New Moon

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.

This movie is filled with wonderful songs. The voices of Jeanette and Nelson blend wonderfully. It is a joy to watch and listen to. I find myself singing along with them. It also has gentle humor in it. And Jeanette MacDonald is beautiful and radiant as always.

Having performed in "New Moon" in summer stock, I watched the 1940 version of this Sigmund Romberg operetta with great interest. I confess I don't remember any of the story since I was in it 35 years ago in the midst of many other summer stock productions. But what I do remember is that "New Moon" needs great voices and opulent production values. Our production values consisted of a bunch of men standing outside the entrance to the barn, which was covered by a curtain, and yelling to indicate the fight on board ship.

The "New Moon" contains some of the most beautiful music ever written, including "Lover Come Back," "Wanting You," "One Kiss," the rousing "Stout-Hearted Men," and my favorite, "Softly, As in the Morning Sunrise." So who better to perform it than those songbirds of the silver screen, Nelson Eddy and Jeannette MacDonald.

The story has to do with dissidents from France, in the days of the revolution, who are sold as bond servants in Louisiana. They are led by Philippe, Duc de Villiers (Eddy), who has planned their escape back to France via a ship, the New Moon. Meanwhile, he's fallen for Marianne (Jeanette MacDonald), and she for him. When the bond servants make their escape, Marianne and her aunt (Mary Boland) accompany them back to France with women who are traveling to become brides. When the ship is attacked, the dissidents and the women find themselves in a new world.

In the film, the characters of Alexander and Julie are reduced to bit parts, though their song "Gorgeous Alexander" plays in the background. The roles of Robert and Philippe have been combined, giving Eddy both the lead baritone song and the tenor song "Softly." Several songs have been cut as well as dances.

However, the best-known songs are present; the songs cut, with the exception with "The Girl on the Prow," are ditties. Eddy is in magnificent voice. I'm not a huge fan of MacDonald's singing - it's a thin voice - but she's beautiful, a fine actress, and great with Eddy.

Someone mentioned that Eddy and MacDonald are more "mature" here - I actually didn't notice.

Yes, the dialogue is corny, but these operettas were about the music. If you want to hear some beautiful songs in a film starring one of the classic teams of film history, "New Moon" is for you.

The main thing in a Nelson/Jeanette film is the songs and beautiful harmony the stars accomplish. "Wanting You" is so lovely, I replay it before I go on with the rest of the show.

Operettas are a specialized taste, and not for everyone. But for those who like them, this is a special treat. Nelson is very romantic in this film and of course, no one sings harmony better. Jeanette always does the melody and it is Nelsons great pacing and harmony that make the songs so beautiful.

The story of the Louisiana bayou country and the French settlers at the time of the French Revolution is just a way to get the cast in lovely costumes and settings. Nelsons "Give Me Some Men" is thrilling and his holding his long note for over a minute, just great. All in all, a fine entry in the pairing of Americas Sweethearts. 9/10

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.