Summer Under the Stars: August 2012 Schedule

[Sue Sue Applegate]

JF, here's another fan for Rose Marie and San Francisco!

Moira, that is one of the loveliest photos of Ty Power that I've ever seen. Luminous...

[knitwit45]

Jacks, I'm another fan of Jeannette and Nelson. There was a long discussion years ago at TCM about their love affair, and most agreed, although some die-hard fans absolutely refused to believe it. I just remember seeing This is Your Life with either one or the other, and the one who wasn't spotlighted showed up as a guest. When they saw each other, Jeannette burst into tears.


Maytime is especially sweet, for me...

[CineMaven]

I know this isn't the popular thing to say, but... I really love Jeannette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. Now hear me out... if you've made a judgment of them (like I did) without seeing their first two movies together, give them a try on Monday the 27th. I have a feeling you'll enjoy the humor and the romance...I came upon Rose Marie one day a couple of years ago on TCM and was held spellbound, wondering how two people who supposedly hated each other could look so much in love. I actually broke down in tears during one number, it moved me so. No one was more shocked than I, who had avoided them like the plague for years...Check them out if you want to decide for yourself. For me it's simple - either they are the best actors in the world, or they really did love each other. As far as I am concerned, nobody is that good an actor. Their ability to pour their hearts out to each other only on film makes for some great movie moments.

Easy Rasputin, easy. I'm under that spell again. I watched their films as a kid...fell out of their thrall in later years. Reading your review...dagnabit, I'm going to try and catch them this Monday.

Well, it turns out that the two singers actually had a long, tortured affair, at least according to one author, who interviewed Marie Blake (also known as Blossom Rock, Jeannette's sister) and others about the couple.

WHAT?! I remember Blossom Rock from some of the "Dr. Kildare" movies...and as Grandmama on "The Addams Family." Well...she would know. This piece of info makes watching them all the more interesting.

[JackFavell]

It really does make them tantalizing to watch.... Something about those two drove me to the internet to find out the real story, because they just radiate when together.

I didn't mention I Married an Angel, also showing on Monday, which I also like but comes late in their careers...it's probably not for everyone, but I find it charming and has that magic that I love in a movie plot. Lump it together with One Touch of Venus, The Ghost Goes West, I Married a Witch, The Canterville Ghost, Blithe Spirit and Down to Earth (I'm sure I'm forgetting some in the genre), and I am a happy girl.

[moira finnie]

I like Nelson and Jeannette very much in Rose Marie and Maytime (it doesn't hurt that John Barrymore is on board in the second film either). I am a bit skeptical about the "grand amour" theories regarding the team, but they did have a nice chemistry on screen.

Other than those two movies, I like them separately--Jeannette in her pre-MGM days with Lubitsch, and Nelson Eddy in Balalaika, which I love every time I see it (great Russian music, a romanticized Revolution, and Nelson seems pretty frisky around the beautiful blonde thrush, Ilona Massey).

Glad you liked that Tyrone Power image from Jesse James too, Christy. I usually prefer him in his post-war movies, but dang, he was beautiful in this color movie.

My gosh, I NEVER knew he played the CIsco Kid! How crazy is that? Didn't even have a clue that he starred in B programmers. Thanks for the interviews, Moira!

Romero was in six Cisco movies, parts or whole of them are on youtube and can be viewed below. You also might enjoy one of his most playful leading roles in Tall, Dark and Handsome (1941) in which he played a tender-hearted mobster. :
http://tinyurl.com/brcbk6z

[Sue Sue Applegate]

I thought I had remembered something about the grand, passionate affair, and also read somewhere that MacDonald had tried to commit suicide at one time because Eddy had married. I can't verify that, though.This article is from 2006:

Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy: TCM’s Stars of the Month Hid a Secret Off-Screen Romance and Pregnancy
Turner Classic Movies airs the Jeanette MacDonald-Nelson Eddy 1938 blockbuster, “Sweethearts,” filmed at the height of their off-screen love affair. This was MGM’s first Technicolor feature, in which sharp viewers can see Jeanette’s pregnancy bump, and expectant father Nelson can’t keep his hands off her.

New York City (PRWEB) March 20, 2006

Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy are TCM’s “Stars of the Month” for March. They were Hollywood’s greatest singing team, putting MGM musicals on the map. “Sweethearts,” which airs tonight on TCM, was filmed during the summer of 1938 when MacDonald was pregnant with Eddy’s child. As noted in the best-selling biography, “Sweethearts: The Timeless Love Affair On-Screen and Off Between Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy” by Sharon Rich, Nelson Eddy was at his most relaxed onscreen in this film. He blew on her neck, his hands wandered and he caressed her fingers in an intimate way, alerting fans even back then that there was something going on.
Her baby bump is visible in long shots when she and Eddy are dancing during the “Pretty as a Picture” number. Additionally, the normally flat-chested actress is unusually busty; in later scenes she wears draping dresses or holds a fur muff in front of her stomach.
MacDonald eventually miscarried at five months, collapsing on the set. Eddy rushed her to the hospital where she nearly died. Eddy was so distraught, refusing to leave her side, that the press got wind of the fact that it was his baby. Her hospitalization hit the newspapers in which supposedly the ailment was “an ear infection.” MacDonald had previously fallen on the “Sweethearts” set while filming. She rushed up a staircase to tell Eddy something, fell hard on her stomach and slid down a few steps. The other actors cautioned her and she yelled, red-faced, “Why, am I going to fall again?” Director Woody Van Dyke left this ad-libbed shot in the final print.
MacDonald’s pregnancy was kept secret from the public and even initially from studio boss Louis B. Mayer. She had been married for a year to actor Gene Raymond, a Nelson Eddy lookalike. That marriage had become one of convenience when, on their honeymoon, she caught her husband in a clinch with actor Buddy Rogers. In January 1938, MacDonald rekindled an affair with Nelson Eddy after Raymond was arrested in a West Hollywood gay bar raid. She quietly filed for divorce.
Every year Nelson Eddy left Hollywood for a few months, embarking on a spring concert tour. His concerts sold out within minutes of tickets going on sale. The tall, blond baritone was mobbed by bobby-soxers in a pre-Frank Sinatra era, and was the highest paid singer in the world. According to Eddy’s bodyguard, John “Red” Boyles, MacDonald traveled with Eddy on his 1938 tour. Occasionally she sat in the audience during his concerts and even consented to come onstage and sing with him—which brought down the house. When they returned to Hollywood in May 1938 to film “Sweethearts”, she was pregnant. MacDonald and Eddy were so radiant on film that after one day of shooting “Sweethearts” in black-and-white, the film was switched to Technicolor.
After the miscarriage, a furious Louis B. Mayer forced MacDonald to call off her divorce. This led to a disastrous sequence of events, as related in the book “Sweethearts.” It is available at a special price this month, read the specifics at the TCM website:
http://turnerclassicmovies.com/movienew ... cid=121724
For details behind the filming of “Sweethearts” including candid photos, visit:
http://www.maceddy.com/index.php?main_p ... pages_id=5
Chapter One of “Sweethearts” is also available online to read here: http://www.maceddy.com/index.php?main_p ... s_excerpts

[JackFavell]

Thanks Moira for the Cisco Kid links! How exciting to see Tall Dark and Handsome as well.

Sue Sue, thanks for that story. I know the book told it in a florid style, but I can't help thinking it's true that they had a lifelong affair. I saw that clip from This is Your Life, and she gets all verklempt when she sees Eddy, she's practically blushing, and I think Gene Raymond is right there next to her!

Maven, I couldn't believe it when I realized that Blossom Rock and Marie Blake were the same person and the sister of MacDonald. You can see a marked resemblance once you know.

[CineMaven]

I know this isn't the popular thing to say, but... I really love Jeannette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. Now hear me out... if you've made a judgment of them (like I did) without seeing their first two movies together, give them a try on Monday the 27th. I have a feeling you'll enjoy the humor and the romance.

I've been checking them out today Wendy. You should have put a WARNING sticker on your post: "Films guaranteed to put a lump in your throat."

I came upon Rose Marie one day a couple of years ago on TCM and was held spellbound, wondering how two people who supposedly hated each other could look so much in love. I actually broke down in tears during one number, it moved me so. No one was more shocked than I, who had avoided them like the plague for years.

I've never seen this in its entirety before. I did today. And again...what is love in the face of duty and honor? It seems love doesn’t stand a chance. First Jeanette’s on her high horse in the sophisticated urban world of the Theater...Opera. A real diva. And now that she’s looking for her crook of a brother up in the Yukon, she’s got to make her way up there in the rustic North. No maids and servants at her feet. I felt so bad for her when she was trying out for a job in that saloon and she just wasn’t the hot toddy they were looking for.

First we see the urban world where she is queen. Now we see the rough and tough world where Nelson Eddy rules; a tall, solid and stalwart baritone. She comes into his world, a duck out of water. He’s very commanding. But it is their singing that got me. Wow, I really must have not seen their films in a long long, very long time. I love Fred & Ginger. But MacDonald & Eddy certainly have their place. Their voices pulled at my heart strings. That “Indian Love Call” might be parodied...corny. But it really wasn’t in the context of the film. They look deep into each other’s eyes and speaking to each other in song, was kind of sumthin’.

When he arrests her brother she pleads his case, but to no avail. She tries to reach out to Eddy in song, with their song...calling him back. He doesn’t answer, boy, that was rough. I was astounded at the final opera scene of “Tosca.” Now sometimes I thought Jeanette reminded me of Norma Shearer, you know...slightly actress-y. But in that scene MacDonald totally pulls it off; she hears Eddy’s voice in the midst of the opera she's performing and has a nervous breakdown. At one point she walks towards the camera a la Swanson in “Sunset Boulevard.” She falls in a heap on stage. She was love-sick; terribly believable to witness. I cannot fight the forces of CinemaNature. I need a happy ending...and I got one.

Jeannette has an absolutely beautiful duet with Jane Powell in “Three Daring Daughters” at 8 AM ET,

I checked it out and recorded the song for you here on YouTube:



Just as I was about to record it, construction drilling started right across the street from my window. By Zeus!! I was freaking! But they were doing it in fits and starts and I managed to record the song in between drilling sessions. ( Whew! ) It was great to see the veteran star team with the up and coming young Powell. At least there was a resemblance between actresses playing Mother & Daughter. Movies ofttime miss heredity in casting. The song was lovely. I like the melancholy nature of it. Their voices fit each other very nicely.

The movie didn’t go the way I expected it to, so that surprised me. Jose Iturbi? Great musician. Love interest...hmmmm. I kept expecting ( praying for ) George Brent to show up as the ex-husband and for the family to get back together again. You know...MGM-style. Pleasantly surprised the plot went another way. I believed Jeanette as a Mom. I believed her affectionate caresses for each daughter. Jane Powell wasn’t as manic as she was in that cruise ship movie with Frances Gifford and Brent. And look at “Princess.” Or was she “Cupcake”? She definitely played Andy Griffith’s girlfriend on “The Andy Griffith Show.” Elinor Donahue plays the little sister.

Naughty Marietta especially is quite funny. The old operetta is played strictly for laughs, and very tongue in cheek, which makes it disarmingly enjoyable to watch.

"...And I have to crawl up on my hands and knees for him to even notice me."

Here we go again. In a lot of their movies, I thought Nelson Eddy kind of stiff. But in "...Marietta" I’ll tell you this, Nelson looks good in that buckskin get-up. And he’s kind of loosey goosey easy breezy with his banter here. And she's kind of a saucy wench here. Nice. Ah, sweet mystery of life...........

I hadn’t planned on watching “SHINING THROUGH.” Not a fan of marshmallow man Gene Raymond. But seeing FRANK BORZAGE’s name stopped the remote control dead in my tracks. He’s twisted my heart into a pretzel before. So I stayed to see what configuration my arteries would take.

Crikey! Borzage got me. He got me again!! Dagnabit! Gene Raymond was wonderful. Jeanette should always be filmed in color. That redhair...she’s gorgeous. Sad story of lost love and then making the next generation pay for the previous generation’s loss. I even saw shades of “Love Affair”/ “An Affair to Remember” with the crutches. There’s that lump again; shot on her wedding day...love forbidden...hate replacing love. Love replacing hate.

Check them out if you want to decide for yourself. For me it's simple - either they are the best actors in the world, or they really did love each other. As far as I am concerned, nobody is that good an actor. Their ability to pour their hearts out to each other only on film makes for some great movie moments.

Sister, you said it!

[JackFavell]

Oooh, Maven, I am soooooooo glad you watched! You had exactly the same reactions I did a couple years ago! I was so shocked to find the pair totally believable, and even heartbreaking... you can't fight a force of CinemaNature.

I actually missed Rose Marie this time, drat! But I loved the way you wrote it up. One of the things that I adore about it is the way she looks at him when he's singing. You can't fake that kind of admiration.

It's tough watching some of the MGM opera movies of the late forties, I feel your longing for George Brent! But I do love that duet and I THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for posting it for me! It's so lovely, and sort of like a passing of the torch.

Naughty Marietta is just a pleasure to watch. The script has a lot of set pieces that really work in it's favor, thanks to some nifty writing. it's not at all standard Eddy MacDonald fare, he's hilarious, great looking, not at all stodgy, and she's gorgeous (those curls at the back of the neck may have been the best movie hairstyle ever) and at one point impersonates a lady of the night! Add Frank Morgan and Elsa Lanchester (and Harold Huber in a bit part) and you've got a winner. And there's a puppet show. Loved every minute of it.

I watched the end of Smilin Through as well, since I've now seen all the versions, except the silent one. I was completely bowled over by Gene Raymond... he TOTALLY got me at the end, trying to put her off. I've liked him ever since I saw Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but I never thought he had depth, but lordy, he had it in spades here. I completely choked up during that scene where he comes back crippled and tries to make her think he was just having a fling with her. MAN, how he got me.

[mrsl]

.
Well Kingrat old boy: first let me get this off my chest. Any romance between Hepburn and Mitchum in Undercurrent occurred after the movie ended. Their union in the film consisted basically of an introduction which also included an extended conversation and a smidgen of touchy feeley of hands while playing the piano in the last scene, so a comparison between them and Dunne/Johnson is reaching somewhat.

However, the tone of your review is similar to mine. Personally I much preferred Always since Drefuss/Holly Hunter was largely more sensible than Tracy/Dunne. And later Brad Johnson/Hunter again was a good pairing. I love Tracy and Van Johnson in almost everything they do, but as far as Dunne is concerned ppppfffffffttttt!!! Irene was great when she finally grew into the parts she chose such as the second half of White Cliffs of Dover, and I Remember MaMa. She made a terrific mother like in Life with Father, but as a young ingenue, she fell short by a mile. She always looked about 10 years older than whatever part she was playing as especially in Showboat, (one of my favorite musicals and she just ruined it for me), far as I could see until later in life.

Tracy is good in this movie, but after seeing Richard Dreyfuss, I saw how different the part could be played without the vicisious way Tracy did it. Dreyfuss put a kind of teasing attitude in the tricks he played so he didn't seem so nasty.
Putting John Goodman in as Al was a stroke of genius for a comic relief, and Audrey Hepburn just brought such a sense of serene peace you hated for her scenes to end.

BTW I gave my feelings on The Razors Edge in The Essentials topic and would love to hear some remarks from some of the rest of you.
.

[JackFavell]

Well, KR, all I can say is, it is called A Guy Named Joe. It's not called A Girl Named Dorinda or A Guy Named Ted. Unfortunately, if you don't like Spencer Tracy, this movie is just not going to be your cup of tea, because as the title character, he's going to be in pretty much every shot. Have you seen The Old Man and the Sea? There's a lot of Tracy in that one. And the sea.

[movieman1957]

Have you seen The Old Man and the Sea? There's a lot of Tracy in that one. And the sea.

And practically nothing else. And he has a Cuban accent (as far as he can do it) if I recall correctly, so it makes for some tough going.

[CineMaven]

Oooh, Maven, I am soooooooo glad you watched! You had exactly the same reactions I did a couple years ago! I was so shocked to find the pair totally believable, and even heartbreaking... you can't fight a force of CinemaNature. It's tough watching some of the MGM opera movies of the late forties, I feel your longing for George Brent! But I do love that duet and I THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for posting it for me! It's so lovely, and sort of like a passing of the torch.

And passing of the torch is eactly what I was thinking. I'd like to think MacDonald was a good sport about that.

I watched the end of Smilin Through as well, since I've now seen all the versions, except the silent one. I was completely bowled over by Gene Raymond... he TOTALLY got me at the end, trying to put her off. I've liked him ever since I saw Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but I never thought he had depth, but lordy, he had it in spades here. I completely choked up during that scene where he comes back crippled and tries to make her think he was just having a fling with her. MAN, how he got me.

He got me too, man. I might have to check him out again. ( Not too big a fan of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" though. ) I think he was with your girl, Laraine Day, in "The Locket." And of course with Fred & Ginger in "...Rio." He was quite effective in that scene. They both were. I didn't know "Smilin' Through" was a re-make...can you tell me the other films? I'm glad I caught some of Jeanette MacDonald's films on her day in the Sun. I certainly see why she was popular. I needed the reminder.