"Spring Parade" (1940)

Deanna looking cute in a babuska (head scarf) In this cute film set in Austria, Deanna plays a farm girl named Ilonka. One day she goes to a carnival and meets a fortune teller who tells her (among other things) that she will find her husband in Vienna; the next day she travels there and is determined to fulfill the prophecies. Deanna's character is somewhat carefree, and it's not explained whether or not she had any work or family obligatons...

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Cartoon Short from 1940-"Malibu Beach Party" with a caricature of Deanna

Note: this page has received much attention lately. Have you found what you are looking for? I hope my comments are working; there have been no comments on the post but many views.  (A Warner Bros. cartoon) (Note: Deanna's caricature appears after 5 minutes, 14 seconds) Lampooned this time: radio comedian Jack Benny and a few regular players from his program, including his real-life spouse Mary Livingstone, the show's bandleader (and jokester)...

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The Amazing Deanna Durbin: new blog!

Here it is: a brand new Deanna Durbin blog, featuring film reviews, news, links, articles, photos, videos, scans, and more. All of the older reviews from Motion Picture Gems have been carried over to this site. More reviews to come. I hope you all enjoy this blog. - ...

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Deanna Durbin in "I'll Be Yours" (1947)

A loose remake of The Good Fairy (the 1935 film - starring Margaret Sullivan and Frank Morgan - was written by Preston Sturges, who is credited in this film), Deanna plays a sweet girl from a small town who moves to the big city, where she lands a job as an usherette in a big movie palace. Among her new city friends are hopeless romantic lawyer (Tom Drake) and restaurant guru William Bendix. In a funny scene, socially-awkward Deanna crashes a big...

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Deanna Durbin in "Nice Girl?" (1941)

Deanna and Robert Stack are together again in a delightful little rom-com from '41 (released several months before the US entered into WW2). Not to be confused with "Three Smart Girls", "Nice Girl?" also features a trio of sisters (Deanna, Anne Gwynne, and Ann Gillis), daughters of high school principal (Robert Benchley), who is obsessed with nutrition so much that he's working on a book. One day a handsome chap (Franchot Tone) comes to the house...

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Deanna Durbin in "Christmas Holiday" (1944)

If you happen to think this Deanna Durbin film is all about gingerbread and mistletoe, forget it. The title of this noirish drama (based on the novel of the same name by W. Somerset Maugham) is a bit misleading, in my opinion. And I'd rank this among my top 10 films taking place at Christmas, yet aren't necessarily "Christmas films". Dean Harens plays an American soilder on his way home for the holidays in San Francisco. He's forced to spend time...

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