Blog

“The Merry Widow”, “San Francisco” on DVD + Sign 2 Petitions!

,


It’s been confirmed that both The Merry Widow and San Francisco will be released on commercial DVD! I don’t have the exact dates but it appears to be soon! I will keep you posted as soon as I have a firm release date…as well as news regarding the 8 films together which certainly should follow…

Plus, there is an online petition that was set up in January. It allows you to sign up to urge Warner Home Video (who currently would hold the DVD rights) to release ALL the Mac/Eddy films on DVD. Thanks for Ashley Phipps for setting this up! Here is the link:

link

We have also set a new online petition to get an official MacDonald-Eddy postage stamp. Maybe this new tactic will be more successful??? You can sign it at the link below:

link

Robert Osborne comments on Nelson’s & Jeanette’s Relationship!

Please note that Turner Classic Movies TV host and author Robert Osborne has interviewed dozens (maybe hundreds) of the older Hollywood stars, filmmakers and crews, and has his own sources for verifying data. Therefore, I share the excitement of those who have forwarded me the following from the recently published March TCM guide:

“March 2006 marks the first time in TCM’s 12-year history that we’ve celebrated two Stars of the Month in a single 31-day period but–considering the duo we’re honoring–how could it be otherwise? It would be virtually impossible to salute Jeanette MacDonald without her perennial singing partner Nelson Eddy, or stalwart Nelson without lyrical Jeanette. Their names became as inseparable to the public as cheese and crackers, champagne and bubbles, beer and pretezels; they’re certainly one of the handful of great teams from Hollywood’s golden age, right up there with Astaire & Rogers, Bogart & Bacall, Powell & Loy, Tracy & Hepburn…

Before and after the films I’ll also be talking about some of the stories that have always circulated about our Stars of the Month. it’s been said that Jeanette and Nelson were, at best, chilly friends in real life and, at worst, constantly feuding. Yet a recent book offers considerable proof they may have been secret lovers for years, only pretending to be happily married to others. To further cloud the picture, Jeanette’s been described by many as a charming beauty with a delightful sense of humor; others say she was the original Iron Butterfly; larky on the surface but with ice cubes running through her veins. One thing, however, is unmistakably true: few have held the interest or the enthusiasm of fans longer than these two. For years, a large and enthusiastic ‘Jeanette & Nelson Fan Club’ has existed, with regular annual meetings…

If you’re someone wholly devoted to Snoop Dogg, Beyonce of LL Cool J, you may wonder about the longevity and deep devotion of fans over the years aimed at the pair in our March spotlight. On the other hand, don’t be surprised if, once you’ve seen and heard them, you feel the magic and catch the Jeanette & Nelson fever yourself. Millions have.”

tcm cover.gif

Shelley Winters Wed 10 hrs before she died?

UPDATE: IMDB.com just reported the following interesting news tidbit:

"Movie star Shelley Winters realized her dream of marrying boyfriend Gerry DeFord hours before she died this past weekend. The Poseidon Adventure star’s partner of 18 years called off the couple’s wedding plans after Winters’ daughter Vittoria Gassman publicly opposed the marriage. Gassman, who took charge of her mother’s estate while she battled drug problems, refused to give up her right to the actress’ fortune and Winters eventually decided to give up on her wedding dreams. But she became Mrs. Gerry DeFord on her death bed when actress pal Sally Kirkland, a legally ordained Los Angeles minister, wed the couple on Friday night. It was 85-year-old Winters’ fourth marriage and DeFord’s first. Winters died of heart failure 10 hours after exchanging vows."

Oscar-winning actress Shelley Winters died last week.

Here’s a link to the L.A. Times Obituary:

link

Under the name "Shelley Winter," she co-starred with Nelson in the 1944 film Knickerbocker Holiday (see photo above and in the next news item). She wrote about the film and a confrontation with Nelson in her autobiography…and the story was retold in book Sweethearts.

To read about Knickerbocker Holiday and see pictures from the making of the film, plus the Shelley Winters connection, you can also get the Mac/Eddy Today Volume 6 book, that covers the making of the film. The link is here:

link


shelley2sm.jpg

Starting the New Year with our New Blog!


Here’s an interesting item re: Jeanette. [Link:] Thanks to Bern for sending it to us!

During the wartime Academy Awards ceremony in 1943, the two servicemen who
carried the American flag as Jeanette MacDonald sang the national anthem were
Marine Pvt. Tyrone Power and Army Pvt. Alan Ladd.

If you find any interesting Mac/Eddy news on the web, send us the link so we can share it with everyone!

Welcome to Our Updated Website!

This is our first major makeover since this website went up in 1996.

Let me remind those of you who are on our mailing list from the old website, you will need to sign up again on this website. We are going to phase out emails to the old list. I don’t want you to miss out on any news, so take the time to register. And–when you do, click the little check box for getting your newsletter with “html” because we have a neat new banner that will come in those newsletters, and they actually LOOK like newsletters. I can include pictures in them as well. Very cool. Welcome to the 21st century!

Additionally, we have a secure site for ordering online. And for those of your who prefer to mail in a check/money order, the shopping cart allows you to do that also! This system is so much easier to use. I have spent about 2 months working with the web designer to get the website looking just right.

You can also now search the site–a handy tool if you’re looking for a particular song on a CD, or a magazine article about a particular film. We’re still working on it, so let us know if you encounter any bugs in using the website. Right now we’re making the Biography functional for those who have WebTV and can’t view a PDF file. Stay tuned…and enjoy!

***

We are always interested in hearing from or interviewing anyone who knew Jeanette and/or Nelson–any co-workers, friends, family, intimates, or anyone who met them and has an interesting anecdote or personal experience with them. If you like, we can include the story in a future issue of our magazine, or keep your name anonymous, as you wish..

We are always looking for MacDonald/Eddy related memorabilia or collections, particularly for donation. In particular, we’re interested in any original paintings or sculptures done by Nelson. If you need to find a new home for your collection, or want to will it to a group that will take care of it, appreciate it and share it with other fans, please keep our club in mind. Also email us if you have some memorabilia for the club. The address to send your items is: Mac/Eddy Club, PO Box 1077, NY, NY 10002.

«‹ 52 53 54 55