Deanna Durbin

Deanna Durbin

Deanna Durbin was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on a cold December day in 1922. The name " Edna Mae " was bestowed upon her at birth, but when she entered show business she was given the alluring first name of "Deanna", thereby making her one of the double initialed actresses of the era.

Deanna's family moved to California when she was a small child, where she literally sang her way to Hollywood by the tender age of 14. She had a beautiful voice and a very pretty face -- a perfectly wonderful combination for Hollywood during the '30s and '40s, when musicals were all the rage. Edna Mae was renamed "Deanna" and given acting lessons.

Although Deanna made two movies before " One Hundred Men and A Girl ", this was the movie that made her a star. Universal Studios quickly cast Deanna in two additional and highly lauded films, one of which was " That Certain Age ". With great sadness for Nancy Carroll fans, " That Certain Age " was the last silver screen performance for Nancy, who only a few years before, had been the wildly popular darling of musicals and dramas and one of the most beloved actresses in the U.S. and Europe.

While in Hollywood, Deanna married twice and had a child. She continued to make hit movies, but as an individual who sought and longed for privacy, she found herself becoming increasingly unhappy. And so, Deanna turned her back on Hollywood and her film career. She simply walked away, never looking back. She found marital bliss with her third husband, Charles Henri David whom she married in 1950. Miss Durbin makes her home in France, and has adamantly refused comeback offers and interviews since 1949. By all accounts, she has found fulfillment and great joy in her life.

To learn more about Deanna Durbin's life and career, and to see several lovely pictures of her, visit The Deanna Durbin Page This page a fabulous and complete tribute to the lovely Deanna. Also, there is Denny Jackson's Actresses of the Silver Screen. Denny highlights Deanna, along with many other fabulous classic woman stars. You will also find a complete filmography of Deanna's movies at Internet Movie Database where all you have to do is type her name into the search box.