DEANNA DURBIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23690, 23 December 1938, Page 7

DEANNA DURBIN

HER RISE TO FAME Deanna Durbin, who has just celebrated her sixteenth birthday, has starred in four Universal pictures in succession, " Three Smart Girls," which introduced her to the picture-loving world, “ 100 Men and a Girl,” in which she appeared with world-renowned Leopold Stokowski, “ Mad About Music,” and her latest, “That Certain Age,” which will be commenced at the Regent Theatre to-day. She credits her startling success to luck, because neither she nor her parents anticipated her screen career. She was 13 at the time, attending Bret Harte High School in Los Angeles. Except for her voice, she was a normal child in every respect. Her parents had speculated about an operatic career for her, but nothing outside of singing lessons had been done about it. Deanna returned home from school one day to be told that she was to go to see an agent, Jack Sherrill. Sherrill rushed her to the M.-G.-M, studios, where she was given a test. The test was a success, and Deanna was placed under contract. Then she learned that she was to go into a picture with Madame Schumann Heink, the great diva, portraying the role of the singer as a girl. But the opera star became ill, and the picture was cancelled. Deanna was released from her contract. Sherrill managed to interest Universal in his 13-year-old client, and she was signed. Cast in a small role in “ Three Smart Girls,” she amazed even hard-boiled studio executives with her freshness and charm as well as her wonderful voice. Her part was stretched; additional money was spent on 'the production—and Deanna emerged a star.