Always

Deanna Durbin's Always reminds the Old Kunnel of his tender years and his love affair with her. But, I reckon a few lads of WWII thought of a lot of other things listening to her singing. Ah, nostalgia!

Wholesome teenaged singing lead of the late 1930s and early 40s who became an instant star with the release of her first feature, Three Smart Girls (1936), and shared a Special Academy Award with Mickey Rooney in 1938 "for bringing to the screen the spirit and personification of youth." Durbin, who possessed a lovely, light operatic voice and considerable charm as an actress and comedienne, matured gracefully onscreen and kept Universal Studios afloat during some of its darkest days. Her finest films were largely among the first ten she made, most of which were produced by Joseph Pasternak and were often directed by Henry Koster. Although Durbin would in later years sometimes wryly disparage her star image as that of Little Miss Fix-It Who Bursts Into Song, she also brought some welcome spice to her sweet, sunshiny image, brightening such highly enjoyable fare as 100 Men and a Girl (1937), Mad About Music (1938), First Love (1939), Three Smart Girls Grow Up (1939) and It Started with Eve (1941).

Although Durbin's adult films included such quality items as Christmas Holiday (1944, a dark film noir helmed by Robert Siodmak), Lady on a Train (1945) and Something in the Wind (1947) and Durbin herself could be as wonderful as ever, there was a general decline in the material she was offered and the studio sometimes did not manage to adjust her star persona successfully as she matured. Durbin retired in 1948, partially due to weight problems and changing styles in the musical film, but also because of her decreasing interest in her career. Her third husband was Charles David, who had directed her in Lady on a Train. Durbin retired to France and has declined all offers to return to the world of entertainment.

Words and Music By: Irving Berlin