her gossip column.
  • FizzbinFizzbin Posts: 36,827
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    From when my Mum was young until she was a teenager, the only films her mother would allow her to watch at the cineams were Deanna Durbin ones. Anything else (even cartoons) would have too much sexual content for her. My grandmother was a very dour woman with an uncanny resemblance to Queen Victoria, but had they met, Victoria would have told her to damn well cheer up and stop being so frumpy.
  • Jimmy ConnorsJimmy Connors Posts: 117,524
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    There are some lovely anecdotes and stories about Deanna in this thread. :)
  • GORTONIANGORTONIAN Posts: 8,673
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    There are some lovely anecdotes and stories about Deanna in this thread. :)

    There are Jimmy.:)
    A couple more ...Her first screen kiss was from Robert Stack (Elliot Ness from the tv show The Untouchables)and just to prove her popularity ..many cinemas block booked seven of her films together in a promotion called Seven Happy Days With Deanna Durbin showing one a night and packing cinemas out....:Dwe are talking 2500 seater venues not the mini screens we have today...How many "stars" could do that now??:confused:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,062
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    Flanno wrote: »
    Actually it was Hedda Hopper whom Joseph Cotten pulled a chair from under her at a social event after she published a story of Joseph & Deanna committing an extramartial affair together in her gossip column. Joseph kept pulling the chair several times as she attempted to sit down. :)

    Also it was Spencer Tracy who actually kicked Hedda's rear-end at a Hollywood nightclub after she did a similiar thing by hinting that Spencer & Katharine Hepburn were more than just friends in her gossip column.

    Both Louella and Hopper wrote very malicious colums, but for once Hopper told the truth about Tracy/Hepburn. They had a very long ongoing affair which lasted until he died. I read somewhere he and his wife were RC so he couldn't/wouldn't divorce his wife.

    But that aside I'm very sad to hear that Deanna has died. As has been said she had a beautiful voice.
  • Metal MickeyMetal Mickey Posts: 1,606
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    Birdsworth wrote: »
    In her time she was probably the biggest star in the world, but because she retired so young, she'd been all but forgotten. Coverage of her death has been miniscule which is very sad, although perhaps that's what she would have wanted.

    Just to echo this, really - she was an absolutely massive star in her time, and so loved, yet she's very much a movie footnote today... and I have to admit, that if you'd asked me last week, I'd have said she was already dead, too. :(

    But, she had a fabulous voice, and brought genuine happiness to a lot of people in a short time, including my Mum :) RIP Deanna.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 5
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    Aw..my Dad loved her - just last week found an old video of hers in one of our charity shops which I bought for him - sorry to hear the news
  • cyril-furrcyril-furr Posts: 1,518
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    Yes some great tributes to the late, great Deanna.

    My late mother loved her voice & in fact tried to sing like her & entertained my Dad's mates with her singing at RAF Henlow during WW2.

    Deanna was equal in popularity to Vera Lynn in those difficult times.

    My Fav titles?
    "When april sings", from the very rare film: Spring Parade
    &
    "There will aways be an England" from Nice girl.

    Yes, rest in peace Deanna - not only a great singer, but one who "Did her bit" in her own way, to help rid the world of evil dictators, such as Hitler.
  • Jimmy ConnorsJimmy Connors Posts: 117,524
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    cyril-furr wrote: »
    Yes some great tributes to the late, great Deanna.

    My late mother loved her voice & in fact tried to sing like her & entertained my Dad's mates with her singing at RAF Henlow during WW2.

    Deanna was equal in popularity to Vera Lynn in those difficult times.

    My Fav titles?
    "When april sings", from the very rare film: Spring Parade
    &
    "There will aways be an England" from Nice girl.

    Yes, rest in peace Deanna - not only a great singer, but one who "Did her bit" in her own way, to help rid the world of evil dictators, such as Hitler.

    Cyril, 'Spring Parade' is on YT in its entirety. I watched it a few weeks ago with my youngest (who loved it too)

    It's a wonderful film, with wonderful performances. :)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT32OjDYX5Q
  • cyril-furrcyril-furr Posts: 1,518
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    Cyril, 'Spring Parade' is on YT in its entirety. I watched it a few weeks ago with my youngest (who loved it too)

    It's a wonderful film, with wonderful performances. :)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT32OjDYX5Q

    Quote:
    For some utterly stupid reason, a legal one as usual - the "Rights" to this film were lost - the only reason this copy, a 16mm one exists, it was presented to Deanna's parents & "Somehow" a fan obtained access to it, made a copy - a quite good one - that you are now watching! I'm sure a good 35mm copy or even a positive master, still exists in Universal's archive.
    It should be properly released on DVD for all of Edna mae's many fans - worldwide to enjoy.
    Meanwhile, a link to America & Always be an England is here:http://www.youtube.com/user/ddurbinfan
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