Known For
Acting
Known Credits
33
Gender
Female
Birthday
December 4, 1921 (104 years old)
Place of Birth
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Edna Mae Durbin (December 4, 1921 – April 17, 2013), known professionally as Deanna Durbin, was a Canadian-born actress and singer, who moved to the USA with her family in infancy. She appeared in musical films in the 1930s and 1940s. With the technical skill and vocal range of a legitimate lyric soprano, she performed many styles from popular standards to operatic arias. In 1946, Durbin was the second-highest-paid woman in the United States, just behind Bette Davis; her fan club ranked as the world's largest during her active years.
Durbin was a child actress who made her first film appearance with Judy Garland in Every Sunday (1936), and subsequently signed a contract with Universal Studios. She achieved success as the ideal teenaged daughter in films such as Three Smart Girls (1936), One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937), and It Started with Eve (1941). Her work was credited with saving the studio from bankruptcy, and led to Durbin being awarded the Academy Juvenile Award in 1938.
As she matured, Durbin grew dissatisfied with the girl-next-door roles assigned to her and attempted to move into sophisticated non-musical roles with film noir Christmas Holiday (1944) and the whodunit Lady on a Train (1945). These films, produced by frequent collaborator and second husband Felix Jackson, were not as successful; she continued in musical roles until her retirement. Upon her retirement and divorce from Jackson in 1949, Durbin married producer-director Charles Henri David and moved to a farmhouse near Paris. She withdrew from public life, granting only one interview on her career in 1983.
| 2009 | Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1940s: Stars, Stripes and Singingas (archive footage) | |
| 2009 | Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depressionas Self (archive footage) | |
| 2002 | Marlene Dietrich: Her Own Songas Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | |
| 2002 | Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Storyas Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | |
| 1982 | Hollywood’s Childrenas Self (archive footage) | |
| 1974 | That's Entertainment!as (archive footage) (uncredited) | |
| 1948 | For the Love of Maryas Mary Peppertree | |
| 1948 | Up in Central Parkas Rosie Moore | |
| 1947 | Something in the Windas Mary Collins | |
| 1947 | I'll Be Yoursas Louise Ginglebusher | |
| 1946 | Because of Himas Kim Walker | |
| 1945 | Lady on a Trainas Nikki Collins / Margo Martin | |
| 1944 | Can't Help Singingas Caroline Frost | |
| 1944 | Christmas Holidayas Jackie Lamont / Abigail Martin | |
| 1944 | The Shining Futureas Self | |
| 1943 | His Butler's Sisteras Ann Carter | |
| 1943 | Hers to Holdas Penelope “Penny” Craig | |
| 1943 | Show-Business at Waras Self | |
| 1943 | The Amazing Mrs. Hollidayas Ruth Kirke Holliday | |
| 1941 | It Started with Eveas Anne Terry | |
| 1941 | Nice Girl?as Jane 'Pinky' Dana | |
| 1941 | A Friend Indeedas Self / Performer | |
| 1940 | Angels of Mercyas Self / Performer | |
| 1940 | Spring Paradeas Ilonka Tolnay | |
| 1940 | Cavalcade of the Academy Awardsas Self (archive footage) | |
| 1940 | It's a Dateas Pamela Drake | |
| 1939 | First Loveas Constance (Connie) Harding | |
| 1939 | Three Smart Girls Grow Upas Penny Craig | |
| 1938 | That Certain Ageas Alice Fullerton | |
| 1938 | Mad About Musicas Gloria Harkinson | |
| 1937 | One Hundred Men and a Girlas Patricia Cardwell | |
| 1936 | Three Smart Girlsas Penny Craig | |
| 1936 | Every Sundayas Edna |