Deanna Durbin

I've been having a mini Deanna Durbin celebration this weekend to escape from the overbearing excesses of "Alexander"; does Oliver Stone actually believe that people can speak his dialogue with a straight face?  As for Miss Durbin whose career only lasted between the ages of 14 to 26 (1936 to 1948), it is hard for us to remember that she was once the highest paid female star in the world and the saviour of Universal Studios.  First featured in a short with Judy Garland, her contract was not picked up by MGM, but she soon made her mark in a run of hit escapist fare where the unique selling point was her voice with its operatic range.  Never a beauty and like Garland needing to watch her weight, she caught the public's fancy and is a charming presence in even the worst of the vehicles provided for her, including one with Gene Kelly where he is a deadbeat and not showcased as a song and dance man.  She was blessed by playing against a number of other likeable leading men, receiving her first screen kiss at age 17 from Robert Stack in his debut role, and by being supported by some of the finest character actors and most memorable faces of the period.  I'm particularly charmed by the two movies where she appears with my great favourite Charles Laughton: "It Started with Eve" and "Because of Him".  If one had to generalise, her earlier films have more appeal than her latter ones, probably because of the youth and freshness that she brought to her roles, although there are certainly exceptions like "The Amazing Mrs. Holliday" in 1943.  While she was no longer a fresh face in her last movie, "For the Love of Mary", her naive charm prevailed, and she chose to leave the business because she wanted to, not because she was past it in any way.  However,  tastes do change, and maybe she had the sense to retire gracefully at the right time.  As far as I know, she is still alive and living in France.