New Moon

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.

If you love the collaborations of Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald you will like New Moon very much. All of them are immensely fun to watch, though their best is between this and Maytime. It is not without imperfections, the script can get very corny(though the "men are more lenient than goats" and "anger can make you very charming mademoiselle...exchange" are nice), and while with a certain innocence and charm the story is very creaky, though we can honestly say by now that in operetta the story has never been the strongest component. However the production values are a pleasure to look at, New Moon is crisply shot and boasts beautiful costumes and sets. The score is whimsical and lush, while the songs are just wonderful with marvellously witty lyrics. Standing out in particular are One Kiss, Lover Come Back to Me, Stout-Hearted Men and especially Wanting You. The songs are very nicely staged in the film, Stout-Hearted Men are full of lively gusto that is immense fun to watch while Wanting You is kept simply and is both adorable and touching. New Moon is solidly directed and doesn't feel like a bore at all, despite the script and the story not being the absolute best they could have been. The supporting cast are uniformly good, but it is Nelson and Jeanette MacDonald that make the film so worthwhile. They work beautifully together, and sing and act with great energy and appealing tones. MacDonald is always charming, and has always been the better actress, though Eddy is actually much more comfortable than he was in Naughty Marietta(the best I've seen him though is Chocolate Soldier with Rise Stevens). While both sound great, Eddy is in particularly wonderful voice, his rich, warm masculine tones have always been more preferable to MacDonald's still sweet if slightly thin and trebly voice. Both have moments to shine, they are great in their duets Wanting You and Lover Come Back to Me, but MacDonald is very touching in One Kiss and Eddy literally goes for it, attacking with such liveliness and gusto, in Stout-Hearted Men. Overall, a very nice film, maybe not for all tastes but for Eddy-MacDonald fans it's a treat. 8/10 Bethany Cox

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.