New Moon

New Moon (1940 MGM) starring Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy is by far the best movie these two super star operetta singers provided for the USA and world public in the years before World War II during the Golden Age Of Hollywood.

It is one of the last and best of the black and white movie costume musicals, and is dazzling in every way. Every film buff should obtain and screen this incredible movie often.

The two stars, Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, appeared in two widely and justifiably honored movies before this one......Naughty Marietta (1935 MGM) and also Rosemarie (1937 MGM), and were incredible in both.

They managed to turn the unusual trick of skillful acting combined with singing music in the range and with the obvious ability of true opera stars (Nelson Eddy later provided wonderful singing of famous opera arias in "The Whale Who Wanted To Sing At The Met" sequence part of the Make Mine Music [1946 Disney] animated cartoon show.)

In addition to wonderful singing, MacDonald and Eddy provide actor performances comfortable and delightful to watch, the kind of acting people from all backgrounds could feel comfortable with and enjoy. They were natural actors of high talents and also singers of unparalleled gifts. The entire history of world cinema never saw their equal before or since.

The chemistry between MacDonald and Eddy is breathtaking....at times understated and amazingly carefree considering the pomp and glamor always part of their costumed and sumptuously decorated surroundings, and at times intimate to a level of sexual believability almost "x" rated. but it never occurred to the censors to object to their movies or performances or for the public, even the most conservative part of it, to object to the acting and love duet singing these two super stars provided. They were in a class by themselves, never to be forgotten, always to be cherished, probably never to be duplicated at any time in the future.....they were to musical performing arts what Shakespeare was to dramatic play writing....the best of the best.

The camera work includes many night time scenes and moving scenes tracking marching men, galloping horses, and sumptuous dances and walks in formal gardens in New Orleans mansions part of it all. So, too, are wonderful special effects sequences showing a storm at sea which wrecks the large sailing ship which takes the main characters away from New Orleans, deposits them on a lonely island, and is wrecked by a storm which somehow does not drown or harm the endangered boat passengers.

Somehow, it is all believable, and one can never take one's eyes off of the screen, or stop being interested and believing in the story, rooting for the main characters as they face and overcome one travail after the other.

New Moon (1940 MGM) starring Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy is the sort of movie one knows will end happily from the start, and no matter what the characters face, the audience knows it will all come out all right in the end, and a splendid and enjoyable story is always ahead, well presented and scripted, witty and charming, wonderfully costumed, supplied with one beautifully furnished and designed setting after another....the sort of movie which could and was only provided for American and world audiences during the fabled Golden Age Of Big Studio Hollywood in the years immediately before World War II, perhaps the high water mark in movie history.

See this movie and these two actors (and the other two movies of fame they did before this....Naughty Marietta [1935 MGM] and Rosemarie [1937 MGM]}. Everything about it is good in all ways

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Written by Tex Allen, SAG-AFTRA movie actor. Visit WWW.IMDb.Me/TexAllen for more information about Tex Allen.

Tex Allen's email address is TexAllen@Rocketmail.Com.

See Tes Allen Movie Credits, Biography, and 2012 photos at WWW.IMDb.Me/TexAllen. See other Tex Allen written movie reviews....almost 100 titles.... at: "http://imdb.com/user/ur15279309/comments" (paste this address into your URL Browser)

New Moon is filled with great music and lyrics. Nelson Eddy's fine looks and body language will turn on the ladies in my opinion. Only in hindsight of the full collection of their movies I found this movie looking like a training ground for both actors. However their embraces and smiles at times told me they enjoyed each others company. For a while many thought of them as lovers outside the films. I have often commented to my wife in saying "How could you not fall in love with a leading lady like Jeanette MacDonald singing those wonderful songs." I would highly recommend "New Moon" and all other of their movies. My favorite is The Girl of the Golden West.

This movie is lighthearted and a joy to be "lost in" for an evening. The music and singing perfectly complimented an intricate plot. The quality of Nelson Eddy's and Jeanette McDonald's is incredible, and they take you from the depths of sadness and loss to triumph and joyful reunion throughout the show. Nelson Eddy is as dashing and handsome as any leading man in the 21st century, and Jeanette McDonald's beauty is unrivaled. Both have central roles in a plot that twists and turns, and play them well, intelligently, believably. All the supporting cast is enthusiastic and funny, and add to the energy and drive of the story. The story is clean and innocent which was very refreshing. At the same time it is compelling, engaging and will remain in one's mind for days afterward. A wonderful surprise of a movie, one that I will keep in my movie library for years to come.

I first saw "New Moon" last month on Turner Classic Movies. It is a charming, beautiful movie. The contemporaneous New York Times movie critic said that the chemistry between Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy is astonishing and I agree. The story is convoluted and predictable. The music is sensational. You will remember many of the songs forever. I love old movies, I think the movies from the 30's and 40's are the finest. "New Moon" pushed "Bringing up Baby" out of my favorite movie slot. It's just a wonderful movie. She is ravishing, he is an alpha male and their singing is beautiful. The story is sweet and emotionally satisfying. I love this movie.

Saw this on Friday,13 December 1940 in Birmingham,a wonderful escape from the intense bombing. Eddy comes again in very fine voice,but not quite up to the standard of "Naughty Marietta," the first of the duo's film operettas. He has obviously gained significant weight: for example, he navigates with difficulty the gunwale of a ship which his comrades and he are attacking with strangely no casualties. The hit song in this operetta,which would not,I think,benefit from color because most of its takes are either at night or interiors, is "Wanting You",which the duo pulls off quite nicely.However,his emotional reactions during this piece,although adequate at the embrace,appear rather automatic,and do not compare with Allan Jones' tenderness in "Tomorrow is another day" (Day at Races,1937) or even the Red Shadow's pouring out his heart in the dated 1929 "Desert Song".His acting skills leave something to be desired:he turns his back on Jeanette during her vocal response,and shows deficiencies in emotional reaction. There is a marked antiquatedness in the dialog as in Jeanettes"I'll try my powers" when asked to sing "Paris" at the film's beginning, or her "Spare your minions!" when offered help in the captured ship. At times they are distinctly looking their ages.He is no longer the angular, gangling young Captain Warrington (lean and muscular) of "Naughty Marietta",but considerably "filled out." All the same,this is delightful escapist musical romance,with pirates, secret police,the French Revolution,sailing gunboats,Caribbean Islands,moonlight and beaches etc. I would strongly recommend this as a video played through an equalizer and amplifier perhaps with a sub-woofer,since the MGM musical recording is extremely good for the time.Romberg's operetta is not as classic as Herbert's "Naughty Marietta" and something is lost from the stage version with all its colorful choruses,reprises,but this is made up for in action and motion not practicable on the stage.