Proposed Gloria Jean Mini-Festival

[TomBarrister]

Singer Gloria Jean, who appeared primarily as a child/teen between 1939 and 1950, is celebrating her 80th birthday April 14th. It would be nice if, on that day, TCM would show a mini-festival of her movies. As a long time Gloria Jean fan (you can read my reviews of most of her movies on IMDB), I can recommend three movies as being arguable her best efforts:

 

1) The Under-Pup (1939)

2) A Little Bit of Heaven (1940)

3) Destiny (1944)

 

"The Under-Pup" was her first movie and her favorite. It's surprisingly good for a "B" movie. "A Little Bit of Heaven" was a showcase for her singing abilities and is considered by many to be her best effort. "Destiny" was a well-received venture into dramtic acting and is surprisingly good. The three of them would take a little over four hours to air.

 

Just my own thought, and perhaps others would care to chime in. I haven't seen any Gloria Jean movies (besides the ones with W.C. Fields and Groucho Marx---I don't count the one with Jerry Lewis as she's practically nonexistent in it) on televeision in a long while, and it's a shame as far as I'm concerned.

[moviejoe79]

Tom, I agree, I would love to see some of Gloria Jean's movies. I've only seen "Never Give a Sucker An Even Break," and "Copacabana," because they're the only films of hers that are available to watch.

 

I'm sure TCM would show some of her movies, especially since they have a review of her new biography on the website, but, I don't think they have the rights to any. Universal owns the rights to her movies, and unless TCM can lease a few titles, it's doubtful that we'll ever see any.

 

Have you ever seen her website? It's www.gloriajeanchildstar.com. She sells signed photos on there for $10 each, and it gives a nice overview of her life and career. Check it out if you haven't already.

[cclowell38]

Although Deanna Durbin's my favorite movie soprano, I pretty much like them all (well, maybe not Betty Jaynes so much) and would like to see Gloria Jean's films shown on TCM. Unfortunately, I suspect that Moviejoe is right and, because the majority of Gloria's films were made for Universal, TCM doesn't own most of them, and it's doubtful they'll be showing them any time soon.

 

I've only seen NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK, but I liked Gloria in it. Perhaps the publication of her memoir will create a greater interest/demand in her work. We can hope.

[d120421]

I'd enjoy seeing more of Gloria's movies on TCM, too. Perhaps her book will generate some interest along these lines. Deanna Durbin is my favorite movie soprano too, but I also pretty much like them all, and I thought Gloria had a lovely light lyric coloratura voice. She was also very pretty in a wholesome "Durbin-esque" way, so I can see why Joe Pasternak signed her for Universal when he began easing Deanna into adult roles.

 

I've seen the three films you've listed and I agree they're all fine showcases for Gloria's talent. She gives a good dramatic performance in DESTINY, even though I understand that the film itself was severely edited after original being set for one of the segments in Julien Duvivier's FLESH AND FANTASY (1943). For some reason, Universal decided to cut the segment out of the film, rework the plot, add a few additional scenes and release it as a feature film, where it wasn't well-received, so unfortunately Gloria's performance (she plays a blind farm girl) didn't get the attention it deserved.

 

By the way, has anyone had the opportunity to read Gloria's memoir, A LITTLE BIT OF HEAVEN, and if you did, what did you think of it? I'd like to read it, but don't want to spend the $35 or so it would cost to get a good copy of it.

[TomBarrister]

Destiny wasn't edited, per se. The original sequence was from "Flesh and Fantasy" and was so well received, that (my opinion and that of others) Ms. Durbin, who was jealous of anybody who cut into her fame, demanded that it be cut out of the movie. The 25 or so minutesof footage lay in storage for about a year, then Universal shot about 30 minutes of unbelievably bad footage to lead into the sequence, and 5 minutes to finish the movie. The movie ends quite differently than the sequence was intended to. Oddly, "Flesh and Fantasy", which was supposed to be a blockbuster, turned into a big disappointment both critically and financially, while Destiny still managed to receive passable marks.

 

I've read the book, some interesting details, but a bit too much filler to suit me (that opinion from one of Gloria Jean's staunchest fans). The book looks like it was cut from a template for Writing 201. That's my opinion, and others may have a different view.

 

I'm sure that TCM could lease the movies for next to nothing. They've shown Durbin's movies (or perhaps it was sister station AMC). I doubt that Universal would want a boatload of money to show them, since they aren't exactly in demand anymore (and sadly so).

 

I've been to the Schoonover sisters' site, and I've bought the three movies mentioned from them. The quality of each is excellent. If you want any of Gloria Jean's movies, you can get them from her website. If you want to read reviews on most of the early ones (except the Fields movie, which has too many reviews already), you can find mine at IMDB.

[d120421]

Hi Tom:

 

Thanks for the reply and the commentary on Gloria's book. Based on an e-mail I received from Gloria when I wrote her a few months back inquiring on the status of the book, I thought it might turn out as you described (e.g., "some interesting points with a good deal of filler").

 

As far as the production histories of FLESH AND FANTASY and DESTINY are concerned, while it makes for an interesting anecdote, personally I doubt that Deanna Durbin had anything to do with Universal's decision to edit Gloria's segment out of FLESH AND FANTASY and release it on its' own as a separate "B" movie with a tacked on (more optimistic) ending. I've done a good deal of research into the careers of both Gloria and Deanna at Universal and while I'm well aware that Gloria has (allegedly) made inferences in the past that Deanna used her superstar clout to thwart the studio's plan to star Gloria in a Technicolor production, these intimations on Gloria's part are of the most generalized and vaguest sort, with no names or concrete references given to support her allegations, and none of them have concerned the production of FLESH AND FANTASY, nor DESTINY. When referring to this issue Gloria has always stated that the decision was entirely Universal's with no reference whatsoever to Deanna.

 

Moreover, Susanna Foster's contemporaneous triumph in the lavish Technicolored remake of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA would seem to refute any reports of subterfuge on Durbin's part. Although a lavish remake of PHANTOM had been much-anticipated and discussed in the press practically from the date Deanna signed her contract with the studio in 1936, after Durbin turned the role of "Christine Dubis" down she apparently did nothing to prevent Universal from casting newcomer Foster in the part opposite star baritone Nelson Eddy and leading character actor Claude Rains, nor did Durbin apparently prevent Foster from appearing in a similarly Technicolored grand guignol follow up the following year: 1944's THE CLIMAX.

 

Rather, my own research into Gloria's career at Universal suggests that, for whatever reason, she was never held in the same high regard/esteem as Durbin by either the studio or her mentor, Joe Pasternak not to mention the public, and that her somewhat blighted career at the studio was more a consequence of studio politics and changes within the film industry that had nothing to do with Deanna Durbin. For example, although by all accounts Gloria made a very successful debut in THE UNDER-PUP, several contemporary reports on her second feature A LITTLE BIT OF HEAVEN, describe the returns as "disappointing." Attempts by DECCA records to turn Gloria into a recording superstar along the lines of Durbin, Garland and Crosby (who were all under contract to the company at the time) with the release of a couple of test recordings, apepar to have led to nothing more, and, even after Pasternak left Universal in 1941, when Deanna Durbin subsequently went on suspension in a dispute with the studio, Universal did nothing to promote Gloria in her absence, nor did it do so upon her return.

 

Moreover, when Gloria sought Pasternak out for work at MGM in the late 1940s (following an extensive concert tour), Pasternak refused to hire her, although she would have been approximately the same age as soprano contractees Kathryn Grayson and Jane Powell (According to Professor Bernard F. Dick's history of Universal, Pasternak pointedly told Gloria to "get out of the business.") Later comments by Pasternak that he was never as close personally to Gloria and her parents as he was to the Durbins, his failure to include any references whatsoever to her in his 1950s memoir, EASY THE HARD WAY, nor in later interviews in which he stated he was only interested in the "truly gifted" performers, suggest that he was not as admiring of Gloria's talents as he was of Deanna's, and there is much information to indicate that Universal felt the same.

 

Rather, I suspect that Gloria's somewhat disappointing career at Universal was more the consequence of studio politics which had little, if anything to do with Deanna Durbin. Although Gloria has claimed that she declined to sign with the studio in 1945, given that Universal disbanded and dismissed practically its' entire retinue of "Youth Unit" stars (e.g., Susanna Foster, Patsy O'Connor, Peggy Ryan, Robert Paige, Jane Frazee, etc.) retaining only Durbin, Donald O'Connor and Ann Blyth, I suspect that the studio would have dropped Gloria anyway following it's successful alignment with Universal-International. The overall philosophy of this new studio regime seems to have been to move away from "B" and "Teen" oriented movies and into "A" list productions, and the younger stars were almost all completely removed from the studio roster as a consequence of this rationale.

 

Indeed, when Susanna Foster returned to the studio in the late 1940s following further vocal study in Europe (financed with a loan from U-I), the only role the studio offered her was a minor one as Sonja Henie's maid in the "B" movie, THE COUNTESS OF MONTE CRISTO. Given that the studio retained not only Durbin, but the similarly lyrically attractive Ann Blyth, I suspect that it would ultimately have released Gloria along with the majority of her "Youth Unit" co-stars even had she elected to stay with the studio, but I seriously doubt that this had anything to do with any actions on Deanna Durbin's part. She's a convenient and intriguing scapegoat, but much of the background on Universal suggests that Gloria's career was entirely a byproduct of studio neglect/oversight rather than any interference by Deanna.

 

Mind you, I'm not saying that my interpretation of Gloria's career is "definitive," only that it's my interpretation based on a good deal of research into her career. As I'm well aware that "anything's possible" in Hollywood (and Gloria herself has dismissed much of the material written on her as inaccurate), I'd be most interested to see any information you have (including the names of others who feel as you do) that Gloria's career was, in any way, personally impacted by Deanna Durbin's alleged "jealousy."

 

In her e-mail reply to my request that she explain/elaborate on reports that she and Deanna did not get along at Universal and that Deanna sabotaged some of her career opportunities, Gloria responded that there would be a chapter in her book on Deanna which should answer my questions. Perhaps her book does go into more concrete and elaborate detail on this issue, but, until I've read it, given that all I've seen to date appears to be entirely unsubstantiated inuendo, I can't say it's accurate or valid at this time.

 

As the above undoubtedly suggests, I've also visited the Schoonover sisters' website. The comments I've heard on the videos of her fims available there have not been as favorable as yours. Others have described them as watchable, but not well-produced and looking as if Gloria made them herself recording them from one VCR to another. Given that they are rather pricey, I've been reluctant to order any of them though your favorable comment may make me change my mind.

 

It would be nice if TCM would show some of Gloria's movies. They have shown a couple of Deanna's (IT'S A DATE, which they own outright and LADY ON A TRAIN) in the past and are scheduled to show 100 MEN AND A GIRL in February and March, but it appears that MCA/UNIVERSAL is sitting tight on the other Durbin films, for whatever reason.(It was AMC that showed a handful of Deanna's films in the mid-1990s).

 

I'd certainly enjoy seeing some of Gloria's films on TCM. She was a talented performer and both her talents and her films should be given a fair chance for re-appraisal.

 

Oh, and I have read your reviews of Gloria's early films on IMDB. Although I don't agree with all your comments (I think Deanna had the purer tone of the two girls), they're excellent and I thank you for posting them.

[TomBarrister]

I bought the E-Book on Amazon for $6.95 (the hardcover is about $30). The book, while contaning a lot of technical and incidental detail, is definitely worth reading if you're interested in Gloria Jean.

 

The VHS tapes Gloria sells aren't studio-to-theater quality, but then many of those films were discarded years ago. I'd imagine that finding a good print for many of them would be hard nowadays. The movies appear to have been copied directly from reel to VHS and are complete, with an occasional blotch where apparently a few seconds of unsuable film had to be removed. The tapes of the three movies mentioned in the first post ("The Under-Pup", "A Little Bit of Heaven", and "Destiny") are all excellent. You may find better copies of others elsewhere, but there are a lot of "elsewheres" out there, and the quality varies greatly.

 

I had (separate) informal conversations with Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan about ten years ago at different parties. When the subjects of Gloria and Deanna were brought up, the two concurred on most points: Durbin was a moody prima donna who wanted everything her way and was hard to approach. Gloria was exactly the opposite. Both thought that Durbin was one of the reasons Gloria's career didn't take off like it could have. However, both added that another key reason Gloria was put on a back burner was Gloria's mother: Eleanor Schoonover was always intefering and getting in the way with concerns relating to what she felt was Gloria's best interests (Deanna's mother was exactly the opposite and rarely interfered). Ms. Ryan stated that Mrs. Schoonover's constand demands annoyed the powers that be at Universal to no end. Pasternak, in an interview, mentioned the problems created by Mrs. Schoonever. I asked Ryan and O'Connor about "Destiny". Ryan didn't know much about it. O'Connor did and said that the offical word was that an unnamed higher up at Universal wanted Gloria's sequence removed from "Flesh and Fantasy". Gloria's book states that it was "a (prominent) Universal stockholder" and suggests that it was Durbin. I asked him if he thought that "higher up" was Durbin, and he said "probably", but that no name was ever mentioned.

 

I know a little bit about Susanna Foster, and some of it comes from the "kids" in the Meremblum orchestra, many of whom appeared with Foster in "There's Magic in Music", a charming little film from 1940 that is loosely based on the Interlochen Fine Arts Camp (then known as "National Music Camp"). Foster had incredible range: she could hit and hold Bb above high C. In contrast, the great Lily Pons could "only" reach F above high C. However, Pons hit that note with authority and a ringing true tone, while most of Foster's notes above high C sounded (in the words of Kaye Connor, a coloratura herself, who appeared in the movie and who went on to a stage career) "like one of those sliding whistles we used to have as kids".

 

As far as those three singers go (and in my opinion), Durbin probably had the best overall voice while Foster was the best and most versatile actress. Each singer's voice had characteristics that were superior to the others: Durbins projected best, Jean's was the most agile, and Foster's had the greatest range.

 

As far as "A Little Bit of Heaven" goes, it wasn't nearly as well-written or done as "The Under-Pup". In "The Under-Pup", Jean's Pip-Emma character is believable; she has her flaws and vulnerabilities. The whole story is very well done, except for the scene at the end between Pip-Emma and Cecilia, which was a bit too contrived. In "A Little Bit of Heaven", Gloria's Midge character is too much of a Supergirl: too worldly and wise, and the other characters gush and fawn over her to the point of patronization. The story is too much slapstick and not enough substance.

[d120421]

I've considered the e-book option at amazon, but as my office computer is a Macmini, I was concerned that downloading the entire book would consume too much "space" on my computer. I do have a Mac at home as well, but it's an older model with a dial-up connection, so I suspect it may be much more difficult to download the book on that computer.

 

The hardcover edition costs a little over $30 and there's also a paperback edition for a little more than $20. Interestingly the various private booksellers who advertise through amazon seem to be offering "used" copies at higher prices than the new ones at amazon. I am very interested in Gloria's life and career, so, barring getting a copy from my local library (and it seems unlikely the library would order it), I'll probably purchase the book in some form at some point.

 

Thanks for the information on the quality of the tapes offered at Gloria's website. They are a little pricey, but I may order some of them as well given that it seems unlikely they will appear on television or be released on DVD any time soon.

 

From the little you've written here, it seems that, contrary to her comments to me, Gloria does not go into any greater detail concerning her relationship with Deanna Durbin or Deanna's alleged machinations to impede her career at Universal, settling for the same sort of generalized inuendo she's suggested in interviews for decades. I'm not certain of the extent of Donald O'Connor's knowledge concerning the reasons for excising Gloria's footage from "Flesh and Fantasy," but it sounds as if he had no concrete information as to whether Deanna was involved in any decision to do so as well.

 

In any case, other comments O'Connor made about Deanna suggest that his opinion of her is contradictory at best. Although Deanna herself acknowledged in her 1980s interview with David Shipman that O'Connor found her somewhat aloof ("Donald O'Connor said that I was a professional, which, coming from him, pleased me, but that at the time we worked together (in 1947's SOMETHING IN THE WIND), I was unapproachable, 'in a funk.' With my second marriage in the process of breaking up, I'm sure he was right."), O'Connor offered a much more sympathetic impression of Deanna during this period in Dick Moore's book on child stars:

 

"What happened to Mrs. Durbin's daughter was that 'she felt she was a stock issue and never grew up as a person,' Donald O'Connor said with quiet conviction when our conversation turned to Deanna. Donald knew Deanna well:

 

"You hear a lot of stories about how she was stuck up, temperamental, hard to get along with. It wasn't that way at all. It got to a point where she could no longer perform. She could no longer work if there were any strangers around.

The first picture I made when I got out of the service was with Deanna, SOMEHTING IN THE WIND. We were in the isolation booth of the recording stage and the orchestra was outside. We were getting along just fine, singing and telling jokes, when a couple of tourists walked onto the set. Deanna started to shake and sweat. It had nothing to do with temperament. She was going through a traumatic situation. Personally and professionally she couldn't cope with it.

She got to a point where she had to make a decision: to keep on like that or quit. She chose not to work anymore."

 

However, in addition to O'Connor, Deanna's co-stars during this period also speak of her with affection including SOMETHING IN THE WIND co-stars Helena Carter and John Dall and UP IN CENTRAL PARK co-star Dick Haymes. As it's well-documented that Durbin was a very shy and private individual offscreen, it's possibile that those who didn't work directly with her, like Peggy Ryan, mistook Deanna's private nature for arrogance or aloofness.

 

Of course, it's also possible that, particularly during the late 1940s when she was both personally unhappy and professionally frustrated, Deanna did exhibit some unadmirable "diva-like" behavior, but personally I find it difficult to believe that her behind-the-scenes economic clout could extend to sabotaging Gloria Jean's career, when she couldn't do anything to incite Universal executives to bolster her own. In fact, in her interview with Shipman, Deanna makes it clear that her frustrations over Universal-International's unwillingness to provide her with better material was a factor in her decision to retire:

 

:"Why did I give up my career? Well, for one thing, take a look at my last four films and you'll appreciate that the stories I had to defend were mediocre, near impossible. Whenever I complained or asked for better material, the studio refused. I was the highest paid star with the poorest material. Today I consider my salary as damages for having to cope with such utter lack of quality."

 

While I agree that all of the Teen Sopranos had their strengths and weaknesses, I'm afraid I can't share your high opinion of Foster's acting abilities. I've usually found her to be a slightly arch, mannered, and somewhat waxen onscreen personality, a competent actress, at best,and a somewhat stolid commedienne. She didn't seem to have the comedic sparkle that Durbin, Jean or (at MGM) Jane Powell had. Her stratospheric vocal range was certainly impressive, but I also found her voice to be a "white" sound without a great deal of body or variety. I enjoy her films and performances (at least those I've seen), but I can also understand why she didn't excite a great deal of interest in Hollywood beyond her Universal tenure.

 

Durbin was the last of the movie's Teen Sopranos whose work I saw, but I do generally consider her to have been the best singer/actress of the lot, really in a class by herself. Her vocal qualities were unencumbered by the omnipresent vibrato which characterized much of the singing of Gloria, Jeanette MacDonald, Kathryn Grayson, Jane Powell and most other movie sopranos, and her voice had more body and color to it, as well as a richer and firmer tone than the others. While her essentially lyric soprano lacked the stratospheric high notes of coloraturas Foster and Grayson, and her richer voice was not as agile as the much lighter ones of Jean and Jane Powell, in terms of purity of tone, and the artless ease and confidence which she displayed onscreen in both singing and acting, she strikes me as easily the most naturally gifted in embodying the "Little Miss Fixit' image the studios were always trying to impose upon adolescent vocalists

[TomBarrister]

The "Little Miss Fixit" was an annoying characterization that unfortunately sold a lot of tickets. It's understandable: back then, people went to the theater to escape life's realities, which during the Depression 30's and war years, meant there was a lot to escape from. The reason I liked "The Under Pup" much better than "A Little Bit of Heaven" is because Pip Emma needs fixing as much as she fixes. She does a lot of good deeds, but she gets into a lot of mischief, too, and she has to be guided along the right path most of the time. Midge is too much of a worldy, wise Deity type to suit me. She only makes one naughty move (pretending to lose her voice), and she's applauded by Grandpa (C. Aubrey Smith) for doing it; the opposite happened in "The Under-Pup".

 

I suppose that we all see abilities differently. While I've never considered Gloria much more than an acceptable actress, I've always thought that everything Durbin did---even if appearing to be spontaneous--was too set-up and measured. I suppose that's just me.

 

Foster did seem to have her lapses in concentration and focus. If you look at the scene in "There's Magic in Music" where Maddy (Allan Jones) and George (Lynne Overman) is deciding to take Toodles (Foster) to camp with them, you'll see her briefly crack up at one of Lynne Overmann's jokes, then compose herself. There are a few other places in the movie where her facial expression is out of sync with what it should be in the movie. If that was the best of the takes they had, imagine what the discarded ones were like.

[d120421]

I agree that the "Little Miss Fixit" screen persona could become grating and saccharine in the hands of some actresses such as in some of the later star vehicles of the maturing Shirley Temple (e.g., LITTLE MISS BROADWAY, REBECCA OF SUNNBROOK FARM, SUSANNA OF THE MOUNTIES) or in the lachrymose emoting of the lozenge-challenged June Allyson (e.g., TWO GIRLS AND A SAILOR, HER HIGHNESS AND THE BELLBOY), but I suppose I enjoy and admire Durbin's performances so much because both she and largely, by extension, her films, manage to avoid these "too good to be true" pitfalls, despite the overtly wholesome nature of the films overall. As pop culture historian Ethan Mordden notes in comparing the images of Durbin and Temple: "She [Durbin] is no goody-goody, and unlike Temple, who always handled adults with a 'dear whim,' Durbin constantly gets into trouble."

 

Two commentaries on the enduring appeal of Durbin's films and performances probably best summarize my attitude toward her work and talent. The first is an excerpt from Professor Georgeanne Schreier's treatiste on the impact Durbin's uniquely independent and feisty screen characterizations had on her adolescent female fans during the 1930s and 1940s, inspiring them to reject long-held passive strictures on femininity and to become more pro-active by example:

 

"Although Durbin?s screen characterizations changed according to the material conditions of the 1930s and ?40s, both Durbin?s adolescent and young adult film characterizations appear to go against the dominant ideology of femininity. Durbin?s comedic skills have often been overlooked by film historians in favor of her singing talent. Yet the Durbin persona was funny sarcastic, mischievous, outspoken, argumentative and bossy. In 100 MEN AND A GIRL, grown men are rendered impotent by the impending economic crisis, but the depression simply makes Patsy more capable and effective. She has no compunctions about standing up to the adults in her life. Cab drivers, butlers, society matrons, industrialists, symphony orchestra conductors, fathers-all are leveled by her determination. She demands to be taken seriously. That same single-mindedness of purpose is apparent in IT STARTED WITH EVE, as she bulldozes Reynolds into arranging an audition with Stokowski and foils Johnny?s efforts to get her out of his father?s life. She is more agile, physically and mentally than Johnny, and even though they are the romantic leads, it is clear that Anne and the elder Reynolds are the true soul mates and Anne will never be a docile wife. Durbin?s films did not position spectators as passive objects of the male gaze. Instead, spectators were given agency, an agency that corresponded to their fan activities."

 

The second is by film critic/historian Charles Affron and focuses more fully on Durbin's particular talents as an actress in this area:

 

Durbin's sweet voice and sound musical instincts take on particularvalue 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 WITH 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 onher part--Durbin's career would not have been truncated so abruptly. Her pluckiness remains a significant image of America in the late 1930s."

 

Unfortunately, the "too good to be true"/"wise beyond her years" persona of Gloria's screen character in A LITTLE BIT OF HEAVEN appears to have stuck in the minds of some critics who later evaluated her work overall. In a 1970s essay on Durbin's career, the late film historian William K. Everson noted that while Deanna "always played someone of her own age," Gloria "was often cast as an unusually sensitive child, wise beyond her years." Still, I find Gloria a likeable and talented performer, even in these roles, if, in my opinion, a less spectacularly charismatic and gifted one than Durbin: more relaxed and self-assured than the nascent but versatile Jane Powell, less prim than the lovely but, at times. too sedate Kathryn Grayson, and less arch and mannered than the blessedly brief Gloria Warren, I think Gloria Jean was one of the most talented and likeable of the "Durbin follow-ups" (to use Everson's term).

 

As far as the "Little Miss Fixit" screen characterization is concerned, while it undoubtedly helped to assuage worldwide fears in the 1930s and 40s over an enduring economic crisis (The Great Depression) and a potentially cataclysmic political stalemate (World War II), it has proven to be a surprisingly durable one in the decades since. For example, what are the "Maria Von Trapp" and "Millie Dilmount" characters embodied by 1960s musical favorite Julie Andrews but "Little Miss Fixit" characters set in the center of the 1960s musical roadshow spectaculars? And vestiges of this screen images also appear in the screen images of later musical and non-musical Girl Next Door actresses on both screen (e.g., Debbie Reynolds, Sandra Dee, Julia Roberts, Rickie Lake, Sandra Bullock) and television (e.g., Sally Field in GIDGET, THE FLYING NUN, Alexis Bledel in GILMORE GIRLS, etc.) Indeed, more than one sharp-eyed reviewer characterized Bullock's star making vehicle, WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING as "a Deanna Durbin movie except that Sandra Bullock doesn't sing."

 

Of course, you're absolutely correct that we all see things differently (hence the enjoyment of forums such as this one where we can compare our different perspectives). Suffice to say that I find all of the Teen Sopranos to be very attractive and talented performers, enjoy their work and appreciate their film legacies, as I know many others do. They are all, in my opinion, underrated in one way or another, and Gloria Jean is certainly among the most unjustly neglected in this regard.

[d120421]

Well, I read Gloria's book. Thank heaven I decided on the e-book option! While I agree that it's worth reading if you're a fan of Gloria Jean (and for that reason I'm glad I read it), it really didn't have anything new to tell or offer, at least where her career at Universal was concerned, which was the part I was most interested in. This was despite the fact that Gloria has alleged that almost everything written about her in past interviews is false or inaccurate, yet time and again, with very few exceptions, I felt as if I was re-reading the same comments and material that''ve been published about her over the past half century or more.

 

I would describe the book as an uneasy mix of biography, autobiography and extended fan magazine article, and, as such, in my opinion, it didn't succeed as any of these venues. The writing style is very simplistic and by-the-numbers, and I found the research to be rudimentary and superficial at best. There is little, if any, citing to outside sources, with the authors' "scholarship" largely confined to transcribing Gloria's commentary (and that of her sister, Bonnie) and then attempting to back it up through speculative commentary. Not suprisingly, then, there are no footnotes and no Bibliography, though full credits and song listings are given for each of Gloria's films.

 

The history and changes Unviersal and Hollywood were undergoing during Gloria's tenure with the studio (which included the Rogers, Blumberg/Work and Spitz & Goetz regimes) are barely touched upon, and, as a result, you get very little sense of the climate or industry in which she worked. Commentary from Gloria's contemporary concerning her films, her work and her talent is also almost non-existent, with the book re-gurgitating the same old "he was like a father to me" tales she's told about Crosby, Fields, Groucho Marx, etc., etc. To be fair, there were some interesting comments from Gloria concerning co-workers like Charles David that I hadn't read before, but such comments are the exception rather than the norrm and I wouldn't recommend anyone purchase the book (even the e-book edition), if you're expecting revelatory commentary on her co-workers.

 

Objective evidence to support the authors' claims of Gloria's popularity is also almost non-existent. No receipt figures are cited for the grosses of her films,and no evidence published of her rankings among the leading box office attractions of the period other than a fleeting reference to her having been on the "Stars of Tomorrow" list for several years

 

I was also most disappointed that there was so little discussion of Gloria's voice and training. I don't think her vocal classification was even mentioned (at least I didn't recall seeing it) and, although her first voice teacher, Leah Russell (who said she was going to "make [Gloria] a colortura") is mentioned, there's almost nothing about Gloria's vocal training/development at the studio, except for some scattershot comemntary from Gloria that she was often confused by the advice given by the various vocal instructors.

 

Of course, I was probably most disappointed that Gloria and the authors discussed her relationship with Deanna Durbin in the book, especially as Gloria had indicated to me in early October that there "would be a section on Deanna Durbin" in the book which should answer readers' questions about their relationship. Instead, the few references to Durbin were scattershot and vague. In any passage that might be considered remotely "controversial," such as those detailing the backgrounds of FLESH AND FANTASY and DESTINY), Durbin is not even referred to by name, but rather as an "interfering stockholder" or an "important stockholder," with pointed reference to that "stockholder" being someone whose career might be threatened by Jean's potential success.

 

It should also be noted that Jean is not afraid to "name names" when she knows the identity of someone she feels has wronged her. For example, she readily identifies "Eddie Sherman" as the agent who persuaded her to leave Universal to embark on a two year vaudeville tour and then pocketed the lions' share of the profits. Yet, after more than sixty years, not only do Gloria and her co-authors refuse to name Durbin directly, but the evidence offered against Durbin by the co-authors and Miss Jean is entirely based on supposition and speculation with not one scintilla of concrete, objective, evidence to support their allegations that Durbin interfered in any way in Jean's career, or, in fact, even owned any stock in Universal which would enable her to do so. (Ironically, the only concrete piece of "evidence" the authors offer concerning Durbin, Jean and FLESH AND FANTASY is an acknowledgement that Durbin sent Jean flowers congratulating her on her performance in the film.)

 

Mind you, although my own substantial research into her career indicates there is little if any, evidence to support generalized claims that Durbin interfered in anyone else's career or jealously guarded her own pre-eminent status at Universal (from the material I've seen, the commentary on Durbin by her co-workers from the beginning to the end of her career at the studio is almost entirely admiring and affectionate, or, at worst, sympathetic), I do not deny the possiblity that Deanna Durbin (or any similarly pre-eminent Hollywood star) may have used her clout to protect her own interests at one time or another. I'm simply stating that you will not find any valid evidence to support such allegations in this book.

 

Just as unfortunate, both the authors and Gloria Jean exhibit shocklingly little knowledge of Durbin's own career struggles at Universal, or of the studio contract player hierarchy at the studio in general. For example, in alleging that Deanna Durbin somehow sabotaged Jean's chances at dramatic stardom at Universal, there is no reference made to the plum assignments given to fellow soprano contemporaries Susanna Foster (in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA) and Ann Blyth (MILDRED PIERCE) during the same period (1943/44), in roles that would be considered by most film buffs and fans to be the defining ones of their respective careers.

 

The authors' lack of research extends not only to film, but to radio adaptations of films. Completely ignoring the fact that it was common practice for different stars to appear in radio adaptations of successful films, Jean also makes one of her few slightly "bitchy" comments, expressing her "surprise" that Deanna Durbin would have allowed her to appear in a 1944 radio adaptation of her 1938 hit, MAD ABOUT MUSIC. Not only was Gloria apparently unaware that, by 1944, Durbin was desperately trying to escape from her wholesome "Little Miss Fixit" persona, but she also fails to acknowledge that Durbin also "allowed" Susanna Foster and Ann Blyth to appear in radio adaptations of her films (IT STARTED WITH EVE and I'LL BE YOURS respectively), not to mention the non-singing Loretta Young's appearance in the radio version of 1944's CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY. Indeed, Durbin herself appeared in some radio adaptations of films made famous by other actresses including ALICE ADAMS (Katharine Hepburn), SHADOW OF A DOUBT (Theresa Wright) and THE GOOD FAIRY (Margaret Sullavan).

 

For me, the most revelatory part of the book concerned Gloria's life and career after leaving Universal. Although she states that she was prompted to do so by her agent (Eddie Sherman) and that no one at the studio actually "asked her to leave," given the intended shift in emphasis away from "B" films toward prestige productions envisioned by new studio heads Leo Spitz and William Goetz (who also re-christened the studio Universal-International), it seems likely that the studio would have released Gloria shortly, as her manager strongly implicated they would.

 

In any case, in managing to create a life and career for herself away from the spotlight, Gloria proved herself to be a woman of some substance and determination, although the seemingly endless litany of deceptions practiced upon her by various promoters, managers and dates would seem to earmark her as a very naive and trusting personality. I also found it unfortunate, that many of Gloria's former co-workers at Universal, including Robert Cummings and Joe Pasternak, literally turned their backs on her when she sought them out in the late 1940s/early 1950s in an attempt to regain a hold in the entertainment industry, but the determination with which she claims they did so, suggests that any problems she may have experienced at the studio, were largely of her own making.

 

So there you have it. As the most extensive account of Gloria Jean's life and career to date, I would recommend that anyone interested in finding out more about her read the book, particularly if you want to see what her impressions were of each of her films and some of her co-stars and the triumphs, travails and tribulations she experienced in her personal and professional life.

 

On the other hand, if you're looking for a thoroughly detailed, well-researched, objective and balanced piece of biography and film scholarship, I can guarantee you, you will not find it here and in all likelihood, will be most disappointed by the results. In my opinion, the definitive biography of this talented and unfairly neglected performer has yet to be written.