Jeanette MacDonald funeral footage showing Nelson Eddy
Watch a short clip from ITN news covering the funeral of Jeanette MacDonald. When you click on the link , which opens in a new window, scroll to the bottom of the page and then click on the orange button: “Play Clip.”
Nelson Eddy is featured making his entrance. Gale Sherwood and Ann Franklin have already arrived and walk separately from him (with Gale trailing Ann). Nelson walks past Gale and licks his lower lip as he approaches Ann. He looks like he’s trying to compose himself. Then photographers step in front of his face and raise their cameras to get a good shot. Nelson doesn’t walk beside Ann but seems to cut left behind her. This short clip ends with Jeanette’s casket arriving in the hearse. Heartbreaking.
After watching it a few times, you can learn more about what went on behind the scenes by watching the “Master Class” video here.
February 22, 2013 @ 4:15 pm
I firmly believe that Nelson and Jeanette were in love. But to be fair, in this particular clip, it is plain that Nelson is slightly starting to putup both hands to sort of shuffle over to the left side of Ann in order to walk next to her, not to walk behind her. It looks like at the beginning he is walking slowly and then see that Greer Garson has come between he and Ann and he speeds up. If you can picture (or even do it next time you are walking next to someone) – and maybe more likely for men to do– if you are walking next to someone and want to be on the other side, you kind of put up both you hands slightly (elbow or waist high) to half-way guide the other person over so that you can walk next to them. And even if you don’t actually touch them, it’s just automatic. You do it with a child also. I think it can be either/or to be a little protective or to move them out of the way, lol.
February 22, 2013 @ 4:52 pm
We do have a photograph of Nelson, Ann and Gale walking together but don’t know if it was taken a few moments after this footage or after the service. Hopefully we can get a little more of this on film to get a better sense of it.
February 22, 2013 @ 5:03 pm
It does look like he kinda got separated from Ann because he was lost in thoughts, or looking off to his right. Maybe looking at the hearse.