Singer-actress Jeanette MacDonald is a perfect example of what, decades after her death, became known as a "classical crossover" artist. Jeanette MacDonald (1903 - 1965) Nelson Eddy (1901 - 1967)Farewell To Dreams from the "first" Maytime scrapped after the death of Irving Thalberg. Jeanette Macdonald and Nelson Eddy Sing "Ah Sweet Mystery of Life" and Other Favourites. After initially insisting that she wanted to film Smilin' Through with James Stewart[62] and Robert Taylor,[63] MacDonald finally relented and agreed to film New Moon (1940) with Eddy, which proved to be one of MacDonald's more popular films. [15] MacDonald played the second female lead in this long-running musical which starred Mitzi Hajos. Jeanette MacDonald was born on June 18, 1903 (died on January 14, 1965, she was 61 years old) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as Jeanette Anna MacDonald. [60] Broadway Serenade did not entice audiences in a lot of major cities,[61] with Variety claiming that New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles' cinema attendances were "sad," "slow,"and "sour. Jeanette MacDonald's death was a long time coming; she had a bad heart and had a slow decline. [80] She opened in Bitter Sweet at the Iroquois Amphitheater, Louisville, Kentucky, on July 19, 1954. Her last play was Boom Boom in 1929, with her name above the title; the cast included young Archie Leach, who would later become Cary Grant.[21]. She later appeared in grand opera, concerts, radio, [] imported from Wikimedia project. (Look at his smile and the private moment he seems to have as he chuckles over her and defends her for being late to set in the first place.). [138] She met him at a Hollywood party two years earlier at Roszika Dolly's home;[139] MacDonald agreed to a date, as long as it was at her family's dinner table. She was on the Academy Awards ceremony broadcast in 1931. Two actors of the day who faced slightly different, yet equally challenging adjustments, were Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald. Im married to the most wonderful man, Gene Raymond, whom Im deeply in love with, and, my career is right where I want it to be. As late as 1948, MacDonald's desk diary has a "Lake Tahoe" entry. Hers is next to Nat King Cole, and George Burns and Gracie Allen. And I'm perfectly happy. Van Dyke. The UCLA Film and Television Archive owns the only known color print of this production. ), Nelson Eddy in the 30s and 40s (128 pp. Jeanette Winterson and Helen Macdonald's books read like opposites but share so much in the making. [142] MacDonald often worried about her husband's self-esteem; his acting career was constantly shaky, and RKO Pictures eventually sold out his contract when he had two movies left to make with them in the 1950s. Jeanette Anna Macdonald Birth Place Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Born June 18, 1903 Died January 14, 1965 Cause of Death Heart Attack Following Abdominal Adhesions Biography Read More [54] The Girl of the Golden West (1938) was the result, but the two stars had little screen time together, and the main song, "Obey Your Heart," was never sung as a duet. [110] At this time, MacDonald discovered that she was an extrovert who enjoyed socializing with friends and performing for others, admitting that "[I] needed people to watch and applaud me as much as I needed food and drink. These were the ones which astounded me most. [52] MacDonald's co-star was tenor Allan Jones, who she demanded get the same treatment as she would, such as an equal number of close-ups. She sang several times at the Hollywood Bowl[87] and Carnegie Hall. Her sister Blossom said that the last 20 years of her life was borrowed time. [26] Broadway star Dennis King reprised his role as 15th-century French poet Franois Villon, and MacDonald was Princess Katherine. [8] The extra N in her given name was later dropped for simplicity's sake,[4] and A added to her surname to emphasize her Scottish heritage. From left are: Winston . In her films, radio, television appearances, concerts, and recordings, she sang opera, operetta, art songs, and show tunes, often with an eye toward popularizing classical music for the masses. She was born on June 18, 1903 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. "[13] In 1922, she was a featured singer in the Greenwich Village revue Fantastic Fricassee,[14] for which good press notices brought her a role in The Magic Ring the next year. Rich, who was a close friend of MacDonald's older sister Blossom Rock, also knew Gene Raymond, and documents that the relationship lastedwith a few breaksuntil MacDonald's death. Birth Name: Jeanette Anna MacDonald Occupation: Movie Actress Place Of Birth: Philadelphia Date Of Birth: June 18, 1903 Date Of Death: January 14, 1965 Cause Of Death: N/A Ethnicity: White Nationality: American Jeanette MacDonald was born on the 18th of June, 1903. But none was more stunned than Nelson Eddy, who had spoken to her just days earlier and assumed her silence the last few days was just because she was recuperating and getting her strength back. MacDonald was born Jeannette Anna McDonald[4] on June 18, 1903, at her family's Philadelphia home at 5123 Arch Street. Resident Evil Village voice actress Jeanette Maus has died at the age of 39 following an eight-month battle with colon cancer. She got the lead in Thalberg's property The Merry Widow (1934), and her next MGM vehicle, Naughty Marietta (1935) brought her together with Nelson Eddy. "[3], MacDonald died at the Houston Methodist Hospital from heart failure on January 14, 1965, with Raymond by her hospital bed. The plot about unmarried lovers shacking up just barely slipped through the new Production Code guidelines that took effect July 1, 1934. Its a privately owned cemetery in Glendale, California, United States. Genealogy for Elsie MacDonald (1893 - 1970) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Anyone who has read my book Sweethearts knows what an absolute crock of nonsense that was, particularly at this point of the story! Jeanette MacDonald. It just wasnt in the cards, I guess. (Jeanette MacDonald), I cant believe how blessed I am! The cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner, the Sheriff's office said, but there were no signs of foul play or drugs. Jeanette Anna MacDonald (June 18, 1903 - January 14, 1965) was an American singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (The Love Parade, Love Me Tonight, The Merry Widow and One Hour With You) and Nelson Eddy (Naughty Marietta, Rose-Marie, and Maytime). 0 references. MacDonald also played the lead in her next two plays: Sunny Days[19] in 1928 in her first show for the producers Lee and J.J. Shubert, for which she received rave reviews; and Angela (1928),[20] which the critics panned. [171], At that time Mayer adamantly refused to allow MacDonald to annul her marriage and elope. MacDonald played a widow who has lost her son, but warms to orphan Claude Jarman Jr.[73] It would prove to be her final film. [148] On the afternoon of the 14th, Raymond was at her bedside massaging her feet when she died. She later appeared in opera, concerts, radio, and television. Thanks to Katie and Angela for uncovering this unhappy but important gem and making it available for viewing. In 1928 Paramount tested and rejected her, but a year later Ernst Lubitsch saw her test and picked her to play opposite Maurice Chevalier in The Love Parade (1929). Other radio shows included The Prudential Family Hour, Screen Guild Playhouse, and The Voice of Firestone, which featured the top opera and concert singers of the time. It was the final film made by the team of MacDonald and Eddy. She also did command performances at the White House for President Dwight D. [44] It was voted one of the Ten Best Pictures of 1935 by the New York film critics, was awarded the Photoplay Gold Medal Award as Best Picture of 1935 (beating out Mutiny on the Bounty, which won the Oscar),[45] and in 2004 was selected to the National Film Registry. [88] When America joined World War II in 1941, MacDonald co-founded the Army Emergency Relief and raised funds on concert tours. (See photo below.). [151], MacDonald was awarded an honorary doctor of music degree from Ithaca College in 1956. "[2] The following year, MacDonald starred in two of the highest-grossing films of that year. She was busy in a string of musical productions. McDonald Sisters: Elsie (on left), Edith (aka, Blossom Rock), and Jeanette. [76] It never moved beyond the discussion stages partly because of MacDonald's failing health. That November, she did two more performances of Romo et Juliette and one of Faust in Chicago. Forest Lawn Memorial Park. One Hour with You in 1932 was directed by both George Cukor and Ernst Lubitsch, and simultaneously filmed in French with the same stars, but a French supporting cast. Watch the video and read their story at http://www.maceddy.com. Rich lives in New York City. Nelson Eddy sings Christmas carols for you. Jeanette sings the National Anthem at the Oscars. Singer actress. The unfinished manuscript was published and annotated in 2004. Here is the audio tape of that very first interviewNelson gasping as he spoke in spurtsthe interviewer kept pushing him beyond what he could tell and deal with for (as he so bitterly termed) public consumption. The interview ended prematurely due to his breaking down and crying. [47] In this tale of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, MacDonald played a hopeful opera singer opposite Clark Gable as the extra-virile proprietor of a Barbary Coast gambling joint, and Spencer Tracy as his boyhood chum who has become a priest and gives the moral messages. MacDonald appeared in condensed radio versions of many of her films on programs such as Cecil B. DeMille's Lux Radio Theater, often with Nelson Eddy, and the Railroad Hour, which starred Gordon MacRae. [89] When she was home in Hollywood, she held an open house at her home on Sunday afternoons for GIs. He. [137], MacDonald married Gene Raymond in 1937. They Were Loved. A talented lyrical soprano, she had a wide vocal range, E above high C, close to three octaves. However, the time demands of doing a weekly live radio show while filming, touring in concerts, and making records proved enormously difficult, and after fainting on-air during one show, she decided not to renew her radio contract with Vicks at the end of the 26-week season. May 6, 1998 12 AM PT TIMES STAFF WRITER Gene Raymond, the suave, good-looking blond actor who ranged from Broadway to Hollywood to radio and television but was perhaps best known for his storybook. Shortly thereafter, she appeared as the mystery guest on the December 21, 1952, episode of What's My Line? Recepients of the National Chorale Medal of Excellence award held at King'sHouse in St Andrew on Sunday. [109] Elsie could play the piano, and taught toddler MacDonald a variety of popular waltzes and Stephen Foster's compositions. This interview is less than 24 hours after the first one where he can barely speak. MacDonald sang frequently with Nelson Eddy during the mid-1940s on several Lux Radio Theater and The Screen Guild Theater productions of their films together. [18] Planned as a sequel to producer H.H. None of that stuff for me." [72] MacDonald is shown during a concert singing "Beyond the Blue Horizon," and in a studio-filmed sequence singing "I'll See You in My Dreams" to a blinded soldier. [155], The USC Thornton School of Music built a Jeanette MacDonald Recital Hall in her honor. [152], MacDonald was named Philadelphia's Woman of the Year in 1961. Her last public appearance, singing "Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life", was at the funeral of Louis B. Mayer. Jeanette MacDonald (1903 - 1965) Smilin' Through (1941) [Moonyean Clare/Kathleen]: Playing a dual role as aunt and niece, the aunt "Moonyean" is shot in the chest by Gene Raymond at their wedding; she dies in Brian Aherne's arms shortly afterwards. Jeanette was a very talented operatic singer/lyrical soprano, with a wide vocal range, E above high C, close to 3 octaves. Her zodiac sign is Gemini. [112] Her characters always had a name beginning with M, the first letter of her surname and the 13th letter of the English alphabet, a ritual upon which she had insisted. THEATERS 1 For additional information phone . [72] MacDonald plays a divorce whose lively daughters (Jane Powell, Ann E. Todd, and Elinor Donahue) keep trying to get her back with her ex, but she has secretly remarried. Jeanette was 61 years old at the time of death. Rouben Mamoulian directed Love Me Tonight (1932), considered by many film critics and writers to be the perfect film musical. In 1963, MacDonald and Raymond moved into two adjoining apartments at the Wilshire Comstock in Westwood, on the 8th floor in the East building. Jeanette Anna MacDonald (June 18, 1903 - January 14, 1965) was an American singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (The . Her talent soon was spotted by Ernst Lubitsch, and she signed with Paramount early in 1929 to star in the Lubitsch-Chevalier film, The Love Parade (1929). stated in. But this cannot apply to all because of their career and busy schedules. [26], 1930 was an extremely busy year for Paramount and MacDonald. The film was highly regarded by critics and operetta lovers in major U.S. cities and Europe, but failed to generate much income outside urban areas, losing $113,000. [citation needed] In addition, MacDonald was one of the top-10 box-office attractions in Great Britain from 1937 to 1942. There couldn't have been a more diligent, a more serious, a more pliable person than Jeanette. [158] In one early version she intended to candidly discuss Nelson Eddy but dropped that idea when Eddy feared public fallout. Her younger sister was screen actress and singer Jeanette MacDonald. 2. [148] DeBakey suggested open-heart surgery, and Raymond brought MacDonald into the hospital January 12. [82] Officially, it was announced as heat prostration, but in fact it was a heart seizure. She was 61. As we grow older, our bodies She was Movies (Actress) by profession. Tablet injectable opioid agonist therapy (TiOAT) programs have been implemented in select rural communities as a means to address drug-related harms. Claudia Cassidy, the music critic of the Chicago Tribune wrote, "Her Juliet is breathtakingly beautiful to the eye and dulcet to the ear. imported from Wikimedia project. [147] In December 1964, her condition worsened and she was rushed to UCLA Medical Center. [23] He cast her as the leading lady in The Love Parade, his first sound film, which starred Maurice Chevalier. The initial show featured guest stars Leo Durocher and Larraine Day, but it failed to find a slot. He also tells an incorrect story of when he first met Jeanette although he is honest in saying it was on personal terms rather than for the start of Naughty Marietta. He very well may have gone to a party at Jeanettes home for a public function but there is ample documentation to show that by November 1933 they had already had their first disastrous date, she was attending his local concerts and he had already- to her amazement asked her to marry him. ), Jeanette MacDonald in the 40s (100 pp. The two were crossover acts -- singers, who transitioned from the live venues of opera houses, to actors, starring in motion pictures; Eddy, an accomplished, classically trained baritone, and MacDonald, a stunning beauty and talented soprano with a three-octave range. [41] Despite a Technicolor finalethe first use of the new three-color Technicolor process other than Disney cartoonsthe film was not a huge success. [157], MacDonald began developing an autobiography in the 1950s. In the first rush of sound films during 1929 and 1930, MacDonald starred in six filmsthe first four for Paramount Studios. Jeanette MacDonald was born on June 18, 1903 and died on January 14, 1965. '"[110], MacDonald cited the number thirteen as her lucky number. [2], The Firefly (1937) was MacDonald's first solo-starring film at MGM with her name alone above the title. Musicals went into decline and Paramount dropped her in 1931; her next pictures with Chevalier went nowhere. Annabelle's Affairs (1931) was a farce, with MacDonald as a sophisticated New York playgirl who does not recognize her own miner husband, played by Victor McLaglen, when he turns up five years later. I can live like this forever! (Jeanette MacDonald), I have no inhibitions about smoking or drinking, but I think too much of my voice to place it in jeopardy. [173][174][175], Over the decades, MacDonald and Eddy privately occupied several homes together. view all Elsie MacDonald's Timeline. During her career she was also billed as Marie Blake or Blossom MacDonald. [117], A recurrent issue throughout MacDonald's career was her health. We follow the aged Miss Morrison (Jeanette MacDonald) as she visits the opening set-piece, a children's maypole dance. Jeanette MacDonald is a 61 years old Singer actress from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For her next project she insisted Clark Gable should co-star. In the summer of 1945, she appeared with the Cincinnati Opera as Juliette in two performances of Romo et Juliette (July 10 and 25) and one as Marguerite in Faust (July 15). Jeanette MacDonald's death; Nelson Eddy breaks down when interviewed, January 14, 1965 (Exclusive) Twenty years after its initial publication, "Sweethearts" by Sharon Rich has been updated and newly released in both softcover and kindle ebook. She was nowhere in sight to comfort her spouse who was grieving the loss of his great love. Jeanette MacDonald (Jeanette Anna MacDonald) Actress and Singer. A reunion with Maurice Chevalier was also considered. [67], I Married an Angel (1942), was adapted from the Rodgers & Hart stage musical about an angel who loses her wings on her wedding night. Saget was in Florida as part of his comedy tour, CNN . MacDonald had been suffering heart problems for decades (including at least two heart attacks in . Based in large part on the author's exclusive access to MacDonald's private papers, including her unpublished memoir, this vivid, often touching biography transports us to a time when lavish musical films were major cultural events and a . #botd #TyronePower #JeanetteMacDonald", "This lovely article chronicles a few of the acts that led to Jeanette MacDonald becoming #WomanOfTheYear in her hometown of Philadelphia, which she described as being "a more gratifying recognition than all". [76] Harold Prince recounts in his autobiography visiting MacDonald at her home in Bel Air to discuss the proposed project. For many years, this was the only available interview footage but just last week, our fellow sleuths Katie and Angela were able to obtain a TV interview done with Nelson Eddy the next day. [28] Let's Go Native was a desert-island comedy directed by Leo McCarey,[29] co-starring the likes of Jack Oakie and Kay Francis. After Thalberg's untimely death in September, production was shut down and the half-finished film scrapped. Her nickname was MacDonald Jeanette Anna. In the 1960s, MacDonald was approached about starring on Broadway in a musical version of Sunset Boulevard. From Nelsons first interviews, where he admits having talked to Jeanette about a week before her death about getting together for dinner, he has now whipped that story into shape and for this interview, its all about Nelson and Ann, Jeanette and Gene talking about having dinner together as a happy foursome. Only Eddy starred, whereas MacDonald and Lew Ayres co-starred in Broadway Serenade (1939) as a contemporary musical couple who clash when her career flourishes while his founders. [59] Mayer dropped plans for the team to co-star in Let Freedom Ring, a vehicle first announced for them in 1935. Biographer E. J. Fleming also alleged that Eddy had confronted Raymond for abusing MacDonald, who was visibly pregnant with Eddy's child[170] while filming Sweethearts, which ended with Eddy attacking him and leaving him for dead, though newspapers reported Raymond was recovering from a fall down the stairs. Date of Death: January 14, 1965 Place of Death: Houston, Texas, U.S. [177] After their 1943 visit, Eddy wrote a lengthy diary entry about their trip and his love for her, calling her "my wife," which he did in private to the end of her life. [76] 20th Century Fox also toyed with the idea of MacDonald (Irene Dunne was briefly considered) for the part of Mother Abbess in the film version of The Sound of Music. [15] In 1925, MacDonald again had the second female lead opposite Queenie Smith in Tip Toes, a George Gershwin hit show. She was 25 years old. MacDonald's footage singing a duet of "Come Back to Sorrento" with Nino Martini was cut from the release print due to copyright reasons with Universal Studios, which had recently acquired the copyright to the song for an upcoming movie, King of Jazz. In December 1956, MacDonald and Eddy made their first TV appearance as a team on the Lux Video Theatre Holiday Special. [169] Raymond's wedding to MacDonald, orchestrated by Louis B. Mayer, forced MacDonald to become Raymond's "beard," and the 1938 arrest resulted in Mayer blacklisting him in Hollywood for almost two years. English Wikipedia. Sweet Mystery of Life," "I'm Falling in Love with Someone," "'Neath the Southern Moon," "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp," and "Italian Street Song," enjoyed renewed popularity. She studied Marguerite with meand lieder. During World War II she often did USO shows. 2007. The death of Jeanette MacDonald on January 14, 1965 at age 61 shocked and stunned fans worldwide who had not realized how very ill she was during her last years. J Guy Kibbee and Alice Brady. She wanted her readers to both be inspired by her career and understand how she had coped with balancing a public and personal life. Her handwritten letter from August, 1929 indicates that MacDonald, age 26, had recently suffered a heart attack. [42] It had a huge budget of $1.6 million,[42] partially because it was filmed simultaneously in French as La Veuve Joyeuse, with a French supporting cast and some minor plot changes.[43]. [83] On December 12, 1951, she did one performance of Faust with the Philadelphia Civic Grand Opera Company at the Academy of Music. Jeanette MacDonald ( June 18, 1903 & ndash; January 14, 1965) was an American singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (" Love Me Tonight ", " The Merry Widow ") and Nelson Eddy (" Naughty Marietta ", " Rose Marie ", and " Maytime "). "[123] Neither she nor Gene Raymond were ever considered or subpoenaed for a HUAC hearing;[124] in a radio interview, MacDonald was quoted as saying, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" in response to what her opinion was on the investigations. HiFi Stereo Review 1979 04 (1) - Free ebook download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read book online for free. [129] She and Ohmeis became engaged a year later,[130] but their future plans and aspirations forced them to go their separate ways;[130] the sudden death of MacDonald's father was another factor in the break-up. She hoped to enter grand opera; she did take lessons and gave concert recitals. Eddy wound up making 19. Norm Macdonald, whose laconic delivery of sharp and incisive observations made him one of Saturday Night Live 's most influential and beloved cast members, died today after a nine-year private. Robertson had reportedly been struggling "with a severe illness" in the days leading up to her death. Remembering sisters Jeanette MacDonald and Blossom Rock today. In 1931, Don't Bet on Women was a non-musical drawing-room comedy in which a playboy (Edmund Lowe) bets his happily married friend (Roland Young) that he can seduce his friend's wife (MacDonald). Death: 1970 (76-77) Immediate Family: . [97] She also sang Marguerite in Gounod's Faust with the Chicago Opera. Actress: Cairo. [5] She was the youngest of the three daughters of Anna May (ne Wright) and Daniel McDonald, a factory foreman[6] and a salesman for a contracting household building company,[7] respectively, and the younger sister of character actress Blossom Rock (born Edith McDonald), who was most famous as "Grandmama" on the 1960s TV series The Addams Family. MacDonald's extensive radio career may have begun on a 1929 radio broadcast of the Publix Hour. The one thing I missed was never having children. date of death. Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart[40] wrote the original score, which included the standards "Mimi," "Lover," and "Isn't It Romantic? Birth Name: Jeannette Anna McDonald Date of Birth: June 18, 1903 Place of Birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. [31] She returned to MGM after five years off the screen for two films. Alias confirmed: Nelson and Jeanette Randall?! One of the possible film reunions with Nelson Eddy was to be made in England, but Eddy pulled out when he learned MacDonald was investing her own funds. BIG . "[61], Following Broadway Serenade, and not coincidentally right after Nelson Eddy's surprise elopement with Ann Franklin, MacDonald left Hollywood on a concert tour and refused to renew her MGM contract. [17] She finally landed a starring role in Yes, Yes, Yvette in 1927. "[163], In the biography Sweethearts by Sharon Rich, the author presents MacDonald and Eddy as continuing an adulterous affair after their marriages. The film integrated Victor Herbert's 1913 stage score into a modern backstage story scripted by Dorothy Parker and Alan Campbell. Jeanette MacDonald : biography June 18, 1903 - January 14, 1965 An annual poll of film exhibitors listed MacDonald as one of the top ten box-office draws of 1936, and many of her films were among the top 20 moneymakers of the years they were released. Love the doghouse story. [33] Oh, for a Man! The Sun Comes Up (1949) teamed MacDonald with Lassie in an adaptation of a short story by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Rumors circulated that they were engaged and/or secretly married,[135] since Ritchie was by MacDonald's side during her European tour and they lived together[136]MacDonald even signing her return address as "JAR" (Jeanette Anna Ritchie)[135] and referring to him as her "darling husband. cause of death.