by Diane Kennedy

Created on: January 08, 2011

Though she has been out of the spotlight for more than fifty years, former cinematic sweetheart, Deanna Durbin, is unforgettable to anyone who’s ever heard her sing or seen her act.  Pretty, charming, exceptionally talented, Deanna was the highest paid female in America in 1947.  Why would she choose to throw this bright career away at the age of 26?

Deanna Durbin was actually the stage name given to her upon signing with Universal Studios in 1936.  She was christened Edna Mae Durbin at birth, December 4, 1921, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.  She is the second child of British immigrant parents, James and Ada Durbin. 

Because of her father’s health, the family moved to Southern California in 1923, which is where Edna grew up. At a very young age, she showed promise of great singing ability.  Edna Mae had strong, mature vocal chords when she enrolled in voice classes at Ralph Thomas’ Academy in Los Angeles in 1932.   She studied with Andres de Segurola, and planned a career as an opera singer.  Her extraordinary voice attracted attention immediately.  She was hired to do several radio spots, which provided her with an introduction to agent, Jack Sherrill, who quickly signed her with Metro Goldwyn Mayer movie studios.  It wasn’t long before Edna Mae was given an audition. 

The 1935 audition was in a short, eleven-minute film entitled, Every Sunday, a film about the life of opera singer, Ernestine Schumann-Heink. MGM was considering producing the film and needed to screen test female singers for the main role.  The audition featured another young hopeful with an impressive singing voice—Judy Garland, who was six months younger than her co-star. 

Both young ladies performed well in the audition, and the story circulated in Hollywood was that studio executives decided to keep just one of the singers.  When head MGM executive, Louis B. Mayer viewed the one-reel short, he insisted on “dropping the fat one,” intending for Garland to be released.  However, a misunderstanding took place and Durbin was dropped instead.  Judy Garland got the contract with MGM, but Edna Mae Durbin moved to Universal Studios and signed a contract to star in a feature film entitled, Three Smart Girls.  Universal casting director, Rufus LeMaire and producer, Joseph Pasternak, were responsible for bringing Edna to the studio.  Pasternak had seen Edna’s

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