"The Amazing Mrs. Holliday" does not deserve the Booby Prize

Deanna Durbin was Universal's biggest star in the late 1930s and throughout the 1940s. In 1946, she was the second-highest paid woman in the United States (after Bette Davis) and a year later even the highest-paid woman. Among Durbin's greatest successes at Universal were her films produced by Joe Pasternak and directed by Henry Koster, such as Three Smart Girls (1936), One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937), Three Smart Girls Grow Up (1939), First Love (1939), Spring Parade (1940) and It Started with Eve (1941), the latter film being her last collaboration with both Pasternak and Koster.

Following the success of It Started with Eve and Joe Pasternak's move from Universal to MGM, Durbin wanted more control over her films and also the opportunity to work for other studios (most notably MGM as it had Pasternak under contract now). When Durbin refused to do the film They Lived Alone (which in the end was never made), Universal suspended her for six months. The dispute between Durbin and the studio was eventually settled by the end of January 1942 with Durbin coming out the winner: Universal agreed to give her story and director approval on all her films.

Deanna Durbin retired from making movies in 1949, only 27 years old. Joe Pasternak, who had produced some of her greatest successes, tried to persuade her not to retire but Durbin had made up her mind and reportedly said: "I can't run around being a Little Miss Fix-It who bursts into song – the highest-paid star with the poorest material."

Ready for a fresh start after her suspension, Durbin took on a more dramatic role in The Amazing Mrs. Holliday (1943), to be directed by renowned French director Jean Renoir. Durbin had thus far only appeared in light-hearted, musical films and Holliday was meant to be the start of the new Durbin image (the film's subject being a serious one, i.e. a young woman smuggles a group of Chinese war orphans into the United States during WWII). Durbin was excited about the project and about working with Renoir, but after 47 days of shooting Renoir left the film. While Renoir himself claimed an old war injury was the cause of his abandoning the film, it is also said that he was fired due to his slow work pace. At the suggestion of Durbin, Renoir was replaced by the film's producer Bruce Manning who, with no previous directing experience, finished the job. (Two-thirds of the film had been shot by Renoir, but as he was not really interested in Durbin as a singer, the songs were added later at the insistence of the studio.)

Above: lunch break during production of The Amazing Mrs Holliday with (from left to right) screenwriter Leo Townsend, Jean Renoir, Charles David (whom Durbin would marry in 1950), Deanna Durbin and Bruce Manning.// Below: between filming with Deanna Durbin, co-star Edmond O'Brien and Bruce Manning (don't know who the other fella is) .

While I found The Amazing Mrs. Holliday to be quite enjoyable (despite the film's uneven tone), Durbin herself didn't like the film at all. In the late 1980s, Durbin told film historian and teacher William Everson that of all the films she had made, she felt that about six of them should be forgotten and that Holliday should get the Booby Prize. Later Durbin's attitude towards the film somewhat softened, as can be seen in the following letter to Everson written in April 1990 ("On second thought, you're right... "Holliday" does not deserve the Booby Prize, but as I was so enthousiastic and raring to go, the disappointment of a bad film hurt all the more and perhaps made me unfair"). Apart from Holliday, in her letter Durbin also talks about It Started with Eve in which she had co-starred with Charles Laughton. 

Source: Deanna Durbin Devotees

Transcript:

April 1990

Dear Mr. Everson,

You are very kind to continue being so interested in "Holliday" and to let me know that it went well at the New School. After all even if a film I made was not good, it represents a great deal of hard work and I can't help having certain fond memories and thoughts about it.

You are correct in saying it was a comedown from "Eve" but the sought after new Durbin image was not meant just to show me grown up but to have a story which featured me in special and different circumstances, directed by someone exceptional, instead of which I think you'll admit, as did most people, "Eve" was handed to Charles Laughton.

He was marvellous in the picture and the fact that we remained very close friends even though we were both aware of "Eve" being a Laughton not a Durbin film, shows how fond we were of each other.

AS YOU KNOW? I went on a six month suspension at that time and came back to what I thought would be a picture written by Bruce Manning and directed by Jean Renoir! I have already described what took place with that, but perhaps forgot also to mention that we were on the shooting stage for about six months with numerous script changes every day!

A couple of remarks about the programme:

Koster had not left for M.G.M. while I was making "Holliday" but was shooting a film with Diana Barrymore at Universal.

Manning was responsible for many of the excellent Pasternak scripts before Joe left for M.G.M.

On second thought, you're right ..."Holliday" does not deserve the Booby Prize but as I was so enthousiastic and raring to go, the disappointment of a bad film hurt all the more and perhaps made me unfair.

These may all sound like petty details but when trying to change an "image" such things are important and it shows how complicated and sometimes tortuous those sparkling careers can be.

Forgive me for bending your ear like this but it is so pleasant to have an interested, understanding and listening ear to bend!

All my best thoughts,

(signed) Deanna