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Deanna Durbin
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Re: Deanna Durbin
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atenolol
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Jun 10 13 1:17 PM
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Possibly due to her death, a boxset of six of her films showed up at Sam's Club at a reasonable price, so I took the plunge and have watched my first Deanna films. I would note that the three films I have watched, from 1936, 1939, and 1945, showcase three different Deannas.
Three Smart Girls (1936)--Deanna was 14 and sang three songs, but this film seems less a musical than a typical and rather good screwball comedy of the era with a fine cast. I read that Deanna once said that she played perfect and unrealistic young girls. I don't know about realistic, but she had plenty of mustard in this role-I can even see her viewed as a kind of pain, but she came across as so charming, who cares. Her singing is something to hear. Disney rejected her as Snow White because he felt she sang like an adult, and I agree with his point. Her singing sounds so adult it is kind of hard to believe she is not dubbed, but she wasn't. The plot is the one about children (three daughters) trying to get Mom and Pop back together and breaking up Pop's coming marriage in the process. Silly at times, but a very entertaining film.
First Love (1939)--a direct Cinderella tale with Robert Stack okay as the Prince, but I found the last third weak and the ending not quite what it should be.
Lady on a Train (1945)--Well, Deanna in a sexy, adult role. She sings her three numbers very well, but I was reminded of the Esther Williams critique ("Wet she's a star. Dry?") Singing Deanna is a star. When not singing she impressed me as just another ordinary leading lady. She seemed to lack the spark she had as a young teen. The movie is an entertaining enough comedy-mystery, somewhat confused and unlikely (none of the family know the mistress of the rich old geezer who was murdered by sight? Hard to believe.) Ralph Bellamy and Dan Duryea are first rate as two brothers who are the major suspects, but the Mad Ghoul himself (David Bruce) is the romantic interest, and he is just uninteresting.
Last Edited By:
atenolol
Jun 10 13 1:39 PM. Edited 2 times.
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Welcome to the CHFB
Forum Guidelines
CHFB TURNS 20!
Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards
Universal Horrors
The Universal Monsters Blu-Ray Collection
Golden Age Horror
Kong - 8th Wonder of the World
Silent Horror
Poverty Row
The World of Sherlock Holmes
Murder and Mystery
Thrills and Chills
'50s Horror and Sci-Fi
'60s Horror and Sci-Fi
'70s Horror and Sci-Fi
Hammer Horror
The Psycho Ward
Foreign Horror
Japanese Giants
Horror and Sci-Fi of Recent Decades
Current Films
Second Takes on Films of the 2000s
Independent Films and Documentaries
Coming Soon
TV Terrors
Classic Horror on DVD, Blu-Ray and Streaming
Stream and Stream Again
Horror Film Books and Magazines
Horror by Candlelight
Horror Comics and Fantasy Art
Monster Toys and Collectibles
Classic Horror Movie Memorabilia
Horror Music
Old Time Radio and Audio Horror
Classic Horror Online
CHFB Member Reviews
Our Favorite Horror Hosts
Classic Disney Scares
Horror Film Stars
Men Behind the Monsters
Monster Kid Memories
General Horror and Sci-Fi
Horror Tech
Movie of the Day
Off Topic Discussions
Classic Horror News and Events
Birthdays and Holidays
DVR / TiVo Alert
Final Farewells
Classic Horror Polls
Classic Horror Classifieds
Monster Kids Helping Monster Kids
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