Judy Garland Page 2

Deanna Durbin, who was one of Hollywood's biggest draws in the 1930s and early '40s, has died aged 91.

In a glittering career, Durbin at one point became the highest-paid star in the US, in 1947, thanks to her huge bankability as an actress. She made her film debut in the 1936 MGM short Every Sunday, in which she appeared alongside the legendary Judy Garland, aged 15. From then on she rose as a star, having been signed by Universal Studios, and her first mega bucks role was Three Smart Girls, also in 1936 and credited with saving the studio from bankruptcy.

In many of her roles Durbin was portrayed as the perfect girl-next-door, however it was a role she eventually grew tired of as she matured from a teenager and she tried to take on more serious roles in 1944’s Christmas Holiday and the crime thriller Lady On A Train, from 1945. She retired from acting at a young age in 1949, aged just 28. She went on to withdraw from public life after marrying producer-director Charles Henri David in 1950. They stayed together for 48 years before his death in 1999. News of her death was announced by her son Peter H David, who revealed in a statement that she had died “a few days ago.”

Continue reading: Deanna Durbin Dies: 1930's Hollywood Star Passed Away, Aged 91

The iconic dress worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz has been sold at auction for $480,000. The auction house Julien’s Auctions have revealed that the blue and white gingham pinafore fetched the staggering sum during a two-day auction of Hollywood memorabilia. It was the highest priced item in the auction, which attracted bids from across the globe. The auction ended on Saturday (November 10, 2012).

Other memorable items to have sold included Steve McQueen’s racing jacket, which went for $50,000. The purple skirt worn by Marilyn Monroe in River of No Return sold for a similar amount and the dress worn by Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music brought in $38,400. All unarguably impressive figures, but not a patch on Judy Garland’s ‘Dorothy’ dress. Sunglasses were another popular item, fetching relatively high sums The shades worn by Jean Reno in Leon sold $8,320, whilst Johnny Depp’s glasses went for $3,250.

There’s no news on who’s purchased the items or what use they’re intended for. We think anyone walking down the street wearing Dorothy’s dress would look a little incongruous in this day and age. Though, if you had the sparkly red shoes to match and a tin man, a lion and scarecrow in your entourage, you could at least convince people that you were off to a fancy dress party. Steve McQueen’s biker jacket though? Well, on the right person, there will most likely never be a time when that just doesn’t look insanely cool.

There have, to date, been three versions of 'A Star is Born' the first in 1937, the second in 1954 and the most recent came out in 1976, and all have been wildly successful. The recipe for success seems to be in having an extraordinary leading lady, with Judy Garland starring in the 1954 version, and Barbara Streisand the latter, the biggest stars with the strongest and most distinctive voices of their time, there is no question as to why Clint Eastwood would want Beyonce to be the leading lady in the newest proposed adaptation of the classic film. He must now be devastated as she's pulled out of the project-for a second time.

The premise of every film is a female rising star, taken on by a veteran in the business, who sees his own career decline with the career of the 'rising star' rockets. The main problem this project is facing seems to be finding the right leading stars. The casting crew has been through a long list of Hollywood's greats, but left without much, and now with Beyonce's premature exit they're left with nothing. Bradley Cooper has been cited as a hot favourite for the role that would have been opposite Beyonce.

In TheWrap.com Beyonce cites a jampacked schedule for her abdication from the role. She said: 'I was looking forward to the production of A Star Is Born and the opportunity to work with Clint Eastwood. For months we tried to coordinate our schedules to bring this remake to life but it was just not possible. Hopefully in the future we will get a chance to work together.' However, some critics have questioned whether political differences have pushed Beyonce and Eastwood apart, as the former has been vocal in her backing of democrat Barack Obama, whereas Eastwood is a life-long republican.

Continue reading: As Beyonce Quits Clint Eastwood Movie; Can Anyone Else Keep The Project Afloat?

Beyonce’s role in the latest remake of A Star Is Born, directed by Clint Eastwood, is no more, due to scheduling issues, reports E! Online.

“I was looking forward to the production of A Star Is Born and the opportunity to work with Clint Eastwood," Beyonce said in a statement to E! News. "For months we tried to coordinate our schedules to bring this remake to life but it was just not possible. Hopefully in the future we will get a chance to work together." So it looks like it’s back to the drawing board for Clint, who has been busy with his latest flick, Trouble With the Curve, which didn’t really do that well at the Box Office. "We've talked to several people, and we probably won't address that one till next year," Eastwood explained to E! at the premiere of his recent film. "Early next year,” he added.

The 1937 original had rising star Janet Gaynor falling in love with Frederic March. In 1954, Judy Garland rose and in 1976, Barbra Streisand found her voice with the help of Kris Kristofferson. Eastwood is said to be eyeing jazz star Esperanza Spalding as a replacement, but wants to secure a male lead before approaching female stars. As of yet, there is no date for the film, which is allegedly another reason for Beyonce’s withdrawal.

63 years after the Technicolour family favourite "The Wizard of Oz" was released in cinemas, Judy Garland's iconic blue gingham Dorothy dress is going to be up for sale in an auction, to be held in November.

Darren Julien, the prime auctioneer of celebrity items with his company Julien's Auctions, expects the dress to make half a million dollars (£300,000). Julien's Auctions has sold items from Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley, to name but a few, and sells some fairly normal items from Bill Clinton's saxophone, to the truly bizarre, namely William Shatner's kidney stone, which sold for $25,000 (£14k) in 2006.

The 'Dorothy' dress will join 800 other items of from films over the ages, including props, photographs and wardrobe items, in the "Icons and Idols 2012: Hollywood" auction. To mark 50 years since Marilyn Monroe's death, a number of her items will also be included in the sale.

Continue reading: Wizard Of Oz's Iconic Judy Garland Dress Up For Sale

They are some of the most iconic shoes on the planet, but they've before been seen in public in Europe; that's all going to change, though, as the original ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland's Dorothy in the 1939 musical The Wizard Of Oz come to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London where they'll be part of an exhibition called Hollywood Costume. The V&A has had Dorothy's white and blue gingham pinafore dress for a while now, reports The Independent, and it will be the first time that the outfit has been reunited since Garland wore them.

Continue reading: Dorothy's 'Wizard Of Oz' Slippers To Go On Public Display In Europe For The First Time