Deanna Durbin, Judy Garland, and the Golden Age of Hollywood

- Blurb -

The 1930s was a magical age in Hollywood, with Shirley Temple and Mickey Rooney, Bette Davis and Clark Gable lighting up the silver screen. But Deanna Durbin' s fame surpassed them all. Born in Canada, Deanna was "discovered" by starmaker Eddie Cantor, producer Joe Pasternak and director Henry Koster, and she quickly became the world' s most celebrated star. She saved Universal Studios from ruin, she was a favourite of Winston Churchill and Anne Frank, and she became the highest-paid woman in America. From the start, Deanna' s life was irrevocably connected with that of another young ingenue, Judy Garland. Deanna and Judy were wildly talented, ambitious, and strong-willed young women who followed vastly different paths to stardom. While fame was thrust upon Deanna, Judy spent years struggling for success and their early friendship soon turned into a lifelong rivalry. Despite her tragic life, Judy Garland is remembered as an entertainment icon, beloved by millions. However, Deanna Durbin--who turned her back on Hollywood at the age of twenty-eight to pursue love and happiness--has been largely forgotten. But Deanna' s legacy endures, and this first-ever biography tells of how her gorgeous voice and winning charm vaulted her to worldwide fame and how a thirteen-year-old girl transformed moviemaking and influenced a generation of fans as the first teenage superstar.