Deanna Durbin Finally on Dvd

Wait... Deanna Durbin DVDs at last?! HALLELUIA! What's the release date? I certainly hope all her movies make it to DVD. Deanna saved Universal from bankruptcy, back in the day.... it's time for them to show a little gratitude.

All of Deannas films should be released. A felt a little cheated with the announcement of this release. In th euK there is a box that hs TEN of her films, not the six announced for here. One of the UK toitles is Christamas Holliday, one of the two DD films I have never seen.
Dear Universal - where is this film AND where the hell is Flower Drum Song?

There is a short with her and Judy Garland called Every Sunday on the DVD release of Me and My Gal. They are both quite young in it.

I've been a Deanna Durbin fan for years, ever since our local PBS affiliate used to run these on Sunday afternoons (along with ANDY HARDY and BLONDIE!) so picking up the Sweetheart Pack was a no-brainer for me.

Now, considering the problems consumers have had with these Universal multi-movie releases, I wasn't quite sure what to expect in terms of quality. While some titles (THREE SMART GIRLS in particular) display more grain than they should, I found all of the titles to be acceptably rendered. I was least familiar with SOMETHING IN THE WIND (on the disc in place of ONE HUNDRED MEN AND A GIRL) but found it to be a lot of fun.

Now, when reading about the bad discs Universal has released in the past (the first set of Abbott and Costello movies comes to mind), I have been extremely patient with them. I am onto myself enough to know that this is because I hadn't actually experienced any of the freezing or various problems others have reported.

So, I suppose that when dealing with Universal it's just the law of averages that EVENTUALLY I would be initiated. Wouldn't you know it but at the hour mark of IT STARTED WITH EVE (one of my FAVORITES) the disc locked up. Now I can overlook this, after all I'm a patient man...but darn it if it didn't do it at the hour and six minute mark too! So, it's a quick trip back to exchange the disc and hope for a better one. I'm still thrilled to have six studio released movies at an awesome price, but...perhaps...I'm less inclined to overlook Universal's lack of quality control (to say the least....Pillow Talk anyone?)

Anyway, a fun set to be sure..one more thing..the packaging is awful. it's a cardboard fold around that doesn't attach to the box. It looks as though it should have a slipcover but doesn't. Pins and Needles, Needles and Pins, a happy Will is a Will who GRINS....

Hey Will Krupp - I grew up with those movies thanks to PBS too!

I'm absolutely thrilled that some of Deanna Durbin's films have made it to DVD...and what a low price! I would've been willing to pay a lot more, but it sure is a nice deal. The packaging is...pretty...but impractical.

Instead of being satisfied to get 6 Deanna movies at once (which is so amazing!), I'm greedy for more. Mad About Music, Three Smart Girls Grow Up, Nice Girl?, etc. This had *better* be the first volume in a series. I wish it said "volume 1" somewhere on it, to ease my mind.

I bought 2 copies, to help sales a little and hopefully ensure future releases!

Hey Chris..you're not from Northeastern PA by any chance are you? It was a well honored Sunday tradition that Channel 11 from New York would broadcast Abbott and Costello movies at 11:30am and Channel 44 would broadcast Andy Hardy, Blondie, or Deanna Durbin at 4:00pm. Now that I think of it....we got Charlie Chans and Sherlock Holmes' on the same PBS channel Saturday nights. Sigh, to be a kid again. Anyway, I'm hoping that there are more Deannas on the horizon too. I figure they owe her at least two volumes, huh?

Actually when I was a kid I lived in Ontario, Canada. I remember seeing Andy Hardy movies at noon, or in the middle of the night. Sometimes I was allowed to stay up late, sometimes I taped it to watch the next day. I think those movies are the first things I ever taped off TV, once I learned to use the VCR. And I still have them! Waiting for the Andy Hardy DVD box set.


Yeah! But hopefully all her movies will make it eventually. I bought them all on VHS but I need DVDs so I don't have to worry about wearing them out.

'Just received and watched the 6 films. Very good transfers, although Three Smart Girls is a little grainy. I hope they release the rest of the catalogue.

Question: Was a Technicolor Universal opening logo ever produced before the merger with International Pictures? One would think not, as all of the Technicolor features seem to be missing one.

Resurrecting this old thread.

Has anyone heard if Universal plans on releasing any follow up volumes? Or, has anyone checked out the R2 DVDs?

I've been watching the 6 film set and loving it. I went looking for her other films, but none are on DVD and all the VHS films are out of print and quite expensive to get used copies.

I saw most of them are on R2, but they are kind of expensive. Didn't know if they were worth it.

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY --never before available on any video-- is a fascinating film. It is a genuine film noir based on a novel by Somerset Maugham adapted by Herman J. Mankiewicz (CITIZEN KANE). Durbin's character was a hooker in the novel and is a "singer" in the film and Gene Kelly plays her abusive husband who escapes from jail where has been sent for murder. There are strong hints of incest between Kelly and his mother. Durbin gets to sing Irving Berlin's "Always."
She also introduced Frank Loesser's wonderful "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year."

I also have back-ordered HERS TO HOLD (also R2), which has never been released to video. It is the third film in the "Three Smart Girls"-trilogy. She co-stars with Joseph Cotten.

That would explain why TCM aired it last week. Great film. To be honest, I think it was the first Deanna Durbin film I saw. Loved it so I was looking for others and all I found were the 6 film set.

SO what is the deal with SPRING PARADE and CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY? When Deanna used to make the rounds on television, these two and IT'S A DATE weren't in the package. IT'S A DATE was held back because Universal no longer owned it, but what was the reason behind the other two? I've never seen either of them and, to my knowledge, they haven't ever been shown on television (at least in the last twenty five years). In fact, I don't know anyone who has EVER seen SPRING PARADE. Anybody have any information or clues?

SPRING PARADE has some comments on the imdb. One is negative but the others and the rating
are very positive. I read once long ago that there was a rights issue (it is a remake of a 1935 film). The Maugham estate was not too thrilled with the adaptation which shifted location from Paris to New Orleans, altered the bordello to a "roadhouse," and employed a rather complex flashback structure. I did see it once on TBS nearly 20 years ago. (They took the title way too literally.)
IT'S A DATE was also remade by Universal in 1945 with Donald O'Connor in the Durbin part as PATRICK THE GREAT. Frederick Kohner (who later wrote GIDGET) worked on the original story.

Was SPRING PARADE ever released on VHS? There are a few copies up on Ebay, but they appear to be possibly bootlegs.

I just ordered CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY on R2.

Wait Charles, I think you either confused the two movies or forgot to add the title when you switched to CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY. Thanks for the imdb tip, I should have thought of that already.

I got the R2 CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY DVD. Very good film. Very different from Durbin's other films, arguably her best peformance. The DVD isn't anything special. Good transfer, but the only extras are a still gallery (the same stills that are on the DVD cover). Not even subtitles. Worth picking up if you want to see the film though.

I also got a copy of SPRING PARADE on Ebay (you can get it for $11 with some sellers having it for the Buy It Now). It looks like it was a 16mm to video copy. The print was pretty beat up. It got so shaky at times, I thought the film was going to catch and start burning. But, it was very watchable.

The film was quite good as well. Typical Durbin vehicle but quite funny at times.

Re: Deanna Durbin Finally on Dvd

Just noticed in the Movies Unlimited catalogue, and listed on Amazon (but only available from third party sellers) are three more Durbin films on R1 DVD, THAT CERTAIN AGE, HERS TO HOLD, and CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY. They are listed at being from Nostalgia Family Video, but since they are all Universal titles, I would guess they are bootlegs (or did they lapse into the public domain?). Each is $16.

As unofficial as it is, it is probably the first US release for HOLIDAY, a very good film.

Re: Deanna Durbin Finally on Dvd

Yes, Nostalgia Family Video is a bootleg company.

Re: Deanna Durbin Finally on Dvd

Damn, I got all excited thinking that Universal was doing a volume 2 of her films.

Re: Deanna Durbin Finally on Dvd

A friend told me that the first Durbin set didn't sell well here in the US so there are no plans for a second set. That was extremely disappointing because some of my favorite Durbins weren't in that first set. I'll have to make do with the VHS tapes I have.

Re: Deanna Durbin Finally on Dvd

That's horrible, and I'm just getting into her movies. I know Deanna has a huge fan base. I once heard or read something that Deanna's films were the most requested to be shown on AMC when they used to play good movies.

Re: Deanna Durbin Finally on Dvd

I am still hoping that as Universal has released more classic film collections this year, we might see some more Durbin eventually, maybe in collections of musicals if they will not make another boxset of her films only. 100 MEN AND A GIRL could be a fine candidate for the Universal Cinema Classics too.

Re: Deanna Durbin Finally on Dvd

How did Universal's classic Westerns and Pirate films sets sell? I would hope that they sold well so they can release sets of their musical and film noir properties. And I hope they would include my favorite example of a musical film noir, Deanna Durbin's Lady On A Train

Re: Deanna Durbin Finally on Dvd

Lady on a Train has the best rendition of "Night And Day" ever. And don't forget Deanna's dramatic film noir Christmas Holiday with Gene Kelly- why that one has yet to see a DVD release is beyond me!

PS- she is still living happily in France and still answers fan mail. I wrote to her a year ago and she graciously autographed some photos for me. I'm hoping Universal has a change of heart and releases more Deanna Durbin on DVD.

Re: Deanna Durbin Finally on Dvd

Lady on a Train is already on DVD though in the first and only Durbin DVD Pack Universal released a few years ago.

I too am hoping the westerns and pirate collections will lead to others!

Re: Deanna Durbin Finally on Dvd

LOL, CineKarine of course you are right. And I have that Deanna Durbin set as well. Maybe I was thinking of Christmas Holiday? In any case maybe I will take Lady On A Train off my DVD shelf and watch it this weekend.