I am another one who has never actually seen a Deanna Durbin feature as far as I can remember.  The only complete bit I have seen of her is the short with Judy Garland which is an extra on a Garland film I have--I think For Me and My Gal.

And like someone else mentioned, I have actually seen more of Suzanna Foster, having seen her in Phantom and The Climax.

But just a couple of years ago I happened upon a Durbin song from one her movies on youtube and was impressed, and sought out and watched/listened to the others available.  She was a wonderful singer with an appealing voice and perfect diction (poor diction being a flaw in many classically trained singers),  She was also a lovely woman.  Sexy, actually.  I can certainly understand why she was very popular.

RIP


**It is interesting to me that so many have not seen many or even any of her movies.  I recall in my army days drawing all-night guard duty,  There was a TV available and so we could watch between rounds and there was a Universal set on the all-night channel, but somehow Durbin films weren't among them for some reason.  I was wondering if it was because a classically trained singer, even one as good as Durbin, simply was no longer mainstream.  I remember reading the comments on "Danny Boy" done by Durbin and Mario Lanza on youtube and seeing many directing viewers to "better" versions which to my ear were awful, with the singer huffing and puffing through a five minute rendition while Durbin and Lanza sang the entire song in three and did an excellent job on the lyrics.  My conclusion was, that for better or worse, record pushers appear to be able to shape taste in music.

***Another factor might be the studio she worked for.  I am familiar with the stars at Fox (Grable, Faye) or Warners (Day) in several films, and of course those at MGM.  It is perhaps unfortunate she was never loaned to MGM or Warners for one of those big all-star forties glittermonster tributes to composers such as Night and Day or Words and Music.  Her rendition of Begin the Beguine is much better than that of the fellow who sang it for Warners.




  

Last Edited By: atenolol May 2 13 9:44 AM. Edited 1 times.