Edna Mae Durbin , known as Deanna Durbin , is an actress and singer from Canada . She was in a number of musical films in the 1930s and 1940s , singing standards and operatic arias . Deanna Durbin ( born December 4 , 1921 ) is a Canadian-born , Southern California-raised retired singer and actress , who appeared in a number of musical films in the 1930s and 1940s singing standards as well as operatic arias .