It was the 88th birthday yesterday of the lovely Deanna Durbin, known as the "Canadian songbird".
Deanna was launched on Hollywood's big screen as a fifteen-year-old (alongside another young aspiring star, Miss Judy Garland) way back in 1936 - and her beautiful operatic voice became an instant sensation. So popular were her versions of arias by Puccini and Gounod that allegedly the Japanese used to try and break the spirits of their US prisoners-of-war by telling them their idol was dead...
Miss Durbin made numerous movies during the 30s and 40s, including Three Smart Girls and Can't Help Singing, and even some non-musical films such as Lady on a Train. Allegedly, it was her vocal style that influenced Kiri ti Kanawa, and even the composer Rostropovich cited her as his inspiration.
Surprisingly, given her potential to become as big a star as La Garland, Deanna Durbin's career ended in 1950. She married, moved to Paris, and walked away from her film and recording contract for ever. And there she still resides - to this day she refuses (despite numerous efforts) to come out of retirement and perform again, or to talk to the media about her success.
Many happy returns to a beautiful lady! Here are couple of Miss Durbin's greatest screen musical moments:
Deanna Durbin on IMDB
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