For John, BLUF: Deanna Durbin, someone who knew when it was time to step down, and did.
Another sign of the fact that I am old is that I recognize the name Deanna Durbin. From the International Herald Tribune we have this headline, "Deanna Durbin, Plucky Movie Star of the Depression Era, Is Dead at 91".
From the article by Reporter Aljean Harmetz:
Deanna Durbin, who as a plucky child movie star with a sweet soprano voice charmed American audiences during the Depression and saved Universal Pictures from bankruptcy before she vanished from public view 64 years ago, has died, a fan club announced on Tuesday. She was 91.The Obit notes that Ms Durbin almost single handedly save Universal Pictures, when the studio was on the ropes.
Regards — Cliff
Tom Lehrer beat you to this particular punch line by about forty years. (I couldn't find an online recording of the intro to his song "Whatever Became of Hubert", where he asks the "whatever became of" question of Deanna Durbin, but here's the recording of the rest of it which you may enjoy in any case: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld7VVBztuVM)
ReplyDeleteShe had a beautiful voice and was a gorgeous woman. Hollywood insisted on her portraying only syrupy sweet women.....and she wasn't THAT kind of girl. That is one of the reasons the finally bailed out of Hollywood. I suspect too that she was happier on her farm in France.
ReplyDeleteShe was a national treasure....in spite of having been born in Canada.