Deanna Durbin

The girl who would later be known as "Winnipeg's Sweetheart" was born at Grace Hospital on December 4, 1921, as Edna Mae Durbin. Early in her childhood, there were no clear indications that she would become a major box office draw, surpassing even Shirley Temple. For professional reasons, she was renamed Deanna Durbin, and by age 21, she had become the world's highest-paid female star. Her major films included *Three Smart Girls* (1936), *Mad About Music* (1938), and *That Certain Age* (1938). By the age of 18, she was earning $250,000 a year. Her singing voice was often described as "natural and beautiful," and her rendition of "One Fine Day" from *Madame Butterfly* became a classic. Deanna was a full-fledged Hollywood star, with dolls and dresses named after her. An engineering firm even named a model dream home in her honor. Her first screen kiss was widely reported in headlines across North America. What distinguishes Deanna Durbin's story is that she never felt at ease with the public adulation. At the height of her career, as Hollywood's leading actress and singer, she chose to leave the entertainment world for a life of seclusion. Her first two marriages ended in failure, and before marrying her third husband, director Charles David, she set one condition: he had to promise she could live the life she desired—"the life of nobody." Her seclusion is not total; she resides in the French village of Neauphlé-le-Château and has resisted all overtures from film companies for over 35 years. Her husband has told journalists that "Mario Lanza pleaded with her for years to make a film with him. But she will never go back to that life." She granted only one interview since 1949, to film historian David Shipman in 1983.