The great comedienne was honored tonight with the Screen Actors Guild 2016 Lifetime Achievement award. As she accepts, she mentions her childhood of watching movies and about 2 minutes in she mentions Nelson and Jeanette.
Cora Sue Collins is one of the last surviving child stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age. She had a small role as Felice in Naughty Marietta (Cora Sue: “I love puppies!” Jeanette: “Oh, you do?” And gets her the puppy. Cora Sue: “Thank you, Princess!”) Ironically, Cora Sue also played the young Moonyean in the 1932 Norma Shearer version of Smilin’ Through. In 2015 she gave a very informative interview for the website cinephiled.com about her MGM days, the entire interview is fascinating to read (at the link) but perhaps of most interest to us is an incident involving a confrontation between Norma Shearer and Louie B. Mayer which is quoted below:
Q: Did you have much to do with studio head Louis B. Mayer?
A: Well, I used to go to his house every Sunday to have brunch with his three granddaughters and go horseback riding with them. They were perfectly nice, but it was a command performance so it felt like a job. I did it because I was told to. Oh, and there’s one story about Mr. Mayer that I don’t know if I dare tell you.
Q: Well now you have to!
A: Okay. I was about six or seven and my mother and I were sitting in Mr. Mayer’s huge outer office in the Thalberg Building with his secretary, Ida Koverman. We were waiting to go into to talk to Mr. Mayer about something. Suddenly this woman I knew quite well opened the door and starting backing out of Mr. Mayer’s office screaming, “Don’t tell me that, L.B., I f**ked all those bastards on my way up!” And with that she slammed the door, and spun around. When she saw me she literally gasped and said, “Oh, hello, Cora Sue, how are you?” She was so embarrassed. We had worked together in the film Smilin’ Through with Leslie Howard where I played her as a child. And, of course, she had been married to Irving Thalberg.
Q: Oh my God, Norma Shearer?
A: Yes! So after she ran off, I asked my mother, “What does ‘f**k’ mean?” My mother got all flustered and wouldn’t say anything. So I went over to Mrs. Koverman and asked her and she got just as flustered. I looked at both of them and said, “It’s okay. She said it to Mr. Mayer so I’ll just ask him what that word means!” As much as they begged me not to, they couldn’t shut me up and I did ask him!
Q: Egads! What did he say?
A: He got very addled and said, “Cora Sue, some day someone will explain that word to you!”
Thanks to Katie for the screenshots!
We missed this one when it was published last year but it’s very complimentary to Jeanette and Nelson:
….While many moviegoers instantly fell in love with Greta Garbo’s husky, Swedish accent in her 1930 “talkie” debut Anna Christie, MGM and Garbo’s favored leading man, John Gilbert, didn’t fare as well. A combination of his flat, affected delivery, high tenor voice and subpar recording equipment of the time made this once celebrated sex symbol of the 1920s box office poison.
Two actors of the day who faced slightly different, yet equally challenging adjustments, were Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald. The two were crossover acts — singers, who transitioned from the live venues of opera houses, to actors, starring in motion pictures; Eddy, an accomplished, classically trained baritone, and MacDonald, a stunning beauty and talented soprano with a three-octave range. Between 1935 and 1942, the two singers would star in eight successful movies together, each incorporating their vocal talent with a commanding screen presence as well as an exceptionally natural comedic ability.
It’s difficult to pin down a single production by either artist to spotlight as their “best”. Nelson Eddy had nearly 30 successful opera performances under his belt before his appearance in film, in addition to various TV/radio appearances and albums throughout his career. Jeanette MacDonald was quite accomplished in her own right, having a successful run on Broadway before her film career and, like Eddy, a noteable catalog of recordings. Furthermore, is there such a thing as a “bad” Jeanette MacDonald movie? In my opinion, there simply is not.
With many fans of Eddy and MacDonald, the movie Maytime remains an all time favorite. Taking into consideration the outstanding musical performances in this film, as well as the undeniable chemistry these two shared, it’s one of my favorites as well. ….The intimate connection these two shared was unmistakable. Scenes such as these would be fodder for Hollywood gossip, for decades to come. …This performance is one of Eddy and MacDonald’s best collaborations, and of great significance to anyone who’s familiar with Nelson and Jeanette’s real-life, 30-year, on/off again, alleged affair. In “Czaritza”, the two pour their hearts out to one another, lamenting a union which cannot be. As the number climaxes and comes to a close, a tear falls from Nelson’s eye as he embraces Jeanette. To whom did this tear belong, Nelson or the Czar? Was the Czarina grieving…or was Jeanette? This aspect of Eddy and MacDonald’s relationship is an entirely different story, an offshoot to two extraordinary careers of very interesting personalities. Movie buffs who’re interested, may find the book Sweethearts by Sharon Rich an intriguing read. Other notable performances in Maytime for suggested viewing would be Nelson Eddy’s comical rendition of Ham and Eggs, Jeanette’s interpretation of the Leo Delibes classic Les Filles de Cadix and the duo’s soulful Carry Me Back to Old Virginny. Whether you’re a fan of musicals, operettas, or movie classics in general, Maytime is a must-see. Young and old fans alike, may you always “remember the day”.