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Mac/Eddy Today Journal #76 released!

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Finally shipping!

Our 76th issue wrapping up 2017… rounding out our 40th anniversary with several tributes including celebrating Maytime‘s 80th anniversary;  a comprehensive article by Darryl Winston including a look at the top movie star rankings during the ’30s and early ’40s (and where Jeanette and Nelson fit in); a study of newly received paintings by Nelson done in his “blue” period of 1951-2 as well as busts, drawings, doodles and his nude torsos of Jeanette; an eyewitness write-up of Jeanette’s live 1944 operas; and early diary entries of Jeanette’s mother, Anna MacDonald, which shed some light on both her character and personal events going on in her daughter’s life. Also featured is the top Hollywood story in the news today – the Harvey Weinstein (and other moguls/actors) scandal and comparisons to the trials some stars endured with Louie B. Mayer…including young Shirley Temple. We have well-documented the heartbreaking interference of Mayer in the lives of Jeanette and and Nelson over the years. In a letter to columnist Hedda Hopper, Jeanette herself admitted that Nelson was basically “blacklisted” when she returned to MGM in the later 1940s…forget their proposed “joint” projects (such as The Rosary) or what became Three Daring Daughters, the bottom line was that Nelson was out and Jose Iturbi was in…

Link to order Journal 76

Gale Sherwood has passed away

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Updated January 19, see below. 

Gale Sherwood has died… We read an online posting from writer Laura Wagner  (who is friends with someone in contact with Gale’s estate) that Gale Sherwood, Nelson Eddy’s nightclub singing partner of 14 years, passed away on December 31, 2017.

She was Canadian born on March 4, 1929 as Jacqueline Nutt. Her film debut was in 1939 in They Shall Have Music…see the adorable film clip above!

Under her stage name Gale Sherwood she also starred Blonde Savage (1947) which you can see here. Her greatest fame obviously stemmed from her association with Nelson in his nightclub act. She was also his co-star in the 1955 TV film of The Desert Song.

Above, an early shot of them together and below, arriving in Sydney, Australia for the final tour there in 1967 just weeks before Nelson’s death.

After her retirement, she lived quietly in Florida and kept her privacy out of the limelight by using her married last name.  A widow, in recent years she had suffered with health and memory issues.

This news was originally posted on Facebook by Laura Wagner.

Update: part of the death certificate verifying this.

Jeanette’s jewelry from “New Moon” and “The Firefly” auction tomorrow!

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Auction alert! Saturday morning, November 18, 2017, 10 am Pacific Time!

Some amazing Jeanette MacDonald jewelry worn in her films are up for auction! She wore the first one in New Moon! (And the headdress Jeanette wears above can be down further down this page.)

Description of the necklace above:

A simulated diamond evening necklace with seven pear-shaped drops. The necklace is one of the most versatile and frequently used pieces in the Joseff collection. Worn by Norma Shearer in Marie Antoinette (MGM, 1938); Jeanette MacDonald in New Moon (MGM, 1940); worn by Ruth Warrick with an extender to create a wider fit in The Corsican Brothers (Edward Small Productions, 1941); Norma Drury in That Hamilton Woman (Alexander Korda Films, 1941); Betty Grable in Coney Island (20th Century, 1943); Heather Thatcher in Gaslight (MGM, 1944); Tallulah Bankhead in A Royal Scandal (20th Century, 1945); Anita Louise in The Fighting Guardsman (Columbia, 1946); Barbara Britton in The Return of Monte Cristo (Edward Small Productions, 1946), modified with large central stone drop; and Lucille Ball in a studio publicity portrait. Accompanied by a vintage German lobby card showing Louise, vintage sheet music for “Take It from Here” featuring an image of Grable, a vintage photograph of Bankhead wearing the necklace, and DVD copies of Gaslight and That Hamilton Woman. An online link to an image of Warrick wearing the necklace is available upon request. Length, 15 1/2 inches

The next one was also worn in New Moon:

A celestial hair ornament with two radiating suns with sprays of stars, all set with simulated diamonds.  Worn by Jeanette MacDonald in New Moon (MGM,1940), and Mae West in The Heat’s On (Columbia,1943). Accompanied by a vintage photograph of West wearing the piece, and a DVD copy of New Moon. Length, 5 inches

A bracelet that Jeanette wore in New Moon:

Description:

A simulated diamond and pearl bracelet in floret pattern, box clasp closure. Worn by Jeanette MacDonald in New Moon (MGM, 1940). Accompanied by a DVD copy of the film. Length, 6 inches

The next item is a necklace worn by Jeanette in New Moon as a headdress; see the picture at the very top of this page for reference and the actual necklace below:

And the description:

A silver-plated, simulated diamond evening necklace composed of stars in graduated sizes. Worn by Greta Garbo in Camille (MGM, 1936) and Jeanette MacDonald in New Moon (MGM, 1940). Accompanied by a vintage photo still showing MacDonald wearing the necklace as a headpiece. Length, 17 1/2 inches

Next item is another bracelet from New Moon; check out the picture above with Nelson to see it in context…and the actual bracelet below.

Description:

A silver-plated bracelet in antique finish featuring simulated diamonds with foliate accents, box clasp closure. Signed with Joseff script logo. Worn by Jeanette MacDonald in New Moon (MGM, 1940). Circumference, 7 1/4 inches.

And finally, a jewelry set worn by Jeanette in The Firefly: necklace, earrings and two bracelets as seen below.

The necklace and its details:

A single-to double-strand tiered, simulated diamond evening necklace with central floret featuring diamond drops; spring clasp closure. Signed “Joseff Hollywood.” Worn by Fay Wray in The Affairs of Cellini (20th Century, 1934); Jeanette MacDonald in The Firefly (MGM, 1937); Anita Louise in Marie Antoinette (MGM, 1938); Ann Sheridan in a studio publicity portrait used to promote Dodge City (Warner Bros., 1939); Hedy Lamarr in Her Highness and the Bellboy (MGM, 1945); Lucille Bremer in a studio publicity portrait used to promote Ziegfeld Follies (MGM, 1945) that appeared on the cover of Life magazine; June Haver in I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now (20th Century, 1947); Ava Gardner as a hair ornament in The Great Sinner (MGM, 1949); and Lana Turner in The Bad and the Beautiful (MGM, 1952). Accompanied by a lobby card showing Gardner wearing the necklace as a headpiece, a copy of the March 25, 1946, issue of Life magazine featuring Bremer wearing the necklace on the cover, a vintage photograph of Haver, and a DVD copy of The Great Sinner. An online link to an image of Lamarr wearing the necklace available upon request. Length, 13 1/2 inches

Below: a good shot of the earrings and bracelet from The Firefly:

The earrings:

Description:

A pair of clip-on gold-plated earrings, done using Joseff’s signature Russian plating technique, with simulated diamond florets and pear-shaped drops. Worn by Jeanette MacDonald in The Firefly (MGM, 1937); Ann Sheridan in a studio publicity portrait used to promote Dodge City (Warner Bros., 1939); Janis Paige in One Sunday Afternoon (Warner Bros., 1948); and Lana Turner in The Bad and the Beautiful (MGM, 1952). Accompanied by a DVD copy of The Bad and the Beautiful. Length, 2 1/8 inches.

And the bracelets:

Description:

A pair of bracelets: the first a hinged metal bracelet, the second with accordion chain. Both feature florets of simulated diamonds, done using Joseff’s signature Russian plating technique. One of the bracelets was worn by Fay Wray in The Affairs of Cellini (20th Century Fox, 1934) and Jeanette MacDonald in The Firefly (MGM, 1937); both were worn by Ginger Rogers in a studio publicity photograph to promote Magnificent Doll (Universal, 1946); Janis Paige in One Sunday Afternoon (Warner Bros., 1948); and Rosemary Lane in a studio publicity portrait. Accompanied by a vintage photograph of MacDonald wearing one of the bracelets. Circumference, 6 1/2 inches

Here is the link to all the auction items. Good luck to anyone who bids and if you win, please share with us some photos of these “in person.”

 

Nelson & Jeanette: Veterans Day 2017

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ww2 radio shot

Today we remember the bravery of all veterans.

Nelson – America.mp3

Jeanette – Star Spangled Banner.mp3

Not all patriots were officially enlisted so we also honor Nelson, Jeanette and those in the close circle of their lives who fought in their own way in WWII.

n ww2 outfit

Nelson Eddy served bravely (if secretly) as an Allied spy under the guise of traveling overseas to sing for the soldiers. Now we know the details and that he was injured in the line of duty. While stateside, he also donated his time, salaries and efforts to singing on various war-related radio shows and benefits.

j ww2 color salute

Jeanette MacDonald did not have medical clearance to entertain overseas during WWII. So remaining on the home front, she helped form the Hollywood Emergency Relief Fund, sang at the Hollywood Canteen, opened her home to visit with returning soldiers, donated her time and effort singing on the frequent war-related radio shows, and traveled the US on lengthy concert tours, breaking records and raising over $94,000 for the war effort by auctioning off her encores. In 2015 dollars that’s close to a million and a half dollars – just for her encores! For this she was honored by President Roosevelt.

j ww2 poster

Nelson was never able to be publicly honored. So I find irony in the fact that while Jeanette often acknowledged certain brave, injured or fallen soldiers in her radio shows or concerts – and always mentioned her husband Gene Raymond, she could never acknowledge the work of Nelson Eddy. Her love affair with him was secret as was knowledge of his war work.

j gr ww2 radio

Gene Raymond was a decorated Army Air Force pilot, first serving in England and later in the US. After the war he remained in the reserves and finally retired as a Colonel after Jeanette died, in 1968. No matter how one views the problematic Jeanette-Gene marriage, Gene (and Jeanette) took pride in his military achievements – perhaps one of the only areas in which he wasn’t in direct competition with (and losing to) Nelson Eddy.

n ted paxson ww2

Theodore Paxson, Nelson’s longtime friend and accompanist, was at Nelson’s side during the war years whether concerts, radio shows, benefits, and on the dangerous overseas trip. Whether Ted’s life was ever put in danger is unknown but he was a married man with two children and it should not be forgotten that he also sacrificed his time and energies for the war effort.

woody in major hat

And finally we have Marine Major Woody Van Dyke II who sadly did not survive the war but his contribution was vital and unique nevertheless. By 1939 had turned his MGM office into a recruiting station, plus he urged his male stars to jump in and set an example in a climate where Hollywood was still covering its eyes and ears, trying to ignore what was happening overseas. In his final film, Journey for Margaret (see below), he showed the tragic effect of war on children.

journey for marg

It’s probably no coincidence that Nelson enjoyed making his early 1939 film, Let Freedom Ring. Though Virginia Bruce was his co-star, the love story was secondary to Nelson’s rough-and-tumble character standing up for humanity and freedom. Yes, the story of decent folk winning over tyranny takes place in an earlier era but there’s no mistaking Nelson’s indirect reference to the atrocities already going on in 1939 Europe when he looks and speaks into the camera. In the final scene Nelson gives a spirited speech and sings with passion as only he could – aiming straight for the hearts and emotions of his millions of fans. No “acting” here, he’s being true to the idealism and patriotism that was such a vital part of him. So we end this Veteran’s Day article by thanking those men and women who have fought for freedom, and with Nelson Eddy calling out what is needed for a sane world:

 

Jeanette/Nelson 2018 calendar released!

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Our gorgeous new glossy 2018 calendar with photos for every month!. Thanks again to Don Schumann for the beautiful cover…and inside there are interesting facts and dates in the maceddy history timeline… a great holiday gift for the Jeanette/Nelson fan whether yourself or someone else. Enjoy! You can order it at this link.

Nelson & Walt Disney anecdotes…

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We received an email from Joe Kennedy that you should find informative. Thank you, Joe!

Dear Ms. Rich,

I have followed your writings for some years and am always impressed by the diligence and dedicated research that you and your colleagues have made into the lives and careers of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. As someone who has done research for authors, I appreciate the difficulty of tracking down often-obscure sources.

I recently came across some information in a biography of Wilfred Jackson, a Disney director, that may be of interest to you. As I am sure you know, in 1946 Nelson Eddy recorded all the voices for a Disney short cartoon “The Whale who Wanted to Sing at the Met,” which was part of a compilation feature, Make Mine Music.

In 1959, Disney planned to use this short in an episode of the Disneyland television series on opera, and Wilfred Jackson was the director of the program. At some point in the planning stage, it was suggested that they bring in Nelson Eddy to host the show.

Jackson’s personal notes are reproduced in the book, and he records his excitement at the idea of working with Eddy. Mr. Eddy was apparently very busy in early 1959, and as a result, he was not able to meet with the Disney team for some months.

Finally, a date was set, and Nelson Eddy came to lunch at the studio with Walt Disney and the director. And after all the months of buildup, Walt Disney suddenly decided after lunch to drop the idea of using Eddy altogether, for reasons unspecified. He instructed the director to come up with another concept.

It’s too bad that it did not happen, as I imagine Nelson Eddy might have demonstrated the multi-channel recording equipment that enabled him to sing in harmony with himself.

In any event, I though you might like to have a copy of Jackson’s notes, which are transcribed in his biography and also reproduced in their original form. You will be amused at Jackson’s growing excitement and ultimate disappointment. it is a very slight bit of anecdotal information, but perhaps it will add to your existing knowledge about Eddy’s later career.

There is also another story about Disney and Nelson Eddy, which dates back to the 1946 recording sessions for the film. (I’m sorry but I do not have the source for this story handy. However, I will try to find it if you are interested.)

The director of the sequence, Ham Luske, was known to be completely tone deaf. He and Nelson Eddy played a joke on Walt Disney. When Disney sat in on one of the recording sessions, Nelson Eddy sang perfectly, but Luske kept interrupting him, telling him he was off-key, or that he hadn’t hit the right note. Eddy would apologize and do another take, again perfectly, and Luske would again ‘correct’ him.

Walt Disney sat watching this interaction with growing indignation, and finally stopped the director, telling him that Nelson Eddy is a great artist, and he had no right to try to criticize his performance. Everyone in the room burst into laughter, and Walt was furious that he had been made the butt of this joke. Supposedly he never forgave the director, and who knows, maybe that was an unconscious part of his decision to drop Nelson Eddy from the television program!

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