The Desert Song

I was fortunate to get a good copy of this 1955 broadcast on VHS. I was surprised at the good production values, direction (Max Liebman) and choreography (Rod Alexander) -- for early TV this was quite impressive. Nelson Eddy and and Gale Sherwood have an excellent blend of voices and do great justice to the soaring music of Sigmund Romberg.

The sets are primative, but work and the camera work itself is fluid and enjoyable. This is a real entertainment treat if you're able to locate a copy! My copy is Black and White, but the original was in NBC's early technicolor.

Nelson Eddy is back on screen, starring in a 1955 TV version of Romberg's Desert Song. Nelson, best known for a popular series of operettas with Jeanette MacDonald, has matured into a ruggedly, handsome man, still blessed with the gorgeous baritone voice that thrilled millions. His costar, and longtime singing partner, is the talented, statuesque beauty. Gale Sherwood, whose lilting soprano voice blends perfectly with his. Together, they face the hazards of live TV, and escape unscathed, without missing a beat. The production, wisely relies on the music to tell the story, and along with love scenes, culminating in kisses that are unabashedly intimate, appears far more adult than previous film versions. Unfortunately, reflecting the shortsightedness of early TV,the color version no longer exists. Only a black and white copy has survived, leaving us to only imagine the beauty of the original showing. That aside, the sheer pleasure of seeing Nelson Eddy and his lovely partner is a rare treat to be treasured.

After Nelson Eddy left the big screen after Northwest Outpost for a while he concentrated on the concert stage. But as that was not bringing him in enough cash he switched to the nightclub scene where he was a leading attraction for the rest of his life. His singing partner was Gale Sherwood who was 28 years his junior. But rumors had it that they made beautiful music on and off the nightclub stage.

Which brings us to The Desert Song which was done live on television in 1955 and marked Nelson Eddy's last operetta role. The tape that survives and sadly only in black and white is the absolute real version that folks on Broadway saw in 1926 when it debuted. The three big screen versions all had plot changes of some kind. And the score is not intact in any of them. For that reason this DVD is to be treasured.

And it is to be treasured for the singing of Nelson and Gale. She was the equal of Jeanette MacDonald as a partner for him. But Nelson Eddy was also 54 when he did The Desert Song and looked every bit of it. Hardly the type to play the dashing Red Shadow. When he's not hitting the high notes of his baritone range, Eddy looks a little silly.

Still it is the music of Sigmund Romberg-Otto Harbach-Oscar Hammerstein, II that we treasure from The Desert Song. And the singing is fabulous.

If we were to compare the 1953 film and this 1955 television production, it is not easy to say which is the superior version because it is largely dependent on one's taste. Personally they are both very good in their own way, 1953's was lavish and entertaining with charming leads and Raymond Massey's villain while this had the wonderful pairing of Nelson Eddy and Gale Sherwood and also has the advantage of being much more faithful with more of the songs and dances included. It's not perfect, the sets are primitive, the costumes are not that reflective of the period or setting of the musical(they are perhaps forgivable in a way though because this was televised so of course it would not look as good as the 1953 film) and Nelson Eddy does seem tired and acts stiffly at times, Gordon McRae in the film was superior on that front. The music is fantastic though and it is great to hear the highlights as well as what was missing in the film version with beautiful orchestration and good tempos. There's not an awful lot of dancing, but they're witty and seductive(in a way that's distinctively Arabic) as well as danced in a spirited fashion, they do give a sense of time and place and don't go on for too long. The dialogue amuses and moves while the story is far more probable now that all the original plot sequences are included(even with some trimming for time constraints) and is better paced than the film. The supporting cast all play solidly, though none are quite as memorable as Massey in the film. But Eddy and Sherwood are the main reasons to see, and while Eddy's acting is not the greatest he shares a marvellous rapport with Sherwood and his voice is still magnificent, vocal-wise he and Gordon McRae are equal. Sherwood is better in the acting department and has a really pleasant lilt to her voice, if not quite as beautiful as that of Kathryn Grayson. It is also surprising to hear how well- fabulously even- Eddy and Sherwood blend together, even better than Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald and they were a match made in heaven. All in all, a real pleasure to watch. 8/10 Bethany Cox