The Girl of the Golden West

The story in this movie is a popular one. A play, an opera, and at least two movies. La fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Guelfo Civinini and Carlo Zangarini, based on the play The Girl of the Golden West by David Belasco. Its highly-publicized premiere occurred in New York City in 1910 Imagine a western soap opera being sung in Italian! The movie is based on the same play, adapted by the playwright, as was the 1915 version filmed by Cecil B. DeMille. The singing in the movie is great, Nelson Eddy and Jeannette McDonald are a great pair as usual. Worth a watch.

Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy star in this musical western with more than a little comic charm and zip. Although there are no

"hits" in this musical, the songs are great and MacDonald gets to sing one of the best "Ave Marias" you'll ever hear. She also turns in one of her best comic performances as the "girl" who is rough hewn and runs a saloon in a gold mining town. A little long, but still one of the duo's best and most underrated films. Walter Pidgeon, Buddy Ebsen, Cliff Edwards, H.B. Warner, Priscilla Lawson, and Noah Beery are notable. The "Mariachi" number is nice as are a few of the songs. It amazes me that Jeanette MacDonald is so underrated as an actress. She not only has a fabulous voice, she could hold her own against any leading man and was also a charming comedienne, and she is splendid in this film.

Wonderful movie. Upbeat, with great singing(Of course).

Every time I watch this movie I have the same reaction. Too idealistic for our tastes today; yet as a showcase for Eddy & MacDonald, with some fun thrown in, it is great.

Like Zane Grey westerns, the characters are rather stylized and two-dimensional. However, again like Zane Grey characters, they tend to demonstrate qualities that we wish were reality.

What a supporting cast.

Walter Pidgeon - very believable as the strong, fiercely passionate sheriff with his own strict code of ethics.

Buddy Ebsen, Leo Carrillo, Monty Woolley, H.B.Warner.

I have been surprised over the years how some men, that are rough and rather crude with each other, will display real protectiveness and gentleness in other areas. Therefore, the behaviour shown by the miners toward 'Girl', adopted as kind of a 'mascot' is credible and necessary for us to accept her sweetness.

Suspend your cynicism, enjoy the fine music and a glimpse into a simpler time!

I really loved this movie from the first time I saw it. I know most of the Nelson/Jeanette films are based on the same basic plot structure- but who cares? Fans of Nelson and Jeanette are here for the stars and the music- how it's presented is mostly secondary.

The only thing that irked me about this movie is Sheriff Rance's habit of calling Jeanette "Girl". Maybe he loved her in his own way, but the constant use of the word "girl" instead of her name made me feel as if he wanted to own her rather than accept her as his equal. Strange then that he gave up so easily in the end- But glad that he did! I also loved Buddy Ebsen as Alabama the Blacksmith- what a sweet character!

Focusing on Nelson Eddy, it was with some astonishment to read his pre-film operatic bio. A remarkable 33 total repertoire which he essayed during the late 20s and up to that "fateful" 1920 concert when he stepped in at the last minute to replace an ailing Lotte Lehmann.

That success led to his film contract, a new career as a film star and a semi-end to his exhaustive operatic career.

Yet, he may have done his most impressive singing during his leading stint with the Philadelphia Civic Opera. I was impressed to discover he sang under the distinguished batons of Stokowski, Reiner, Respighi and Toscannini. And reading his press reviews online pointed to his having critics and public alike in the palm of his hands.

By the time his film roles came around, his voice seemed to have taken on a slight strain and occasional throaty quality. But his first rate musicianship never let down.

He, along with Jeanette MacDonald, respected the legato line, shaping each vocal phrase with sensitivity and beauty.

Their solo and duo renditions in "The Girl of the Golden West" show their artistic integrity. Tenutos, ritards, and fermatas are all given their due, all the while integrating their vocalism with their character and dramatic situations.

As for Eddy, he went on to make some nineteen films, then did the impossible: sustained a triumphant fifteen year post-film career as a nightclub singer. The public apparently couldn't get enough of this fine baritone, who worked as a true star with nary a career lull until he literally dropped dead onstage.

In "The Girl of the Golden West" Eddy is seen to advantage, along with MacDonald, and what could be a dated piece turns into an tender romance.

Sigmund Romberg's original songs are fetching, particularly the love ballad, and Herbert Stodart's orchestrations are rich and luminous.