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Deanna Durbin

Deanna Durbin

Actor · Died April 20, 2013, aged 91 · Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Edna Mae Durbin (December 4, 1921 – April 17, 2013), known professionally as Deanna Durbin, was a Canadian-born actress and singer, who moved to the USA with her family in infancy. She appeared in musical films in the 1930s and 1940s. With the technical skill and vocal range of a legitimate lyric soprano, she performed many styles from popular standards to operatic arias. In 1946, Durbin was the second-highest-paid woman in the United States, just behind Bette Davis; her fan club ranked as the world's largest during her active years. Durbin was a child actress who made her first film appearance with Judy Garland in Every Sunday (1936), and subsequently signed a contract with Universal Studios. She achieved success as the ideal teenaged daughter in films such as Three Smart Girls (1936), One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937), and It Started with Eve (1941). Her work was credited with saving the studio from bankruptcy, and led to Durbin being awarded the Academy Juvenile Award in 1938. As she matured, Durbin grew dissatisfied with the girl-next-door roles assigned to her and attempted to move into sophisticated non-musical roles with film noir Christmas Holiday (1944) and the whodunit Lady on a Train (1945). These films, produced by frequent collaborator and second husband Felix Jackson, were not as successful; she continued in musical roles until her retirement. Upon her retirement and divorce from Jackson in 1949, Durbin married producer-director Charles Henri David and moved to a farmhouse near Paris. She withdrew from public life, granting only one interview on her career in 1983.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 4, 1921
Died
April 20, 2013 (aged 91)
From
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Works as
Actor
Titles
10 on MovieCove · 24 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 25% in 30 days

What are Deanna Durbin's films like?

Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Ideas.

Genres

Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 85th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
53%
Ideas
16%
Self
15%
Morality
8%
Society
8%
Family bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 10 · Serious 0 · Dark 0

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 7 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

Gentle: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their gentle movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 8 · Charged 2 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 9 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 6

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 9 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 9 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

8 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 6 of 8 analyzed roles.

Hero
6 of 8
Trickster
1 of 8
Shapeshifter
1 of 8
Show the 8 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
9
Warm
7
Romantic
4
Bittersweet
1
Absurd
1
Other
2

How their films linger

Feel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Deanna Durbin's films?

As of October 24, 2026, none of Deanna Durbin's 10 MovieCove titles is streaming on a subscription or free service.

Subscription and free streaming for Deanna Durbin's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted.

Filmography

24 credits, 10 with a MovieCove page; 9 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1940s: Stars, Stripes and Singing(2009)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • That's Entertainment!(1974)

    as (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • For the Love of Mary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Mary Peppertree

  • Up in Central Park (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Rosie Moore

  • Something in the Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Mary Collins

  • I'll Be Yours (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Louise Ginglebusher

  • Because of Him (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Kim Walker

  • Lady on a Train(1945)

    as Nikki Collins / Margo Martin

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Can't Help Singing(1944)

    as Caroline Frost

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Christmas Holiday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Jackie Lamont / Abigail Martin

  • His Butler's Sister(1943)

    as Ann Carter

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Hers to Hold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Penelope “Penny” Craig

  • The Amazing Mrs. Holliday(1943)

    as Ruth Kirke Holliday

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • It Started with Eve(1941)

    as Anne Terry

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Nice Girl? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Jane 'Pinky' Dana

  • Spring Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Ilonka Tolnay

  • It's a Date (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Pamela Drake

  • First Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Constance (Connie) Harding

  • Three Smart Girls Grow Up(1939)

    as Penny Craig

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • That Certain Age (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Alice Fullerton

  • Mad About Music (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Gloria Harkinson

  • One Hundred Men and a Girl(1937)

    as Patricia Cardwell

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Three Smart Girls(1936)

    as Penny Craig

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Every Sunday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Edna

Career shape

Star power in the 92nd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 24 titles from 1936 to 2009.

Biggest box office

Lady on a Train (1945)

$34 worldwide

Highest rated

It Started with Eve (1941)

Midcredits 95th

Most popular right now

Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression (2009)

Film career

Top draw in 3 MovieCove titles.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting24 of 24: 24 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score74th

By decade

1930s7 · acting1940s15 · acting1970s1 · acting2000s1 · acting

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 83% of 6 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Deanna Durbin's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 74th percentile, the median of all 10; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 68th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

40thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 10 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th5

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 10 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · actor

Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1940s: Stars, Stripes and Singing (2009)

62nd percentile spread · 13% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

It Started with Eve (1941)

Midcredits 95th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 76/100 in their films, across 8 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 58. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Deanna Durbin work with?

People who share at least 2 of Deanna Durbin's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ted J. Kent shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers