Deanna Durbin
Nacimiento : 1921-12-04, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Muerte : 2013-04-20
Historia
The girl who one day would be known as "Winnipeg's Sweetheart" was born at Grace Hospital on December 4, 1921, as Edna Mae Durbin. In her early childhood there were no obvious signs that one day she would be a bigger box office attraction than Shirley Temple. Renamed Deanna Durbin for show business purposes, by age 21 she was the most highly paid female star in the world. Her major motion pictures were Three Smart Girls (1936), Mad About Music (1938) and That Certain Age (1938). By the time she was 18 her income was $250,000 a year. Her voice was often described as "natural and beautiful" and her version of "One Fine Day" from Madame Butterfly, became a classic. Deanna was a Hollywood star in every way. There were Deanna Durbin dolls and dresses. An engineering firm named its so-called dream home in her honor. Her first screen kiss was described in a headline story across the continent. What makes Deanna Durbin's story different is that she was never comfortable with adulation. When she was at the top of her career as Hollywood's leading actress and singer, she turned her back on that world for a life of seclusion. Her first two marriages had failed, and before she married her third husband, director Charles David, she set one condition: he had to promise that she could have what she yearned for - "the life of nobody". Her seclusion is incomplete. She lives in the French village of Neauphlé-le-Château, and for over 35 years has resisted every approach from film companies. Her husband has told journalists that "Mario Lanza pleaded with her for years to make a film with him. But she will never go back to that life." She granted only one interview since 1949 to film historian David Shipman in 1983.
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The films, affairs and struggles of the iconic star of The Blue Angel as told by Rosemary Clooney, Roger Corman, Deanna Durbin and many more.
Self (archive footage)
A documentary about child actors in Hollywood, exploring their history from the early days of film.
(archive footage)
La Metro Goldwyn Mayer celebró su 50º aniversario haciendo una recopilación de sus mejores clásicos musicales y entrevistando a sus protagonistas.
Mary Peppertree
Young girl gets a job at the White House as a switchboard operator and gets mixed up in politics.
Rosie Moore
El reportero de un periódico y la hija de un funcionario de inmigración se unen para denunciar la corrupción que existe en la ciudad de Nueva York.
Mary Collins
Mary Collins (Deanna Durban), una bella locutora de radio, mantiene una relación sentimental con el adusto Donald Read (John Dall), pero quien está realmente enamorado de ella es Charlie, el simplón del hermano de su novio.
Louise Ginglebusher
Una chica de pueblo miente a un hombre de negocios para conquistarle derivando esto en una serie de divertidos enredos.
Kim Walker
Tras una brillante temporada en Broadway, el famoso actor John Sheridan se dispone a estrenar una nueva obra del escritor Paul Taylor. Kim Walker, una aspirante a actriz que trabaja como camarera, consigue que el actor le firme un autógrado, aunque lo que realmente ha firmado es una carta de recomendación dirigida al productor. Pero Taylor no está de acuerdo y se resiste a confiar el papel de la protagonista a una desconocida. (FILMAFFINITY)
Nikki Collins / Margo Martin
Mientras espera en la estación la llegada del tren que la conducirá desde San Francisco a Nueva York, Nikki Collins es testigo accidental de un asesinato que se comete en un inmueble cercano. Nadie cree su versión, incluida la policía que no descubre rastro alguno cuando llega al supuesto lugar de los hechos, excepto un famoso escritor de novelas policíacas, que está dispuesto a colaborar con ella para demostrar que, efectivamente, se ha cometido un crimen y hay un peligroso asesino en libertad.
Caroline Frost
With the California Gold Rush beginning, Senator Frost's singing daughter Caroline loves a young army officer; the Senator can't stand him, and has him sent to California. Headstrong Caroline follows him by train, riverboat, and covered wagon, gaining companions en route: a vagrant Russian prince and gambler Johnny Lawlor, who just might take her mind off the army.
Jackie Lamont / Abigail Martin
Jackie Lamont (Deanna Durbin), la joven cantante de un club privado, le cuenta al teniente Charles Mason las dificultades de su matrimonio con el aristócrata sureño Robert Manette (Gene Kelly), un hombre de carácter inestable, al que se acusa de haber asesinado a su jefe
Self
Documentary short film intended to drum up support for the Fifth War Loan Campaign. It shows a happy family in the future of 1960 enjoying the prosperity and advantages made possible by the successful prosecution of the war, and how the sacrifices of 1944 have made the world a better place.
Ann Carter
Aspiring singer Ann Carter visits her stepbrother in New York, hoping to make it on Broadway.
Penelope “Penny” Craig
Deanna Durbin is all grown up in Hers to Hold, the unofficial sequel to her "Three Smart Girls" films of the 1930s. Durbin plays Penelope Craig, the starry-eyed daughter of wealthy Judson and Dorothy Craig (Charles Winninger, Nella Walker). Developing a crush on much-older playboy Bill Morley (Joseph Cotton), Penelope stops at nothing to land the elusive Morley as her husband. Highlights include Durbin's renditions of "Begin the Beguine" and the "Seguidilla" from Carmen, and a captivating sequence that includes highlights from Durbin's earlier films, presented as home movies!
Self
A multi-studio effort to show the newsreel audience the progress of the Hollywood war effort.
Ruth Kirke Holliday
Ruth (Deanna Durbin), misionera idealista, crea el personaje de Mrs. Holliday para así traerse a niños huérfanos chinos a los EEUU con la ayuda del camarero del barco Timothy (Barry Fitzgerarld). Ruth se hace pasar por la esposa de un famoso y rico magnate dueño de una flota de barcos a la cual se le diÓ por desaparecido en altamar. Toda esta trama le hace posible traerse a los huérfanos con la mayor de las cautelas e instalarlos en la mansión que su familia posee, para poder así elaborar su siguiente plan...
Anne Terry
Un joven le pide a una encargada del guardarropa que finja ser su prometida para hacer a su padre feliz en su lecho de muerte. Sin embargo, la salud del anciano mejora y ahora su hijo no sabe cómo decirle que está comprometido con alguien más, en especial porque su padre se ha encariñado con la impostora.
Jane 'Pinky' Dana
Con la ayuda de su ama de llaves, el viudo profesor Oliver Wendell se ocupa de la educación de sus tres hijas. Dana, una de ellas, tiene la impresión de que su novio se interesa más por su coche que por ella, por lo que pone sus ojos en un compañero de negocios de su padre, el atractivo Richard Calvert, comprendiendo que ha llegado el momento de dar el paso de niña a mujer y tomar una decisión definitiva...
Ilonka Tolnay
In this light and lovely romantic musical, a Hungarian woman attends a Viennese fair and buys a card from a gypsy fortune teller. It says that she will meet someone important and is destined for a happy marriage. Afterward she gets a job as a baker's assistant. She then meets a handsome army drummer who secretly dreams of becoming a famous composer and conductor. Unfortunately the military forbids the young corporal to create his own music. But then Ilonka secretly sends one of the drummer's waltzes to the Austrian Emperor with his weekly order of pastries. Her act paves the way toward the tuneful and joyous fulfillment of the gypsy's prediction.
Self (archive footage)
This 1940 presentation features highlights of earlier (1928 onward) Oscar ceremonies including Shirley Temple and Walt Disney, plus acceptance speeches for films released in 1939 with recipients and presenters including Vivien Leigh, Judy Garland, Hattie McDaniel, Fay Bainter, Mickey Rooney, Thomas Mitchell, Sinclair Lewis, and more, with host Bob Hope.
Pamela Drake
Una aspirante a actriz, que pretende participar en una película importante, descubre que su madre también esta tratando de conseguir el papel. Por si esto fuera poco, las dos se enamoran del mismo hombre.
Constance (Connie) Harding
In this reworking of Cinderella, orphaned Connie Harding is sent to live with her rich aunt and uncle after graduating from boarding school. She's hardly received with open arms, especially by her snobby cousin Barbara. When the entire family is invited to a major social ball, Barbara sees to it that Connie is forced to stay home. With the aid of her uncle, who acts as her fairy godfather, Connie makes it to the ball and meets her Prince Charming in Ted Drake, her cousin's boyfriend.
Penny Craig
Three sisters who believe life is going to be easy, now that their parents are back together, until one sister falls in love with another's fiancé, and the youngest sister plays matchmaker.
Alice Fullerton
Dashing reporter Vincent Bullit has just returned from covering the Spanish Civil War. His boss, newspaper magnate Fullerton, has more plans to send him off to China. However, first Fullerton invites Bullit to the peace and quiet of his own home to write a series of European affair articles. When Fullerton's adolescent daughter Alice develops a crush on Bullit, her suitor, boyscout Ken Warren, doesn't seem to stand a chance. Mr. and Mrs. Fullerton, Ken Warren, and even Vincent Bullit himself do their best to sway young Alice's feelings away from the older man. It's a difficult task though, as she is at 'that certain age.'
Gloria Harkinson
Gloria Parkinson (Deanne Durbin) es la hija adolescente de Gwen Taylor (Gail Patrick) una reconocida actriz que ha enviado a Gloria a un internado en Suiza para apartarla de los ojos del público. En parte es por su bien pero, por otro lado, es porque Gwen prefiere que la gente no sepa que tiene los años suficientes para tener una hija de esa edad. Gloria se divierte consigo misma y se gana la admiración de sus compañeros cuando empieza a contar sus extraordinarias historietas acerca de la vuelta al mundo de su millonario padre. Sin embargo, la realidad es otra. Su madre es divorciada y Gloria no tiene padre reconocido hasta el momento. Después de algún tiempo, sus amigos se vuelven escépticos y le reclaman evidencias de la existencia de su padre...
Patricia Cardwell
Una joven cantante muy generosa intenta ayudar a alcanzar el éxito a la orquesta los "Cien Hombres", un grupo de músicos ya retirados que viven en una casa de huéspedes. Sin embargo, la persona que más le preocupa es su padre (Adolphe Menjou), el más desafortunado del grupo. En realidad, a la orquesta lo que le falta es un líder con carisma. Entra entonces en escena el legendario director de orquesta Leopold Stowkowski, quien, después de mostrarse reacio a escuchar a la chica, queda cautivado al escuchar la Rapsodia Húngara nº 2 de Liszt interpretada por los cien andrajosos músicos en las escaleras de un edificio
Penny Craig
The three Craig sisters Penny, Kay, and Joan, go to New York to stop their divorced father from marrying gold digger Donna Lyons and re-unite him with their mother.
Edna
Edna's grandfather is a conductor of a small orchestra that gives concerts in the park every Sunday. Because of lack of audience the city officials want to cancel these concerts. To stop this from happening, Judy and Edna gather a crowd the following Sunday; and to keep its attention, they themselves perform with the orchestra. Edna sings an aria and Judy sings 'Americana'.
