[Salvaging Deanna Durbin's Career]

Hi Richard:

 

Glad to hear you've enjoyed discovering Deanna's films. I agree that Universal was very creative in producing her best films.

 

I also give Universal (and Deanna herself) credit for taking greater chances with her established wholesome screen image in films like THE AMAZING MRS. HOLLIDAY (an attempt at a "European art house" style film, the majority of which was directed by Jean Renoir), CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY (a heavily stylized and grim film noir directed by Robert Siodmak) and LADY ON A TRAIN (a film noir mated to screwball comedy elements), than MGM ever took with Judy Garland's career.

 

Interestingly, although the outraged reaction of some of the public and the press to CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY scared Universal off from attempting a similarly radical experiment with Durbin's image, the film was an enormous box office hit. In fact, it was Universal's biggest grossing film up to that time, while Garland's flamboyant, Minnelli-directed, Caribbean fantasy musical, THE PIRATE, was not only stolen out from under her by Gene Kelly, but hemmorraged at the box office with a $2,000,000 loss.

 

I find MGM's failure to promote Judy as a top box office star sooner to be puzzling, though, off the top of my head, I can think of three possible reasons for it:

 

1. The studio was concerned that she wasn't attractive enough as an adolescent to carry an "A" list film on her own. For a studio which built its' reputation on the glamorous appeal of its' adult female stars,it's possible that MGM regarded the thick-waisted, short-necked Judy as something of a "Lost Cause" from a physical allure standpoint; 2. Although it wasn't, strictly speaking, a "Judy Garland vehicle" (and wasn't marketed as such), the comparative box office failure of THE WIZARD OF OZ (although a "hit" in terms of the good-to-fine notices it received and in the number of people who saw it, OZ ultimately falied to recoup its' exorbitant cost on its' first release) made Metro reluctant to mount another lavish, A-list film for her; 3. MGM itself was uncertain of how to market Garland's adolescent appeal as a solo, "A list" box office star. Once again, given its' past history of promoting sophisticated adult female stars like Garbo, Crawford and Shearer, Metro may have been somewhat at a loss on how to market Judy's everyday adolescent All-American appeal.

 

It's also interesting to note in passing that, even after Judy attained solo star, above-the-title billing at Metro with the success of FOR ME AND MY GAL and the even more spectacular success of MEET ME IN ST LOUIS, many of her best Metro films during her studio heyday can just as validly be interpreted as vehicles for her fast-rising (e.g., Kelly, O'Brien) or established (e.g., Astaire) co-stars.

 

For instance, the main plot hook of FOR ME AND MY GAL is NOT the story of Garland's bumpy professional path to the Palace, but of how Gene Kelly goes from all-out, selfish heel to self-effacing hero, thereby redeeming himself both in her eyes and in his (newly-unearthed) conscience. While Judy is at her most pro-active as "Esther Smith" in ST LOUIS, many, many comnentators on the film (including James Agee, whose review neglected to even mention that Judy was in it), view ST LOUIS primarily as a vehicle for scene-stealing child star O'Brien, some even framing the film's emotional center around O'Brien's "ascent" from the back of the dilapidated ice wagon (where we first see her) to the front seat of the fancy hansom cab that takes the family to the St. Louis Fair.

 

Despite her nominal top billing, EASTER PARADE's highlighting of a Garland co-star is potentially even more blatant than GAL's or ST LOUIS's. Although we sympathize with Garland's "Hannah Brown's" temporary feelings of insecurity as both a performer and a woman opposite the clueless taskmaster Astaire, the basic plot of the film can still be interpreted as focusing more heavily on how Astaire manages to win his gentleman's bet with good friend Peter Lawford that he "can teach anyone to dance as well as" former partner Ann Miller

 

Sure, we feel for Garland in her attempts to satisfy the austere and insensitive Astaire professionally and to stir his interest romantically, but this isn't really what EP is about. As in her adolescent vehicles with Rooney and in FOR ME AND MY GAL with Kelly, Garland's submissive, unquestioning Hannah is once again "along for the ride" on the professional and personal voyage of a much more imaginative and ambitious male vis-a-vis.

 

It's likely that this passive screen persona Metro saddled her with is one reason Garland's supporting co-stars often manage to steal some of her cinematic thunder. For example, although she received many (deservedly) fine notices for her performance, in its' review of EASTER PARADE, the NEW YORK TIMES was far more impressed with agreeable "B" list musical leading lady Ann Miller's performance in the film than with Judy's, noting: "Miss Garland receives some stiff competition from the long-legged Ann Miller. Miss Garland is a competent trouper, nimble on her feet and professional-sounding vocally, but somehow we feel that Miss Miller pairs better with Mr. Astaire."

 

In any case, for whatever reason, this was not an issue that Universal apparently had to address with Deanna Durbin. Not only was she launched as a major star with her first screen vehicle (e.g., the "Coming Attractions" trailer for THREE SMART GIRLS consists entirely of background photos of Durbin overlaid with Universal's announcement of its' "New Star Discovery" and a highly flattering quote from Eddie Cantor), but her onscreen maturation was tracked with much greater care and publicity than Metro's somewhat haphazard and lackadaisical development of Garland.

 

Finally, although as with Judy's Metro vehicles, there was a good deal of repetition in the basic formula of Deanna's Universal vehicles, Durbin and Universal's attempts to broaden her screen image were both more radical and more frequent than MGM ever attempted with Garland, and, unlike Garland, Durbin was always, without exception, the "alpha female"/star attraction of all of her feature films.

 

As for SPRING PARADE, is the volume you're referring to the one by Tony Thomas? If it is, I've seen (and enjoyed) the SPRING PARADE write-up. Like you, I've been a film buff since I was a kid, and kept our eyes open for some time trying to track down the films listed in it. I agree it's a great book. By the way, there's also a fine write-up on Durbin's 1939 film, FIRST LOVE, in William Everson's LOVE IN THE FILM.

 

I do own a VHS copy of SPRING PARADE which a friend I'd introduced Deanna's films to purchased for me. Although it's certainly watchable and I've enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to see the film, the print is not very good with some obvious changing of reels occurring a couple of times in the tape.

 

As for the film itself, I think Leonard Maltin gets it right when he terms it, "delightful Austrian fluff." Thomas is also correct that the film is almost "pure operetta", and, in my opinion, it demonstrates how easily, naturally and appealingly Durbin, who usually played an "all-American girl" in her screwball-esque films, fits into the operetta metier of mature operatic singers like Grace Moore, Lily Pons and Jeanette MacDonald.

 

 

In fact since, by all accounts Deanna Durbin continued to receive many tempting, top rank offers to appear on both stage and screen following her announced retirement in 1949 but declined to accept them, perhaps a more valid thread topic would be: "Salvaging Garland's Post-MGM Film Career"?

 

Given that following her departure from Metro, Judy was considered unemployable in the film capital for several years, and didn't manage to re-establish herself as a film star with A STAR IS BORN, it might be interesting to speculate on how she, Sid Luft, and others, might have done things differently.

 

Just a thought.

[Salvaging Deanna Durbin's Career]

It's certainly possible that Laughton had been dieting or had been ill prior to the filming of EVE, either of which may have caused a dramatic weight loss. I just don't recall reading anything indicating that this was the case. Still, it's been a while since I've looked at one of Laughton's biographies, so it's possible I may have forgotten his having an illness/dieted.

 

PS Thanks for the compliment re the "Durbin expert" remark. I don't consider myself one, just a very admiring fan, but I appreciate the compliment.

 

 

 

> Our Durbin expert wrote:

> "...it's possible that [Laughton] just looked as if

> he'd lost weight because the wardrobe department made

> deliberately oversized clothes for him to indicate

> the extreme weight loss his ailing character was

> supposed to have suffered in the film."

>

> Hmmm...that's what my husband said, too--but even

> before Laughton was up out of his bed, I said, "Hey!

> Look how thin he is!"

>

>

 

 

[Salvaging Deanna Durbin's Career]

Hi ayersorchids:

 

As far as I know there wasn't any reason (e.g., illness,strict diet, etc.) for Laughton's weight loss during the period EVE was in production.

 

Like some people, Laughton seemed to be someone who gained weight easily, but, in EVE, at least, it's possible that he just looked as if he'd lost weight because the wardrobe department made deliberately oversized clothes for him to indicate the extreme weight loss his ailing character was supposed to have suffered in the film.

[Salvaging Deanna Durbin's Career]

> As I posted earlier I had not much knowledge about

> Deanna Durbin, but now I feel like I need to watch

> all of her films. As a huge fan (but not fanatic) of

> Judy Garland, I found the posts comparing the 2 very

> insightful. This thread is definitely one of the

> most fascinating I have read here.

 

 

Hi Richard:

 

As I hope my comments indicate, I'm also a great admirer of Judy's talents. I don't consider myself a fanatic either, but I certainly thing she was a remarkably gifted performer.

 

I think you'd enjoy checking out some of Deanna's films, if, for no other reason, to compare her screen image with Judy's (though I suspect you'd also enjoy Deanna's films on their own merits).

 

Of course, you may not agree with my (and other posters) "take" on their careers and screen personas, but, at least on a superficial level their private and professional lives ran along a remarkably parallel course during their studio contract player days. In fact, though there were undeniably some significant differences between the two, Durbin's personal and professional life as a star under the studio system, probably more closely paralleled Garland's (and vice versa) than those of any of their contemporaries.

 

[Salvaging Deanna Durbin's Career]

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'!"

[IT'S A WONDERFUL WORLD! (1939)]

> 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....)

[An Affair to Remember]

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's Arm]

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.

[DRUMS ALONG MOHAWK on DVD]

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.

[DEANNA DURBIN'S "SWEETHEART PACK"]

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Salvaging Deanna Durbin's Career]

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."

[Salvaging Deanna Durbin's Career]

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.

[Salvaging Deanna Durbin's Career]

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.

[Salvaging Deanna Durbin's Career]

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!"

 

[Salvaging Deanna Durbin's Career]

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."

[Salvaging Deanna Durbin's Career]

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.

 

 

[Salvaging Deanna Durbin's Career]

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.

[Salvaging Deanna Durbin's Career]

> 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!

 

 

 

[Salvaging Deanna Durbin's Career]

> 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.

 

 

[Salvaging Deanna Durbin's Career]

> 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.

[Salvaging Deanna Durbin's Career]

> 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.

 

 

[Salvaging Deanna Durbin's Career]

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.

[Salvaging Deanna Durbin's Career]

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!)

 

[Salvaging Deanna Durbin's Career]

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.

[Salvaging Deanna Durbin's Career]

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....