Sweethearts book

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.”

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