Deanna Durbin obit

She was not on the list.

Early Hollywood superstar Deanna Durbin dies at 91

Deanna Durbin, a star whose songs and smile made her one of the biggest box office draws of Hollywood's Golden Age with fans that included Winston Churchill, has died. She was 91.

Family friend Bob Koster of Los Angeles told The Associated Press that Durbin died on about April 20 in a village outside Paris, where she had lived out of public view since 1949. The exact date of her death was not known, and Koster also did not know the cause. Koster's father, Henry Koster, directed six of Durbin's films.

At the height of her career, the Canadian-born Durbin, who made her first feature, "Three Smart Girls," at age 13, was among the highest-paid actresses.


Her admirers included Churchill, who said she was his favorite star according to biographer William Manchester, and Anne Frank, who had Durbin's photo pasted on the wall in the secret quarters where she and her family hid in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam.

Filmography

Short subjects Year          Title       Role       Notes

1936      Every Sunday     Edna      Co-starring Judy Garland

1939      For Auld Lang Syne: No. 4             Herself

1941      A Friend Indeed                Herself For the American Red Cross

1943      Show Business at War    Herself

1944      Road to Victory Herself A promotional film to support war bonds; also known as The Shining Future

Feature films Year            Title       Role       Notes

1936      Three Smart Girls             Penelope "Penny" Craig                 Produced by Joe Pasternak, directed by Henry Koster

1937      One Hundred Men and a Girl      Patricia "Patsy" Cardwell               Produced by Joe Pasternak, directed by Henry Koster

1938      Mad About Music             Gloria Harkinson               Produced by Joe Pasternak, directed by Norman Taurog

That Certain Age               Alice Fullerton   Produced by Joe Pasternak, directed by Edward Ludwig

1939      Three Smart Girls Grow Up          Penelope "Penny" Craig                 Produced by Joe Pasternak, directed by Henry Koster

First Love             Constance "Connie" Harding       Produced by Joe Pasternak, directed by Henry Koster

1940      It's a Date            Pamela Drake    Produced by Joe Pasternak, directed by William A. Seiter

A short subject, Gems of Song, was excerpted from this feature in 1949.

Spring Parade    Ilonka Tolnay     Produced by Joe Pasternak, directed by Henry Koster

1941      Nice Girl?             Jane "Pinky" Dana            Produced by Joe Pasternak, directed by William A. Seiter

It Started with Eve           Anne Terry          Produced by Joe Pasternak, directed by Henry Koster

1943      The Amazing Mrs. Holliday           Ruth Kirke Holliday          Produced and directed by Bruce Manning (replacing Jean Renoir)

Hers to Hold       Penelope "Penny" Craig                 Produced by Felix Jackson, directed by Frank Ryan

His Butler's Sister             Ann Carter          Produced by Felix Jackson, directed by Frank Borzage

1944      Christmas Holiday            Jackie Lamont / Abigail Martin    Produced by Felix Jackson, directed by Robert Siodmak

Can't Help Singing            Caroline Frost    Produced by Felix Jackson, directed by Frank Ryan

Durbin's only film in Technicolor

1945      Lady on a Train Nikki Collins / Margo Martin        Produced by Felix Jackson, directed by Charles David

1946      Because of Him Kim Walker         Produced by Felix Jackson, directed by Richard Wallace

1947      I'll Be Yours         Louise Ginglebusher       Produced by Felix Jackson, directed by William A Seiter

Something in the Wind Mary Collins       Produced by Joseph Sistrom, directed by Irving Pichel

1948      Up in Central Park            Rosie Moore       Produced by Karl Tunberg, directed by William A. Seiter

For the Love of Mary      Mary Peppertree             (final film role) Produced by Robert Arthur directed by Frederick de Cordova

Radio appearances

1943      Screen Guild Theatre      Shadow Of A Doubt         Ref.

1938      Lux Radio Theatre            Mad About Music            

1943      The Jack Benny Program                              

1948      Screen Guild Players       Up in Central Park