Deanna Durbin: Hollywood Child Star Who Saved Universal Pictures Dies at

Deanna Durbin was a Canadian-born American actress and singer. Born Edna Mae Durbin on December 4, 1921, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, she was signed by MGM as a teenager.

Her films for Universal such as Three Smart Girls (1936) and One Hundred Men and a Girl were hugely popular and are credited with saving the studio from bankruptcy. She received a special Academy Juvenile Award in 1938.

She retired from films at 27 and spent decades in seclusion in France. Durbin died near Paris, France, on April 17, 2013, at age 91. Her death was not made public until the end of April.

Achievements: Academy Juvenile Award (1938).

Birth: December 4, 1921 - Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Profession: Actress and singer.

Interesting Facts: She turned down the role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.