In 1936, Judy Garland and Deanna Durbin were not even aware that they were soon to be two of the most popular singing voices in the nation, paired in this MGM short which was a stepping stone and screen-test for rising talents. While Garland would only make one feature that year (on loan to 20th Century Fox for "Pigskin Parade"), Durbin went on to create quite a sensation at the then "B" studio Universal (mainly known for their horror movies), causing Louis B. Mayer to have a coronary. He preferred Durbin's opera style voice to Judy's swing sound, but time would prove him wrong as Judy rose to be MGM's greatest female star in the 1940's. According to Lorna Luft, Garland joked about Durbin's being stolen by the monster movie making studio, claiming that she had a uni-brow, which is disproven here.
Both are lovely young ladies of different types, going from door to door to advertise their Sunday afternoon concert in the park. The people they greet aren't very welcoming, but once the concert starts, people are rushing in, the camera moving in fast motion to show the townsfolk rushing to the park to hear the two singers perform. Durbin has a pleasant personality (as evidenced in her 13 year stay at Universal), but her voice may grate on some nerves. Yet, when she starts performing in harmony with Garland on "The Americana", you can see why these two voices sounded so great together. It's a fun short that shows why these two stars went onto greater things at separate studios and why, indeed, the best was yet to come.
Both are lovely young ladies of different types, going from door to door to advertise their Sunday afternoon concert in the park. The people they greet aren't very welcoming, but once the concert starts, people are rushing in, the camera moving in fast motion to show the townsfolk rushing to the park to hear the two singers perform. Durbin has a pleasant personality (as evidenced in her 13 year stay at Universal), but her voice may grate on some nerves. Yet, when she starts performing in harmony with Garland on "The Americana", you can see why these two voices sounded so great together. It's a fun short that shows why these two stars went onto greater things at separate studios and why, indeed, the best was yet to come.