d120421

IT STARTED WITH EVE is generally regarded as one of Deanna Durbin's most delightful films. Charles Laughton had seen Deanna's earlier films and been quite impressed with her finding her "charming, funny, warm, natural, fresh and unspoiled." Reportedly, he insisted that he be permitted to make at least one film with her as a pre-requisite to signing a contract with Universal. The result was IT STARTED WITH EVE, Deanna's tenth films, and the one which was to mark her first fully "adult" role. Although Universal executives were uncertain how Durbin and Laughton would get along and some expected there would be fireworks, they got along famously, and Deanna remained one of Laughton's closest friends until his death. Deanna herself credited Laughton with teaching her how to relax on the set between filming her scenes (though, as others have mentioned, her alleged offscreen nervousness is not evident at all in her earlier pre-EVE films). Laughton's agent at the time, Kurt Frings (sp?) recalled a particularly delightful incident during the filming of EVE which reflected the warm "father/daughter" relationship he had with Durbin. As you know, in EVE, Laughton plays a (supposedly) dying old millionaire and thus spends a good deal of the film confined to a huge four poster bed. Laughton's birthday fell on one of the shooting dates for EVE, and Deanna, who was aware it was his birthday, ordered a huge birthday cake for the entire cast and crew to celebrate the occasion. Other Universal executives, who hadn't planned to mark the occasion (or didn't know of it, I forget which), hurriedly ordered a huge bouquet of flowers to be presented to Laughton during the party. The cake was wheeled in and placed beside the bed during a break in the filming. Laughton was still in the bed, and a Universal page ran into the room and placed the huge bouquet of flowers on the bed beside Laughton. Unfortunately, no one was aware that there were ants on the flowers which quickly crawled all over the bed, including all through the bedding, sheets, etc., forcing Laughton to be hastily removed while the linens were changed and the bed and room were fumigated. Laughton was furious and had a fit, ranting and raving so much that the director, Henry Koster, and the rest of the crew beat a hasty retreat across the room leaving only Deanna to defuse the furious Laughton. Turning to Deanna (who apparently was unfazed by the incident), Laughton shook his finger at her and sternly said: "There are four things in this world that I absolutely can't stand: bad acting, bad wine, bad cigars...and ANTS!" No one said anything but Deanna, after the briefest pause, broke into a wide grin and said: "I know just what you mean...Cuddles!" Laughton was completely disarmed, laughed and hugged her and the birthday celebration resumed. Laughton's agent later recalled: "Deanna Durbin was the only person I ever knew who could get away with calling Charles Laughton 'Cuddles'!"

> This wonderful film will be aired on TCM, the > following dates: > > 03/14/2005 10:00 PM > > 04/06/2005 08:00 AM > Thanks feaito: This is great news. I've always enjoyed this excellent screwball comedy and used to have it on tape. Both stars are marvelous, but Stewart has a field day donning a variety of disguises (with and without Colbert's assistance) as he attempts to evade the law. I swear by my eyes, it's a great movie! (You don't know me, of course, but when I swear by my eyes....)

Both of the other versions of the story (1939 and 1994) were titled LOVE AFFAIR. The 1939 version starred Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne, and despite the undeniable popularity of AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER, is, by universal critical consensus (including that of director Leo McCarey, who directed both the original 1939 version and AATR), considered vastly superior to both remakes, neither of which managed to capture the intimacy, charm, warmth and humor of the original. The 1994 remake, starring Warren Beaty and Annette Benning and featuring a cameo by Katharine Hepburn as Beatty's aunt, is, by universal critical consensus, considered the worst version of the three. A consensus with which I must concur. TCM does show the original 1939 LOVE AFFAIR occasionally. In fact, I believe they last did so about a week ago as part of the month-long Oscar salute, so you may want to check to see when they're going to run it again. Otherwise, a public domain version of the film is available at a budget price on DVD. There may even be more than one DVD edition available, but I don't think a first-rate restoration has been performed on the film as yet. Hope this is helpful.

Deanna Durbin had what they used to call a "withered" left arm. Whether this was a consequence of a birth defect or a broken arm that didn't quite heal properly is unclear, but, as you've discovered, it obviously didn't affect her appeal at all, and she learned to disguise the condition pretty well. According to one of the Garland biographers (Christopher Finch, I think), Judy Garland used to do what Finch termed a "cruel imitation" of Durbin's singing posture emphasizing the slightly crooked arm, but other than that reference, I've never seen anyone comment unfavorably on it or indicate that it limited her appeal at all. I hope they release more of the Durbin films soon too. She was a uniquely gifted and talented performer...and the voice wasn't too bad either.

Thanks for the news. DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK was also a favorite of mine (and my father's) and I watched it whenever I could when it was on TV and bought the video for my Dad as soon as it became available. The Technicolor is gorgeous, as is the scenery of "Mohawk Valley." I think Edna Mae got an Oscar nomination for her work in this film, which is unquestionably one of her best (and best-loved) performances. I also thought Fonda and Colbert were excellent, and it was nice to see Colbert in a somewhat unglamorous and dramatic role.

I agree with the other poster, Feaito, a great review of the six films in the SWEETHEART PACK: informative, concise and affectionate. Well done!

Thanks for the information. I've never subscribed to FILMS OF THE GOLDEN AGE or CLASSIC IMAGES magazines, but I occasionally come across them at a bookstore in my area. I've never seen an article on Deanna D in these magazines (though I wouldn't be surprised if she was covered at some point), but I did buy a CLASSIC IMAGES magazine last summer that had a substantial cover story article on Gloria Jean, Universal's "successor' to Durbin. Interestingly, although Universal and producer Joe Pasternak were motivated to put Jean under contract because they were looking for a young soprano to take up in the sort of "child star" roles Durbin had played as Durbin was being groomed for adult roles, neither Jean nor the article mention Durbin's influence on her career. Durbin is mentioned in passing as having married Charles David, the director of Jean's 1944 film, RIVER GANG and Durbin's 1945 film LADY ON A TRAIN, but if someone unfamiliar with Durbin's status were to read the article it's likely he or she would assume that Gloria Jean was filmdom's first "Teen Soprano."

You're welcome, Loliteblue: I'd hoped I hadn't put you off from watching Lanza's movies or listening to his recordings forever. He may have been a troubled personality, but it's his professional legacy that survives and that should be respected and enjoyed by his fans. I think you'd enjoy MARIO LANZA: THE AMERICAN CARUSO, and if you're able to locate a copy (I know it was released on video and I think has been released on DVD, though not sure on that one), you should definitely check it out. Incidentally, one other interesting bit of trivia I think I forgot to mention about the British people's love affair with Deanna Durbin: in 1942, the Odeon Theatre circuit held a seven-day Deanna Durbin Festival: From the Child of Our Hearts To The Woman We Love." For the entire week her films were played exclusively on the screens of this theater chain throughout Britain, a feat that has never been repeated for any other star. In some recent (and not-so-recent) interviews, Dame Julie Andrews has referred to her own adolescent singing child prodigy performing persona in British vaudeville as "I was Britain's answer to Deanna Durbin." I think this comment by the English born and raised Julie is perfectly understandable, especially given that Deanna was an "American" movie star, but the British had such a proprietary interest in Deanna that I suspect some of them might dispute her comment.

Hi loliteblue: I'm sorry you're disillusioned by Lanza's offscreen behavior. I'm not a fan of Mario's, but you shouldn't let it affect your enjoyment of his movies, recordings, etc. If you haven't seen it already you should try to catch the documentary MARIO LANZA: AMERICAN CARUSO. Hosted by Placido Domingo, who, like several other notable tenors was inspired by THE GREAT CARUSO to pursue a career in opera, and containing comments from several of Lanza's friends and co-workers, including Kahtryn Grayson, it doesn't deny that he had problems, but paints a generally sympathetic portrait of him and contains several admiring comments about his voice and his legacy.

Thanks for the encouragement, Moviejoe: Issues of lack talent, ability and time constraints aside, maybe I'll give it some thought. Perhaps if I can realize my long-standing ambition of marrying money, I can "retire" to a the sort of privileged, slothful lifestyle to which I've long aspired...The sort of lifestyle that could make such a pipedream a reality. lol! I've actually considered someone doing an article comparing Deanna and Judy, though, if it were me, it might raise the hackles of some more traditional and devout Garland loyalists for my "revisionist" viewpoint. lol! Incidentally, did you know that Deanna was the favorite film star of Prime Minister Winston Churchill? According to spy novelist Eric Ambler, among others, Churchill used to run Deanna's film 100 MEN AND A GIRL to celebrate British victories during the War and would comment as he watched the film, "A formidable talent, Deanna Durbin!"

Hi Paty: Poor Dorretta Morrow had such a hard time of it. First she plays "Tuptim" in the original production of THE KING AND I and star Gertrude Lawrence reportedly has a fit over her auditioning Lawrence's songs (becaue Morrow had a better singing voice), then she goes to Hollywood and gets assigned a picture with Mario Lanza. No wonder the poor thing never made another movie (at least, not that I'm aware of). As far as I know, none of Deanna's co-stars tried to get fresh with her, though, according to Jackie Cooper he and Deanna had a brief romance during the making of THAT CERTAIN AGE. I don't have Melvyn Douglas's autobiography in front of me, but he also commented on how pretty she was during the making of that movie and said that her burgeoning womanhood (she was 16 at the time), attracted much male attention, and he (Douglas) was sure that she was aware of it. After she became an adult star, Robert Cummings reportedly wrote her a very genetlemanly love letter saying that now that she was an adult he could express his true feelings for her, and there was the famous incident between Joseph Cotten and gossip columnist Hedda Hopper which was over a rumored romance between Deanna and Cotten during the filming of HERS TO HOLD. Given that she matured into a beautiful young woman (and even before that was a very pretty young girl), I doubt very much whether Deanna ever lacked for male attention/admiration. In fact, upon hearing of her engagement to her first husband, Vaughn Paul, one besotted Harvard University student reportedly attempted suicide by jumping into the Charles River. Although in that excerpt from OPERA NEWS I cited earlier Eric Myers was dismissive of both Deanna's vocal and acting talent, he did cite her remarkable charisma and beauty as the key factor in her success: < As Durbin matured, the attractiveness became something more. With her full lips, voluptuous physique and caressing, dreamy way of focusing on her male co-stars, she projected an eroticism that is rarely acknowledged by her fans. Nowhere was this more evident than in 1944's Christmas Holiday, her most atypical effort, in which she played a hooker in a New Orleans cathouse. It was her sole dramatic role, and one of her own favorites. (Durbin's beauty was also on full, flamboyant display in Can't Help Singing, in which she got to take a bubble bath in glorious Technicolor.)>> It's also true that Deanna's mother reportedly kept a close eye on Deanna during her adolescence. In fact, I believe that Eddie Cantor said that he believed that Deanna fell in love so often because her mother had kept such careful watch over her when she was a child, though I don't think this was an uncommon trait among mothers of child performers. For instance, although much unflattering material has been written about Judy Garland's mother, Ethel Gumm Gilmore, it's well-documented that during Judy's early career at MGM, Ethel was banned from the studio lot for a year(?) due to her constant complaints about the way the studio was treating Judy, and Judy's sister Virginia recalled of her mother's attitude toward the studio's treatment of Judy: "It wasn't ever a case of her saying 'You do what they tell you to do.' If Judy complaiend, Mama complained."

Hi loliteblue: Of course, in Hollywood you never know for sure, but personally I don't think there's much truth to the rumor that L.B. Mayer blackballed Deanna for turning down an offer to make films with Mario Lanza. Among other factors to consider that would make the rumor seem implausible, by the time Deanna left Universal in 1949, Mayer's power and position at MGM was on the wane. Loew's (MGM's parent company) executives in New York had been unhappy with declining revenues at the studio for the past few years and had insisted that Mayer hire "another Thalberg" in the person of Dore Schary to help put the studio back on its' feet. By 1951, Mayer had been forced out and Schary had taken his place. Also, one has to consider that Deanna reportedly continued to receive other film offers, many from MGM, in the early 1950s after Mayer was gone. Deanna's former producer, Joe Pasternak, who remained at MGM through the late 1960s, continued to urge her throughout this period to make a film comeback, offers she repeatedly turned down, and she also reportedly was MGM producer Jack Cummings's first choice for the female lead in MGM's film version of KISS ME KATE, which would not have gone into production until 1952, over a year after Mayer had been forced out. Deanna's late husband, Charles David, did state later in an interview: "Mario Lanza desperately wanted to make a film with Deanna, and MGM offered her a fortune to do it, but she will never return to that life", and that's probably as accurate a comment as we can expect on the issue. In any case, even if she had been interested in making a film comeback, I think Deanna was wise not to consider making a film with the volatile and egocentric Lanza, whose offscreen behavior gave a whole new dimension to the word "temperament." Although remaining friendly with Lanza's family and sympathetic to his personal problems, Kathryn Grayson had resolutely refused to star in a film with Lanza after his behavior toward her during filming of their second picture together THAT MIDNIGHT KISS, and Jane Powell, contacted about playing the female lead in THE STUDENT PRINCE opposite Lanza, reportedly replied that "a sentence to Devil's Island would be preferrable." It seems that only the religious, imperturbable Ann Blyth (who appeared in both THE GREAT CARUSO and THE STUDENT PRINCE) was capable of coping with Lanza's mercurial behavior with equanimity. > d120421 Thanks for your knowledgeable posts on the > wonderful Deanna Durbin. My favorite movies are "lady > on > A Train", "First Kiss" -where deanna gets her first > screen kiss by Robert Stack!... "The Butler's > Sister" > But i thought Deanna got in real trouble with L.B. > Mayer > when she refused to do a film with the popular > musical > star Mario Lanza? Wasn't Deanna Durbin blacklisted > by > L.B. Mayer for not cooperating with his > wishes?...... > Could you shed some light on this or not? I agree > with > Cyd Charesse you can't compare apples & oranges when > it > comes to Judy Garland and Deanne Durbin lolite.

What a great compliment, Paty! Based on my reading of your posts on Deanna, I think this is a task you could easily handle yourself, but I'm really flattered that you think I could handle it, too! In comparing Deanna's and Judy's films, I want to be sure I don't slight Judy in any way as one of the iconic talents/personalities of 20th Century popular entertainment. She was unquestionably one of the all-time greats, starred in some of the greatest musical films of all time (and infinitely improved the quality of several of her lesser films through her participation in them) and is rightly considered one of the most talented and gifted performers in the history of film, never mind musical film. That said, I do agree with you that, though, at the height of her career, Judy was unquestionably one of MGM's greatest and most remarkable assets, as she was often paired with co-stars who were at least as popular and, in a few cases (e.g., Kelly, Astaire and Rooney) as gifted in their way as she, she seldom was the "de facto" star of her films as Deanna almost always was (and was required to be) at Universal. A quick overview of Judy's immediate post-OZ career supports this opinion, I think. It's often said that OZ made Judy a "superstar" but despite her placing in the Top Ten box office favorites polls for 1940 and 1941 respectively, one would never know this from an examination of her roles in her post-OZ adolescent MGM vehicles. Of the eight film appearances Judy made between OZ in 1939 and 1942's FOR ME AND MY GAL (in which she not only played her first "adult" role, but first attained the solo above-the-title billing that marked a true "superstar"), only one of Judy's films, 1940's LITTLE NELLIE KELLY (in which she receives prominent below-the-title billing), can truly be considered a "Judy Garland" vehicle. In all of the others, whether additions to the ANDY HARDY series (e.g., AH MEETS DEBUTANTE, LIFE BEGINS FOR AH) or one of the popular BABES musicals (e.g., BABES IN ARMS, STRIKE UP THE BAND, BABES ON BROADWAY), Judy provides critical but definite support to the (at the time) more popular Mickey Rooney. As pop culture historian Ethan Mordden has observed: "All of the BABES films are Rooney vehicles" with Judy, her musical interludes aside, largely reduced to a "feeder of lines" for Rooney's antics. This is even true when Judy, as befit her rising star status, received prominent billing in a non-Rooney film, as was the case with 1941's ZIEGFELD GIRL. Although billed above her two glamorous co-stars, Lana Turner and Hedy Lamarr in this lavish production (but below recent Oscar-winner James Stewart who gets top billing), Judy's role, the musical segments aside, is definitely a supporting one in a vehicle clearly designed to enable "Sweater Girl" Lana to make the transition from starlet to star. While Lana is given the dramatically meaty role of the Ziegfeld aspirant who succumbs to the pressures of fame and fortune by turning to alcohol and stage door johnnies, when the musical routines end, Judy's role is largely reduced to fretting over the unfortunate state of hammy vaudevillian father Charles Winninger's cornball act, and sipping drug store sodas with adolescent beau Jackie Cooper. I think it's a credit to Judy's remarkable talent that it's doubtful whether anyone ever played this sort of thankless role more appealingly, but thankless roles they are, and this thankless role was (apparently) the best that MGM could come up with for her at this time. It's often said that this was because MGM didn't want to break up a good thing with the astonishingly popular Garland/Rooney team, but if one looks at Rooney's work during this same period, I think that argumet is faulty at best. While Judy worked almost exclusively with Rooney during this period (in films in which he had the much larger, better delineated roles), Rooney made several starring film vehicles without Judy, not only additional chapters in the ANDY HARDY series, but also films like HUCKLEBERRY FINN, YOUNG TOM EDISON, MEN OF BOYS' TOWN, A YANK AT EATON, etc., etc. in all of which (excluding, possibly MEN OF BOYS' TOWN in which he was co-starred with Spencer Tracy), he had the leading role. By contrast, though she generally only made two films a year, Deanna Durbin never appeared in a feature film in which she didn't star, and unlike the later vehicles produced at MGM by Pasternak for Grayson, Powell, and Blyth, Durbin was always the major star attraction of her films. She was launched with special "star" billing in her first film, THREE SMART GIRLS, and, by her second, 100 MEN AND A GIRL, she had attained the above-the=title superstar billing she would retain for the rest of her career (and which Judy would not attain until five years later in 1942's FOR ME AND MY GAL). In addition, throughout her adolescence, Deanna was literally the studio's only box office star, an enormous burden for a child to bear. (Deanna remained Universal's most valuable assset and only ranking box office star throughout her career at the studio, but as she moved into adult roles, the addition of the grosses from the films of the astonishingly popular Abbott and Costello and those of the talented Donald O'Connor & Peggy Ryan "B" musicals, also contributed to Unviersal's coffers.) Moreover, once both actresses moved into adult roles, the pressure on Durbin to deliver the box office gold was even greater than it was on Garland. While Garland had her pick of MGM's stable of talented musical (e.g., Astaire, Kelly) and non-musical (e.g., Robert Walker, Van Heflin, John Hodiak) leading men, Durbin was too often saddled with likable but bland second-tier male romantic partners like Edmund O'Brien, Robert Paige, David Bruce and Dick Haymes. Thus while a dedicated fan of Astaire or Kelly's who either only iiked or was indifferent to Garland could attend a film like THE PIRATE or EASTER PARADE and still derive great enjoyment from the significant screen time given to their favorites, love her or hate her, if you went to a Deanna Durbin movie, you'd better be prepared to see a lot of Durbin. Throughout Deanna's career, much more so than was the case with Judy at MGM, Durbin bore the burden of carrying her films to box office success solely on the weight of her pretty lyric soprano shoulders, and despite the fact that, unlike MGM, Universal didn't own its' own chain of theaters (so that Deanna's films had to compete with others on the open market for screening time/forums), up until her very final poorly concieved and produced vehicles, she managed to do so with remarkable consistency.

> I've got to say, d120421, paty, and others, that this > has been a most enjoyable and fascinating thread. I > was just sighing to myself that this board has been > awfully quiet since having technical problems a > little while back, when here you bring it to life! > > All I've ever known of Deanna Durbin has been the > aforementioned short subject with Judy Garland > ("Every Sunday," is that the title?), its throwaway > mention in "That's Entertainment," and a recording of > "When April Sings" on a compilation of Hollywood > movie songs. > > Her lovely singing in those, plus what you've written > here, has made me eager to check out more of Durbin's > movies. > > As an ardent Astaire fan, I'd like your take: When > you picture the movie Durbin might have made with > him, what would it be like? I know she was in a film > with Gene Kelly, but it wasn't a musical. > > Speaking of Fred and Gene, I think that comparing > them is as futile an exercise as comparing Deanna and > Judy! Thanks for letting me (and others) know how much you've enjoyed this thread. I've only been a member of this forum for a few days (though I've been a "lurker" for a while and always enjoyed reading the various threads in the many discussion topics). It ceratainly looks like a wonderful group of people and the knowledge base and variety of opinions are incredible. I'm having a ball! Wasn't that "technical glitch" re the log in/registration process a nightmare? I've been trying to register off and on for the last three weeks and couldn't get on to the board, even as a "Guest." I e-mailed TCM a couple of times to alert them to the problem and finally heard back from them with the news that they were working on corrcting the problem. I was glad to know it wasn't just my computer and even gladder to find out they'd succeeded. By all means check out some of Deanna's films if you'd like. I think you'd probably enjoy them. THE DEANNA DURBIN SWEETHEART PACK which was released last summer, is perhaps a good place to start, since it contains six of her films and is available at retail price $26.99 at just a little more than it would cost for a regular full-priced DVD. Also, it's available (or was) at various stores at a discount price (I bought mine for $19.99 on the day it was released from MEDIA PLAY), so you might want to check around and see if you can get a bargain on it. If you'd rather not spend the money to check out her films (and I can ceratinly appreciate why you wouldn't) you might want to try your local public libray (or libraries) and see if they have any of her films available in their card catalogues. Most libraries are "online" now, so it's much easier to search a libary network from your home or office computer so long as you hvae a valid library card. You can also usually request a film through the computer, even if you're requesting it from a library in a different town/city within your state. (Apologies if you're already familiar with all of this.) As to what film(s) I could see Deanna in with Fred Astaire (also one of my favorites), it's interesting you should mention him. I read an article on Deanna's career from the early 1960s by film historian Gene Ringgold from the early 1960s in which Ringgold stated that Universal-International originally approached Astaire to direct Deanna's "final" film, the film version of the Broadway hit, UP IN CENTRAL PARK. I don't recall Ringgold saying why the deal fell through (I suspect it may have been because Fred was "retired" at the time the studio approached him but that the offer to appear in EASTER PARADE came up and Astaire decided to put on his dancing shoes again (Thank You, God!) Although Deanna wasn't trained as a dancer, I could certainly see her playing any of the female leads Astaire made in films with non-dancers such as DAMSEL IN DISTRESS, SECOND CHORUS, THE SKY'S THE LIMIT, etc., and, although it ultimately became a "dancing" musical with the versatile Vera-Ellen as Fred's partner, I think Deanna would have made a charming (and funny) BELLE OF NEW YORK. Also, if the scripts were altered to suit her talents (or if she was given proper dance training), I could see Deanna easily fititng in as (in her earlier career) a child of Astaire's or later, his romantic vis-a-vis in any of those stylish RKO musicals he made with Ginger Rogers. Not that I'd change a thing about those wonderful RKO classics in their present form, but if the studio had concocted a similar "screwball-esque" musical for Astaire and Durbin, I could see her doing quite well in this format. Most of Deanna's best films had a very sophisticated air about them (unlike the more jingoistic and Middle American films being produced by MGM for Mickey and Judy at that time) and were peppered with screwball elements and some of the best supporting actors (e.g., Eugene Pallette, Alice Brady, Mishca Auer, Charles Winninger, etc.) to ever work in the genre. And Deanna herself was (in my opinion), a delightful and gifed little commedienne. In my opinion, like Judy Garland and a few others, she was a rarity among even very talented child stars in that she always seemed to be "in on the joke" of her scripts. She had an intelligence and an instinct for playing comedy (and drama) and a deft touch that, despite the often "brattish" elements in her charaters, made her immensely likable and sympathetic. Here's an analysis of Deanna's gifts by film historian Charles Affron which summarizes much better than I am doing what I'm trying to say: < Durbin's sweet voice and sound musical instincts take on particular value when she is compared to her 1940s counterparts, the "legit" sopranos Jane Powell and Kathryn Grayson. Like Garland, Durbin was also a very talented actress with an individual, recognizable style. That style, related to her musical discipline, is perceived in her fluent, rapid-fire, but utterly clear delivery of dialogue, in a diction with irresistible impetus and energy, in irony that never smacks of brattishness but rather, of real intelligence, and in a warmth of personality that echoes her singing/speaking voice. One of her first "grown-up" roles, in IT STARTED WTIH EVE, pits her against the formidable Charles Laughton, and the modulations of their relationship is one of the joys of this romantic comedy. Her dramatic roles in CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY and LADY ON A TRAIN suggest that at a different studio--and perhaps with a different level of ambition on her part--Durbin's career would not have been truncated so abruptly. Her pluckiness remains a significant image of America in the late 1930s>> As far as comparing Fred and Gene (and talk about two remarkable talents!), I think Cyd Charisse had the right attitude when she was asked which was her favorite: "How could I ever choose between them? It's like comparing apples and oranges. They're both delicious!" Smart lady, that Cyd!

> d120421, thanks for all the great information about > Deanna and Judy. It was fascinating to read and I > look forward to your future posts! Thanks Liz! I'm glad you've enjoyed them. Because, let's face it, they can be somewhat lengthy, I tend to refer to them as my "Streams of Unconciousness Ramblings", but I'm pleased to hear that you've enjoyed reading them and appreciate you taking the time to say so.

> Hey d120421, your posts are so interesting, smart and > so-very-informative, you surely have got deep > knowledge on Deanna's career, thank you very much for > sharing all this with us. I really hope TCM could > lease some of Deanna's movies, we'd had a field day! Thankns feaito. What a nice compliment! Because, let's face it, they sometimes tend to be a little lengthy, I tend to refer to them as my "Stream of Unconsciousness" ramblings, but I'm glad you've enjoyed them and found the material interesting. I do wish TCM would acquire more of Deanna's movies. I'd also be interested in hearing what Robert Osborne would say about them, though it's the movies I'm primarily interested in, of course.

> Slapping forehead! Not Going My way, I Know Where I'm > Going. Ebay has it! Thanks again. That's great! Glad you were able to find a copy. Have you seen it before? If not, I hope you and your mother and the others who are lucky enough to see it, enjoy it. In a 1993 documentary on the film, Martin Scorsese calls it "a masterpiece", and I'm inclined to agree. Your idea of having the rest home get TCM is a fine one. As you're probably aware, TCM is in the midle of its' "31 Days of Oscar" salute so the schedule of films is especially noteworthy this month.

Hi Notanomdeplume (Great alias by the way!): I'm glad you've enjoyed this thread so much. You, your Mom and your sister-in-law have great taste! As for other happy movies, obviously the "usual suspects" (e.g., the ANDY HARDY films (even those wihout Judy, the SHIRLEY TEMPLE series, the DORIS DAY films (for the most part both musical and non-musical Day films are happy films) would all seem to fit the bill. The THIN MAN series is also delightful as are the film versions of both LIFE WITH FATHER (starring WiLliam Powell, Irene Dunne and Elizabeth Taylor) and I REMEMBER MAMA (also with Dunne, though one of the older characters in the film does pass away). Also, any of the classic "screwball" farces starring Cary Grant, Irene Dunne, Katharine Hepburn, Jean Arthur,etc. are also good bets. If you're looking for a little "International" flavor, another possiblity you might want to consider is the enchanting 1945 Powell/Pressburger film I KNOW WHERE I'M GOING! starring the remarkable Wendy Hiller as a very determined young career woman whose well mapped out plan to marry an older, wealthy business tycoon is gradually eroded when she is temporarily stranded in the Scottish Hebrides and prevented from reaching her destination by unfavorable weather, and finds herself gradually falling for a local naval officer/Lord. It's one of the most delightful and appealing films ever made in my opinion and, as an added bonus, the black and white cinematography of the surrounding region is also breathtaking.

Hi Moviejoe: I don't know if Deanna will respond to Paty's letter (though I certainly hope that she will), but from what I hear, she continues to receive a voluminous amount of fan mail, so I imagine that she is quite aware of the public's affection for her. A little more than 20 years ago, in the only officially sanctioned interview Deanna gave since announcing her retirement, film historian David Shipman (who conducted the interview) noted her reasons for agreeing to it: "She is finally breaking her silence because she is deeply touched by the reaction of old?and new fans. I doubt whether any other stsar of her generation has held the love of her fans quite so surely: so many people, hearing that I was about to visit, became emotional and all-too-serous as they made me promise to mention their affection." From what I've heard, the interest in Deanna hasn't abated since then. I agree with your comments about the "Child Stars" documentary on A & E, especially about their lack of focus on the child stars of the Studio Era. It would certainly be a worthwhile project for TCM to pursue. (I also taped the A & E documentary, though, at the moment, I can't find the tape. lol!)

Hi Evh55: Although I can't really blame MGM for spotlighting Judy more than Deanna in the clip from EVERY SUNDAY in the first THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! (after all, EVERY SUNDAY was the only surviving film footage of Deanna's work for the studio and the segment was about Judy), I agree that the clip was quite brief. EVERY SUNDAY does have a somewhat interesting behind-the-scenes history. Although it's often cited in Garland biographies and other sources as a public "screen test" to test the onscreen appeal of Durbin and Garland and to help the studio (and L.B. Mayer) decide which one to keep, this is not entirely accurate. By the time EVERY SUNDAY went into production, Deanna's contract with MGM had already lapsed and she had already been signed by Universal (Through the efforts of newly arrived casting director Rufus LeMaire, who had recently left MGM for Universal and had not forgotten, "the sparkling blue-eyed youngster with the blue-white diamond of a voice" as he called Deanna). There was, however, a clause in Deanna's MGM contract which permitted the studio to call her back for (I think) 60 days work if a project became available within a certain amount of time after her contract lapsed. It was for this reason that Deanna found herself back on the MGM lot filming EVERY SUNDAY, and it is possibly for this reason that EVERY SUNDAY, in some respects, seems to be more favorably weighted toward Garland than Durbin (though Deanna's lack of performing experience compared to Judy's may also have been a contributing factor). It is for this reason that "Edna May" is listed on the credits of EVERY SUNDAY as "Deanna Durbin", because Universal insisted upon it as the proper billing for their new contract player. It strikes me that the reverse is also true regarding Judy's potential "stardom" in the role of "Penny Craig" in THREE SMART GIRLS. While Garland biographies and other sources often strongly imply that this role would have made Garland as popular a superstar as it did Deanna, I'm not at all convinced that this would have been the casse. Mind you, this is not intended to be a slight against Judy's remarkable talents/charisma, even at such a young age, as a singer/actress. Pasternak and Koster were indeed very impressed by Judy when they saw her acting/singing performance in the exhibitor's reel that had been prepared for MGM executives to view privately (not, at least according to Pasternak's memoir, in EVERY SUNDAY, as is so often reported), and wanted her for the role in THREE SMART GIRLS, only to be informed by Rufus LeMaire that Judy was the girl MGM had decided to keep. Herein lies the rub where Judy's participation in THREE SMART GIRLS was concerned. According to all published reports, the original script of THREE SMART GIRLS was written to focus on the adult players in the cast (e.g., Binnie Barnes, Charles Winninger, Ray Milland, Alice Brady, etc.). The roles of "Penny Craig" and her two screen sisters were originally envisioned as very small (but significant) ones with a couple of musical interludes for a young "swing singer" (hence the interest in Judy by Pasternak and Koster who were both reportedly also considering Edith Fellows and Jane Withers). Once again accoding to all published reports, what changed "Penny's" status from a minor supporting player to the star of the film was the screening of Durbin's work by studio executives following the first few days' shooting. Although, at that time, persona non grata at the studio, when studio executives noted Deanna's obvious screen charisma and talent, Pasternak was able to convince them that she was capable of becoming the big star the studio so desperately needed at that time and her part was subsequently built up and the publicity of the film shifted to launch her as a major star. But whether this oft-repeated account of Deanna's rise is true or apochryphal (and it certainly would make the studio look good for its' ability to recognize her talent and potential) really is besides the point. Given that Judy was, at that time, still under contract to Metro (which, according to Garland scribe John Fricke was perfetly willing to loan her out to another studio to test her screen appeal but had no intention of ever releasing her), I very much doubt that Universal (which was literallyl in recievership at the time) would have gone to all the trouble and expense of crafting a major star vehicle, advertising campaign for a performer under contract to a rival studio. On the face of it, it simply doesn't make sense. Why should Universal of all stuidos, especially given its' desperate financial condition at the time (unlike MGM and the other major studios Universal didn't even own its' own chain of theaters), do a rival studio like MGM a favor by turning one of its' unknown contract players into a major star who MGM could then subsequently exploit for their own benefit after Universal had paid the dues/done all the work? Finally, although Judy was a gloriously gifted and charismatic little girl, personally, I find her somewhat intense, hoydenish manner at this stage in her career, both as a singer and an actress, to be unsuitable qualities for the "screwball-esque" sophistication of the script of THREE SMART GIRLS. It's quite possible Judy might have made a hit in the role, but I think it's worth noting that MGM's efforts to mimic Deanna's feisty, pro-active "Little Miss Fixit" persona in such early Garland vehicles as THOROUGHBREDS DON'T CRY and EVERYBODY SING, while popular successes, were not popular or successful enough to launch Judy as a major star. They certainly contributed to proving her box office and onscreen popularity, but they weren't enough to turn her into a major star, something that didn't begin to happen until THE WIZARD OF OZ, and a process that was not completed on a superstar level comparable to Deanna's in THREE SMART GIRLS/100 MEN AND A GIRL until Judy obtained top billing with her first adult roles in FOR ME AND MY GAL and, espeically, MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS.

Hi Patypancake: Just wanted to mention a couple of interesting trivia points about your favorite Deanna film, HIS BULTER'S SISTER, which I thought you might enjoy: *During World War II, as a demonstration of the (at the time) friendship/allied relationship between the U.S. and Russia, FDR and Stalin exchanged copies of their favorite films. I forget what the title of the film Stalin gave to FDR was (and probably couldn't spell it's Russian language title anyway lol!), but FDR's gift to Stalin (who was reportedly a big fan of Deanna's) was a copy of HIS BUTLER'S SISTER; *Deanna has been enormously popular in Russia through the years, and among her most ardent fans were the great ballet dancer Rudolph Nureyev and the brilliant Russian cellist/conductor, Mstislav Rostropovich. In a much similar fashion to the pre-cable WIZARD OF OZ here in America, HIS BUTLER'S SISTER (which, as you know, features a medley of Russian songs sung by Deanna), is shown every New Year's Eve/Day as a yearly event on Russian television; *Prior to the outbreak of World War II when all American films were banned, Deanna was also enormously popular in Japan, in part because her films did not deal with wartime/serious themes. An indication of her enduring popularity was the decision by Gen. MacArthur and the American Occupation Committee to select HIS BUTLER'S SISTER as the first American film to be shown in Japan following the Japanese surrender. Under the title PRELUDE TO SPRING, it was an enormous hit, both because of Deanna and the supporting cast, and because its' kissing scenes remained uncut and were studied by Japanese audiences which were, following the seismatic changes in popular culture wrought by the War, to reject the centuries-old feudal strictures against public displays of affection. Your comparison between the screen personas of Deanna and Judy is very astute, I think. Though Judy could be capable of expressing great joie de vivre in song and personality, there's no doubt that she had a more "wistful wallflower" screen persona than the feisty, spirited and independent Deanna. In his book CULT MOVIE STARS, author Danny Peary also took note of these differences between the Durbin/Garland personas Of Deanna's image he noted: "She was more of a go-getter than Garland, not as shy, and not as often a victim. But she wasn?t flawless-in MAD ABOUT MUSIC she is inconsiderate to Jackie Cooper!" (Of course we true Durbin fans know that Peary has goofed on this last line. He's either referring to Jackie Moran, who appeared in MAD ABOUT MUSIC (and toward whom Deanna was anything but inconsiderate), or, more likely, to Jackie Cooper but in THAT CERTAIN AGE (She does momentarily put Cooper on the back burner when she develops a crush on Melvyn Douglas, but she's much nicer about it than Jane Powell would later be toward Roddy MacDowall and Scotty Beckett in HOLIDAY IN MEXICO and A DATE WITH JUDY, respectively. lol!) Of Judy's image he noted: "She played sweet, patient, modest young girls. Rooney respected their musical talents, but didn?t think of them as girlfriends until the ends of the films. This would be a pattern that carried on to her adult films: the male takes her for granted, she puts up with the neglect; just when she gives up and goes away, he realizes how much she means to him. Rarely did her characters have enough nerve to voice disapproval" Comparing Deanna's screen image with those of Garland and Rooney in the BABES films, I always felt as if MGM, deliberately or not, divided these two aspects of Deanna's screen image between Mickey and Judy. In Deanna's films, she provides both the "drive" and the "heart" elements. She's almost always the first one to spot a potential problem, work out a feasible solution and work ceaselessy and imaginatively to resolve it favorably. Her problems almost invariably arise, however, when the clueless, unthinking adults she's trying to assist refuse to take her seriously, even to the point of acknowledging that there IS a problem. It's only after she (gently and often with some very convincing tears of frustration) upbraids them and reminds them of their obligations to others that they see how far they've erred, and how serious the problem is. Deanna therefore both the "drive" and "heart" elements of her films. By contrast it's a dynamic male lead (first Rooney, later Kelly, Astaire, etc.) who provides the "drive" elments in Judy's films. In almost all of Judy's films it's her male vis-a-vis, who's truly responsible for "putting on the show." In fact, as in the case of BABES IN ARMS, SUMMER STOCK and THE PIRATE, it IS his show! and it's his drive and ambition that usually both concieves the show (or trains her to be in someone else's production as Astaire does in EASTER PARADE) and gets it on, thus providing the "drive" element. In her role as the moral conscience to Rooney (e.g., BABES ON BROADWAY when she chides Rooney for treating the orphan kids so thoughtlessly), Kelly (when she walks out on him i FOR ME AND MY GAL) and Astaire (when she rants at him for being "nothing but a pair of dancing shoes" in failing to notice her), Judy provides the "heart" element for these films. We WANT to see her succeed not only because she's so talented, but because she's so considerate, loyal and goodhearted despite the shabby treatment she's getting from her male crush. Nevertheless, unlike Deanna, who was almost always solely responsible not only for securing her own happiness but those of the others in her family/friend circle, Judy's ultimate "success" is much more a matter of luck and the work of others. She succeeds because MGM feels that virtues like hers should be rewarded, but without a Rooney, Kelly or Astaire, she'd still be the sobbing in the Times Square drug store that her career is going nowhere (as in BABES ON BROADWAY), playing tank towns in vaudeville (as in FOR ME AND MY GAL) or strapping that garter to her left leg as part of Clinton Sundberg's beer joint chorus in EASTER PARADE. PS Isn't it interesting to note (in passing) that Deanna's screen image was so pro-active and independent and she managed to survive the brutal aspects of the Hollywood studio system while Judy's was much more submissive and dpendent upon male approbation/approval and she ultimately couldn't survive without a man overseeing her career? I know I'm oversimplifying here, but it's an interesting thought, isn't it? I think it was Louise Brooks who once said that every young actress is deeply affected psychologically by the early roles they play. Judging by the disparate destinies of Durbin and Garland, there may be a good deal of truth to that observation....

Hi Moviejoe! I agree with you about the excellence of Serra Carey's memoir. I believe she also wrote another book about child stars in general, with her own life/career as the common link to her discussions of those of other child stars. Have you ever seen the A & E produced documentary CHILD STARS? It features a roundtable discussion among former child stars of several generations, including Patty Duke, Hayley Mills (who narrates the documentary), Billy Gray, Margaret O'Brien, Kim Fields and, Diana Serra Carey, who offers some extensive recollections of her days as "Baby Peggy." Well worth checking out if A & E ever shows it again. I can't recall at the moment which volume it was in, but I do recall that one of them contained her recollection of hearing Deanna Durbin's debut on the Eddie Cantor Radio Show, which, Serra Carey recalled, gave her a great sense of relief. Serra Carey recalled that her mother was constantly criticizing her when viewing another child's performance/success, complaining that Diana should have pursued the role more avidly, had just as much talent, etc., etc. However, Serra Carey recalled that upon hearing Durbin's debut, "Deanna's singing voice was so singular and spectacular that even my mother had to admit that there was no way that I could ever hope to do the same." I hadn't heard about the Coogan book, but I enjoyed Serra Carey's other books very much and think she's a talented writer so I'll have to keep an eye out for it. Incidentally, I have heard rumors that there are at least three books on Deanna Durbin currently in the works. There was one written a few years back called DEANNA DURBIN: FAIRY TALE by W. E. Mills. I haven't seen the book yet, but from the excerpts I've seen, Mills appears to have written an idealized image of Deanna and her career from the perspective of a debvout fan. I liken it to Al Diorio's hyperbolic, fan-centric biography of Judy Garland, LITTLE GIRL LOST. As for the three Durbin books currently in the works, the one that seems most likely to be realized at this point was written by an Australian writer named Alexander McRobbie and is reportedly is due to be published later this year. Mr. McRobbie has a one-page website which includes his e-mail address for anyone interested in contacting him about the publication details: http://www.geocities.com/alex_mcrobbie/home

Hi Patypancake: I can probably find you Deanna's address for you, if you'd like it, just don't expect to receive a reply. Following the passing of her husband, Charles David in March 1999, Deanna, on the advice of friends and family, "re-retired" and sent a letter to her fanclub newsletter, THE DEANNA DURBIN SOCIETY, graciously explaining that she would no longer be able to respond to fan mail/requests. Given that her husband has passed away, that she's now 83 years old, and that for years she was a gracious and considerate correspondenent to fan mail commenting on a career she had left far behind, I can't say I blame her. Prior to announcing her "re-retirement", Deanna was known to be one of the most diligent and considerate celebrities in responding to fan mail. Apparently she was just as considerate during her career. Some people may recall the 1990 Oscar Telecast during which the great Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray, commenting on being awarded the "Lifetime Achievement Award" on what turned out (sadly) to be his deathbed, stated that his love for movies began when he became a fan of Deanna's. Mr. Ray recalled: "I wrote a fan letter to Deanna Durbin, received a response was delighted. Wrote a fan letter to Ginger Rogers, didn't receive a response...was delighted." As far as the more fanatical Garland fans are concerned, while I never have a problem engaing in a good (and considerate) debate over a performer's merits and weaknesses, I agree that it's pointless to argue which performer was "greater" (a largely subjective term to many people). What I find troubling about some of Judy's more fanatical admirers is the genuine disdain and hostility some feel toward Deanna. It's one thing not to be attracted to or enjoy a performer's work or style. That's a perfectly valid subjective response. It's quite another to deny, as some Garland fans do, the success and impact Durbin enjoyed during her career and her enduring popularity in the decades since her retirement. Don't get me wrong, I believe this anti-Durbin cabal among Judy fans is a small percentage of the whole, with most of them perfectly willing to acknowledge that Deanna was a talented and popular performer, even if they don't particularly care for her work. On the other hand, though they may be in the minority, the hostility some Garland fans feel toward Deanna definitely exists, while I've never found the reverse to be true. Durbin fans have no problem acknowledging Garland's talent, even if, personally, they don't care for her. As far as their disparate post-Hollywood lives are concerned, my own take on why Deanna, sruvived and Judy did not was that, despite the problems she experienced throughout her career (which, superficially had much in common with some of Judy's), from the start Deanna worked to maintain a separate identity apart from the "Deanna Durbin" screen persona Universal fashioned for her, while Judy spent her life trying to be "Judy Garland" and to obliterate "Frances Gumm." Of course, I'm simplifying tremendsously, and the issue is certainly much more complex than that, but basically, that's the impression I get o the two performers. While Judy spent much of her life reminding people, "I AM Judy Garland!", Deanna insisted that at home and among friends and family she be called by her birth name, "Edna May." Apparently the approach worked. Even in the 1970s, Mme. David referred to her studio-concocted screen persona as a separate (and fictional) entity, as in this response to an article written on her career by the late William K. Everson (not an exact quote as I don't have a copy of the letter in front of me, but this is the gist of it): "Thank you for your article on my career. Thank you especially for all the pleasant things you said about me. I remember "Deanna" as a by procduct of my youth that assumed so many facets that I had to constantly struggle against it to avoid being overwhelmed by it and start leading someone else's life. Now life has passed with the many exciting events and occurrences and I can appreciate others' opinions and views on the "Durbin phenomenon" and yours pleased me especially."

Hi Patypancake: Tnanks for the compliment! Yes, I've read some of your previous posts and enjoyed them enormously. It's always great to meet another Durbin fan! As far as the role of "Christine" in THE PHANTOM OF TEH OPERA is concerned, one possible reason Deanna may have turned it down was due to the public outcry against her taking it. Since she was the first child star to successfully make the transition from child to adult star while retaining her popularity, the public had developed a very proprietary interest in her onscreen maturation. This was reflected not only in the enormous interest her first onscreen kiss generated in FIRST LOVE, but in the titles of her films such as THAT CERTAIN AGE (in which she made the transition from "child" to adolescent by developing a crush on Melvyn Douglas), THREE SMART GIRLS GROW UP (in which the "adolescent crush" theme was continued by having Deanna's family mistakenly believe that she had a crush on Robert Cummings), FIRST LOVE (making the transition from adolescent to ingenue with that famous first kiss), IT'S A DATE (a more mature variation on TSGsGU in which Deanna develops a more plausible crush on Walter Pidgeon) and NICE GIRL?(in which, by throwing herself at older man Franchot Tone, she made the transition from ingenue to young adult actress). In fact, I doubt whether the onscreen maturation process for any child actor/actress ever generated as much interest among moviegoers as Deanna's did. Certainly, no one else's maturation was handled with such care and concern. In any case, there are some contemporary articles which indicate that, because of the proprietary interest many people had in Deanna's career, they did not want her to appear in a horror film. Whether it was her concern for upsetting her fans (which, of course, didn't prevent her from playing a prostitute in CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY the following year), or simply because she didn't care for the project, Foster, after unsuccessful tenures at MGM and Paramount, got her big break (and best screen role) when she was handed the assignment. In a later interview Foster alleged that after she arrived at the studio, Deanna "sang better", apparently in response to the threat Foster believed she posed to her, but I've never found any indication that this was the case. I agree that it's a shame that Deanna's films haven't been widely shown on television through the years. In my experience a small but very vocal minority of devout Garland fans who seem to genuinely resent Deanna Durbin, have used this fact as an indication of lack of interest in Deanna through the years, but this is not accurate. Among other indications of Deanna's enduring popularity are the following: *When Deanna's films were released on videocassette in the late 1990s, they quickly became the most successful set of films in MCA/UNIVERSAL Home Video's "Classic Films" series, handily outselling collections devoted to the UNIVERSAL HORROR SERIES, ABBOTT & COSTELLO, FRANCIS, MA & PA KETTLE, CLAUDETTE COLBERT, MARLENE DIETRICH,BING CROSBY and other "classic" star collections; In the last of his WHATEVER BECAME OF? SERIES of books which, over a 25 year span, updated readers on the lives of celebrities who had dropped out of the public eye through the years, author Richard Lamparski included a squib about Deanna: "Maintaing her privacy on a par with Garbo, she refuses to see the press or be interviewed. She remains, as she has been since the first volume in this series was published, the most widely asked about star of the past." *In the 1980s, when Deanna's films did (temporarily) become available for television broadcast, several public television stations which ran them used them as part of their fund-raising pledge drives. During one pledge break a station manager stated: "The fact that we're bringing you these wonderful Deanna Durbin movies is proof that we really do listen to your requests. For years you've been writing us and begging us to show her movies, but they were unavailable for broadcast and we weren't able to find a distributor. We're now delighted to bring you these delightful films featuring this remarkable artist!"; Over the past three decades the BBC has consistently stated that it receives overwhelmingly more requests for Deanna's films and music from the public than it does for those of any other star of Hollywood's Golden Age. Oh well, at least they have released most of her films on DVD in the United Kingdom, and have started to do so in the U.S. Eventually I imagine Deanna's films will become available for regular TV showings, but, for now, like the early films of popular contemporaries like Irene Dunne, Alice Faye, etc. we just have to be patient.

Thanks Feaito. Glad you enjoyed it.