Above: a gorgeous color shot of Jeanette MacDonald from the film Sweethearts. Her sister Blossom, by the way, kept an almost identical photo framed on her dresser during the last years of her life.
TCM is screening two of Jeanette’s films on her 105th birthday!
Smilin’ Through shows at 6 am Eastern Time, while Rose Marie with Nelson Eddy screens at 8 am.
Set your VCR, DVR or Tivo!
So many folks have written me over the years, telling me about that awful day when they woke up to hear the early-morning news that Nelson Eddy had died in Miami, at the too-young age of 65.
I have also heard from several people who reported that a framed picture of Nelson that they had hanging on the wall, inexplicably fell to the floor that day.
Face it, there are movie stars that we love…and then there are celebrities that truly touch our lives. For those of you who met Nelson, you have that personal moment to remember always. But for those of us who only “met” him through his films or his music, it still is a deeply emotional connection.
Only a handful of “stars” or celebrities seem to have that special something that transcends time and the generations. I get emails from young teens just discovering Nelson or Jeanette, and their bubbling enthusiasm just reaffirms the sense that there was something a little special, a little different, about Nelson and Jeanette. And it is timeless and “new” for each person who experiences their art … and “gets it.”
I was unable to post my thoughts on January 14, as we suffered a major computer problem that day…but for me, that date is more than just the date of Jeanette’s passing. It’s also the very same day that her sister Blossom died, in 1978. For me this was a rough year, being the 30th anniversary. Blossom was my friend and the person who introduced me to Jeanette and Nelson. There are people who scoff at Blossom and try to downplay her efforts to get her sister’s story told. Only if they can try to discredit Blossom perhaps they can then persist with the whitewashed version of Jeanette’s life. The truth remains that without Blossom’s encouragement, no other sources would have likely stepped forward to dispute the “happy” Jeanette-Gene or Nelson-Ann marriages. Blossom was a very courageous gal, with a stubborn will – I am sure all three MacDonald daughters were similar in this regard.
At the last club meeting in Clearwater, Florida, my mother attended and I asked her point-blank to discuss and verify whether Blossom was indeed a family friend, was she “coherent” and able to communicate (despite a stroke that affected her speech) and did we indeed go shopping, hang out, discuss Jeanette’s life, etc., etc. My mom talked a bit about how it all came about and yes, this was actually all true.
I would love to hear from you today in regards to Nelson Eddy…and hope you enjoy the picture posted here.
Watch one of their films today…take a few minutes to think about them…and then have fun and celebrate their lives.
On June 29, Nelson’s birthday, our webserver crashed and we have just now gotten back up and running! However, we’ve left up the special song for you to listen to/download that people request so often: "Just for You" from Rose Marie!