At last, two of the films are being issued. Both can be ordered through http://shop.tcm.com, www.amazon.com, and other sources.

NAUGHTY MARIETTA

Plus Original Theatrical Trailer

AUDIO VAULT: Lux Radio Theater Broadcast with MacDonald and Eddy first broadcast live 6/12/44

AUDIO VAULT: Nelson and Jeanette pre-recording sessions for Naughty Marietta including outtakes *

SWEETHEARTS

Plus Original Theatrical Trailer

AUDIO VAULT: Screen Guild Players Radio Broadcasts with MacDonald and Eddy first broadcast live on 3/25/46 and 12/15/47

AUDIO VAULT: Nelson and Jeanette pre-recording sessions for Sweethearts, including outtakes and rare stereophonic mixes*

*These pre-recording sessions masters have never before been released to the public.

ROMBERG: The Desert Song

Sherwood, Essen; N. Eddy, Kruger, Conte, Baccaloni, William; studio orchestra, Sanford. Production: Liebman.  VA.I4534, 75 mins,, black and white, no subtitles.

Nelson Eddy never made it onto the Met roster, though he was one of the finest American baritones of the twentieth century. Had he chosen opera over film, he would probably be regarded now as a singer on the level of Tibbett, Warren and Merrill. He had just about everything —looks, personality, acting talent and a solid, seamless baritone with a warm timbre that went straight to the heart. It is no wonder that he was one of the most widely popular and highly paid singers of his day.

Eddy was almost thirty-four when he became a film star opposite Jeanette Mac-Donald in MGM’s operetta hit Naughty Marietta. By that point he had plenty of concert and opera experience behind him, including the American premieres of Richard Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos and Feuersnot in Philadelphia, plus two Wolframs in San Francisco,

In 1955, twenty-two years after his film debut, he starred in this live television version of Hungarian-born American composer Sigmund Romberg’s delightful romantic adventure The Desert Song. Though he was by then about twice the age his character (the dashing Red Shadow) is meant to be, it seemed to matter little to his adoring public. Producer/ director Max Liebman spared no expense for this high-profile color telecast, now available to us only in black and white. He supplied Eddy with a lavish production and a top-flight cast, and to adapt the operetta’s original book (condensed here to seventy-five minutes), he hired a trio of hotshot young TV writers, including theyoung Neil Simon.

For those of us familiar with Eddys 1930s film hits, it’s a bit dispiriting to see him playing a young swashbuckler while looking every day of his fifty-three years, By this time, his features had coarsened; he was thick around the middle, and his posture was loose and slumpy. But that voice is as resonant and charismatic as ever, and as easily produced. The star quality was undeniably fading, but the talent remained, abetted by a nation of fans who had worshipped him for twenty years. Cast opposite Eddy is Gale Sherwood, an attractive soprano who had recently begun costarring with him in his nightclub act and would continue to do so until his death twelve years later. Sherwood had the lovely, pitch-perfect voice and diction so important in this repertoire, as well as a sexy, assured presence.

Liebman, a specialist in TV versions of musicals and operettas, surrounded Eddy and Sherwood with film and theater veterans. Salvatore Baccaloni took time off from his basso buffo duties at the Met to play the libidinous pasha Ali Ben Ali, whom he manages to make endearing despite his inappropriately thick Italian accent. Although his voice here is no longer so rich as it once was, he nonetheless etches a memorable comic character with his brief time onscreen. Otto Kruger, playing Eddy’s father, acts with elegance. Earl William lends his striking Broadway tenor and pleasing personality to the functionary role of Hassi, and John Conte makes a low-key, well-spoken rival for Eddy. Broadway dancers Bambi Linn (the original Louise in Carousel) and her real-life husband, Rod Alexander, make a lovely dance team in a sort of dream ballet.

Liebman’s direction is fluid and lively, filled with elaborate camera moves for the choral and dancing sequences. Charles Sanford does an exuberant job of conducting what sounds like an enormous orchestra. ERIC MYERS

TOPSFIELD, MA –New England Light Opera, a professional operetta and musical theater company now in its sixth season, is proud to present the world premiere of Yes, Yes, Jeanette! A Musical Fantasy on Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. This new show, created by NELO Artistic Director Mark Morgan, features scenes and songs from their movies, along with the stories of their lives as told in their own words. The show will be performed Saturday February 2nd 8:00 p.m. and Sunday February 3rd at 3:00 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church, 1132 Highland Avenue in Needham, and February 9th at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday February 10th at 3:00 p.m. at the Emerson Center of the Congregational Church of Topsfield, 9 East Common St in Topsfield. Edward Baron Turk, the author of Hollywood Diva: A Biography of Jeanette MacDonald will present a talkback session with the audience and cast following the performance in Topsfield on February 10th.

Yes, Yes, Jeanette! stars Jean Danton and Sara Ann Mitchell as Jeanette MacDonald, and Mark Morgan as Nelson Eddy. This full production , directed by NELO regular Peter A Carey (The Merry Widow, The New Moon), recreates the Person to Person television interview that took place between Edward R Murrow and Jeanette MacDonald in 1957 to tell the story of her life and career. Additional material is drawn from her unpublished autobiography and other first person sources. The famous scenes and songs from the eight movies that she starred in with Nelson Eddy are recreated for the audience and are accompanied by Joseph Stroup at the piano. Some of the songs included are Indian Love Call, Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life, Sweethearts, and others by Romberg, Friml, Herbert, and Gershwin. The show is supported in part by the New England Biolabs Foundation.

Tickets are $28 for adults, $25 for seniors 65 and older and $5 for children and students. Tickets may be purchased by calling the NELO box office at (978)887-2045. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.newenglandlightopera.org.

PERFORMANCE DATES/TIMES/VENUES:
Saturday, February 2nd at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 3rd at 3:00 p.m.
Christ Episcopal Church, 1132 Highland Ave, Needham

Saturday, February 9th at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 10th at 3:00 p.m.
Emerson Center of the Congregational Church of Topsfield
9 East Common St, Topsfield

TICKET PRICES: $28 adults, $25 seniors 65 and older, $5 children and students

FOR TICKETS: Call NELO Box Office (978) 887-2045
Online sales at www.newenglandlightopera.org

Click on the back cover to see a larger view of the track listing.

The Films of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy by Eleanor Knowles ($40.95, 646 pp., hardcover) is an over 600-page revision of Knowles’ earlier 1976 volume. Every film MacDonald and Eddy made, together and separately, is covered extensively with synopses, cast/crew credits, reviews, song listings, and a list of recordings they made of the songs. There are over 500 photos, many rare, all nicely reproduced.

The appeal of the Jeanette MacDonald (1903-1965) and Nelson Eddy (1901-1967) singing romantic team still lingers on with many movie fans. Naughty Marietta, Rose Marie, Maytime, The Girl of the Golden West (my personal favorite)t, New Moon, Bitter Sweet and I Married an Angel. Jeanette also had a good classic screen relationship (if on another level) with Maurice Chevalier: The Love Parade, One Hour with You, Love Me Tonight and The Merry Widow. It’s good to see that these Jeanette films as well as other non-Eddy ones (San Francisco, The Firefly, Smilin’ Through, Cairo, etc.) are given the same amount of treatment as the MacDonald-Eddy films. By the same token, Nelson’s solo films, among them Rosalie, Let Freedom Ring, Balalaika, The Chocolate Soldier, Phantom of the Opera, and Knickerbocker Holiday are also discussed at great length. Ms. Knowles, thank goodness, is no crazed fan who can’t stand the sight of the two separated. Fair treatment is given to all films, making this substantial volume all the more important.

This is head and shoulders above the usual “Films of” volumes. The reason is simply that it is beautifully written by someone who is an acknowledged expert on not only MacDonald and Eddy, but also on musical films in general. Ms. Knowles knows her stuff and her “historical overviews” are outstanding and well informed, giving us a vivid view of what was happening in cinema at the time. The author really impressed me with her grasp of the musical as a whole. The individual biographical sections on MacDonald and Eddy are wonderfully detailed and comprehensive and

The book reads easily, and at over 600 pages that’s a remarkable achievement. You .learn about MacDonald and Eddy as well as the development of the screen musical, and you are never bored. Ms. Knowles also did something quite stunning: She wrote long, detailed plots that had me reading, not skimming. She did what others fail to do: she made the plot recaps entertaining. She puts behind-the-scenes data within the plots, making it all the more interesting. I loved the way she handled these sections. I felt that if I missed even one word, I’d miss something of value.

Happily, Ms. Knowles resists the temptation to write as a fan. Even though it’s clear she is enthusiastic about them, she is objective when it comes to their work. She contributes solid criticism about their films that is most enjoyable.

This book is a must for not only Jeanette MacDonald/Nelson Eddy (separately and together), but also movie musical fans. Eleanor Knowles has written a definitive , authoritative book. It’s really essential. Order from Amazon (www.amazon.com)  

$40 AUS, created and offered by NEAS Australian representative Fay La Galle

High in the hills of Bel Air, along a winding road, is the house that Gene Raymond bought for his bride-to-be, Jeanette MacDonald—Twin Gables. It was purchased in secrecy as a gift to his bride eight months before their wedding on June 16, 1937. Gene, with the help of their publicist Helen Ferguson, remodeled and refurbished the English Tudor-style home and presented it to Jeanette on their wedding night. It was the home that she had dreamed of. Gene had fitted it out with her favourite furnishings, furniture, colours, and fabrics, right down to her clothes in the wardrobe and her hairbrush on the dressing table. And all this without her knowledge—or even that of the Hollywood press!

Twin Gables has always held a special fascination for me, and I recently came across some vintage audio which described the house, its interior and grounds, as it was when Jeanette and Gene lived there. This led me to the photos that were presented in the Golden Comet, Jeanette’s International Fan Club magazine, around 1961 and which I have matched to the commentary.

So, with almost 300 photos, commentary, and music, I have put together a DVD Slideshow of a Tour of Twin Gables, possibly one of the most photographed homes in Hollywood. The photos are from 1937, through the 1940s and 1950s, and until 1962, the year before the estate was sold when Jeanette and Gene moved to an apartment on Wilshire Boulevard, only down the road from their honeymoon home.

This is the story of a House with a Heart. The decorated DVD comes in a plastic cover with insert and a 10 page glossy booklet with numerous photos, telling the story of Twin Gables, something very special.

Payment: $AUS40.00 each DVD which includes airmail postage. With each purchase you will receive a complimentary Twin Gables Bookmark. Payment can be made with either Paypal or Western Union Money Order.
To order, email me on fay@ivds.com.au or write to: Fay La Galle,

PO Box 460, Blackburn, 3130, Victoria, Australia.

- NOW AVAILABLE

The Films of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy,

by Eleanor Knowles (Dugan). 646 pages, 591 photos. $40.95 plus shipping. Revised, updated, and enlarged from the 1976 edition.

You are invited to meet Jeanette and Nelson for the first time, or to learn more about their incredible careers. You’ll find:

· detailed film credits, plots, and backgrounds for their 41 films
· complete music lists for each film
· biographies of the two stars
· a complete discography

You’ll also find an invitation to fall in love all over again—in love with the music, laughter, romance, and the heightened awareness of life’s joys that is generated and personified by these two unique artists.

ORDER BY INTERNET: www.amazon.com. Cost $40.95 with FREE shipping in the U.S. Overseas shipping by sea or air also available.

If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, please contact me: Eleanor Knowles Dugan, 1024 Sacramento St., San Francisco, CA 94108-2003. Email: duganek@aol.com

Enjoy your visit!