Naughty Marietta

If old-fashioned operettas with lots of full-bodied singing and coy charm aren't your idea of entertainment, then steer clear of NAUGHTY MARIETTA--which, frankly, was somewhat of a museum piece even when first released in '35, belonging, as it did, to a style of musical theater that had long passed.

But back then, NELSON EDDY and JEANETTE MacDONALD were a hot singing duo, and MGM would soon be casting them in film after film, based usually on hoary old operetta-type stories. Unless today's musical fans have a taste for this kind of singing, they're likely to find the film totally unbearable.

I can still succumb to the charm of this kind of story and to these singers, for Nelson's baritone is one of the best you're ever likely to hear on screen--only Howard Keel and Gordon MacRae come close to approximating it. As for the story, it has to be taken with a grain of salt--a simple bit of nonsense about a princess escaping from France and ending up in Louisiana, where she gradually falls in love with a man who helped rescue her from French pirates.

It's a slender tale on which Victor Herbert strung some of his golden melodies, sung to the max by MacDonald and Eddy. As a singer myself (I was in The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Glee Club, a club started by Victor Herbert himself), we sometimes did the Herbert melodies as part of our repertoire.

FRANK MORGAN and ELSA LANCHESTER as the governor and his wife add the required amount of broad humor and the sets and costumes have that lavish MGM look.

Pleasant, if not the most memorable teaming of MacDonald and Eddy.

Naughty Marietta has earned it place in film history for being the first film to pair the singing duo of Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald, but it's also a fine example of its particular genre.

A typical variant on the boy-meets-girl theme, this film has a French princess running away from the court of Versailles to the newly- colonized Louisiana, where she meets and falls in love with a mercenary soldier who sings as well he fights. There is an excellent supporting cast including Frank Morgan and Elsa Lanchester, but it is above all a vehicle for the singing talent of Eddy and MacDonald. The script is amusing and at times quite sophisticated and the pair handle it well (MacDonald is a bit ahead of Eddy here, but he makes up for that with his glorious baritone voice). The final duet, Ah Sweet Mystery of Life is one of the great vocal duets in cinema musical history, and only slightly less orgasmic than the "Czaritza" duet in Maytime.

Obviously a vehicle for fans of the Singing Sweethearts, but the film's production values are good, and it should be interesting viewing for any student of cinema's Golden Age.

Jeannette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy had their first teaming in the musical "Naughty Marietta" in 1935. They went on to make "The New Moon," "I Married an Angel," my favorite, "Maytime," and many others. Both performers were operatically trained, Eddy possessing a magnificent high baritone, and MacDonald a coloratura soprano. If her high notes don't have frontal placement and seem to back off, it's still a pretty voice, and of the two, she was the actor as well as being a great beauty.

Though the film uses the Victor Herbert score, it differs in plot from the actual musical. Here, a princess ordered to marry one Don Carlo replaces her maid, Marietta, on a ship that carries women to New Orleans to look for a husband. Right before they arrive, pirates attack the ship and the women are rescued by mercenaries, headed by Richard Worthington (Eddy). With her beauty and obvious education, Marietta sticks out and begins a love-hate relationship with the vain Worthington. Soon, however, a messenger arrives - the King is looking for his escaped princess.

The couple sing "Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life," while Eddy leads his men in "Tramp, tramp, tramp," and MacDonald entertains with the "Italian Street Song," and "Chansonette" among other solos that each has.

This isn't the greatest MacDonald-Eddy musical, but it was a huge hit and started them off on their partnership. Were they in love in real life? Supposedly they were and never got together because Eddy wouldn't have wanted her to work. But take a look at Gene Raymond. He kind of looks like Nelson Eddy.

One of the first concerts I ever attended was an appearance of Nelson Eddy singing on the stage of the Troy Music Hall in Troy, New York, my hometown. My older sister was a violinist, and took me to hear him, a fine baritone, wanting to introduce me to classical music for the first time. He had a very appealing voice, as he was a handsome man. His parts were important, for they reflect music and styles of eras of the early twentieth century before and after films. Nelson 2003 is now history, having been a fabulous week-long festival of films, music, lectures, friendship, fun (and glorious food) at the historic Riverside Inn in beautiful Cambridge Springs, PA. Plans are already underway for June 2007. For details, contact Dr. John Marsh (jmarsh1@san.rr.com) after January 1, 2007 for exact dates, convention theme, and a hint about guests and activities. You are also invited to attend the dedication of Nelson Eddy Street at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, California. The ceremony will begin at noon in the chapel and conclude with the unveiling of the street sign. There will be entertainment and refreshments. It is hoped that many who knew and heard Nelson, and were important in his life will be able to come.

Forgive me for loving this movie! It is dated and corny and the acting of Nelson Eddy is sadly lacking BUT when he and Jeanette McDonald break into song, nothing else matters. With the most glorious voices in the movies, these two made it all worthwhile. Both were gorgeous to look at but McDonald was obviously the better actor while Eddy had the classically trained voice. Together they took your breath away. The haunting "Sweet Mystery of Life" will bring tears to your eyes. This is by far the best of their series of movies although "Maytime" has some equally beautiful music and is a weeper to boot! Take the time to watch this film, you will not be disappointed. It's glorious!!!