New Moon

Having performed in "New Moon" in summer stock, I watched the 1940 version of this Sigmund Romberg operetta with great interest. I confess I don't remember any of the story since I was in it 35 years ago in the midst of many other summer stock productions. But what I do remember is that "New Moon" needs great voices and opulent production values. Our production values consisted of a bunch of men standing outside the entrance to the barn, which was covered by a curtain, and yelling to indicate the fight on board ship.

The "New Moon" contains some of the most beautiful music ever written, including "Lover Come Back," "Wanting You," "One Kiss," the rousing "Stout-Hearted Men," and my favorite, "Softly, As in the Morning Sunrise." So who better to perform it than those songbirds of the silver screen, Nelson Eddy and Jeannette MacDonald.

The story has to do with dissidents from France, in the days of the revolution, who are sold as bond servants in Louisiana. They are led by Philippe, Duc de Villiers (Eddy), who has planned their escape back to France via a ship, the New Moon. Meanwhile, he's fallen for Marianne (Jeanette MacDonald), and she for him. When the bond servants make their escape, Marianne and her aunt (Mary Boland) accompany them back to France with women who are traveling to become brides. When the ship is attacked, the dissidents and the women find themselves in a new world.

In the film, the characters of Alexander and Julie are reduced to bit parts, though their song "Gorgeous Alexander" plays in the background. The roles of Robert and Philippe have been combined, giving Eddy both the lead baritone song and the tenor song "Softly." Several songs have been cut as well as dances.

However, the best-known songs are present; the songs cut, with the exception with "The Girl on the Prow," are ditties. Eddy is in magnificent voice. I'm not a huge fan of MacDonald's singing - it's a thin voice - but she's beautiful, a fine actress, and great with Eddy.

Someone mentioned that Eddy and MacDonald are more "mature" here - I actually didn't notice.

Yes, the dialogue is corny, but these operettas were about the music. If you want to hear some beautiful songs in a film starring one of the classic teams of film history, "New Moon" is for you.

New Moon (1940 MGM) starring Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy is by far the best movie these two super star operetta singers provided for the USA and world public in the years before World War II during the Golden Age Of Hollywood.

It is one of the last and best of the black and white movie costume musicals, and is dazzling in every way. Every film buff should obtain and screen this incredible movie often.

The two stars, Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, appeared in two widely and justifiably honored movies before this one......Naughty Marietta (1935 MGM) and also Rosemarie (1937 MGM), and were incredible in both.

They managed to turn the unusual trick of skillful acting combined with singing music in the range and with the obvious ability of true opera stars (Nelson Eddy later provided wonderful singing of famous opera arias in "The Whale Who Wanted To Sing At The Met" sequence part of the Make Mine Music [1946 Disney] animated cartoon show.)

In addition to wonderful singing, MacDonald and Eddy provide actor performances comfortable and delightful to watch, the kind of acting people from all backgrounds could feel comfortable with and enjoy. They were natural actors of high talents and also singers of unparalleled gifts. The entire history of world cinema never saw their equal before or since.

The chemistry between MacDonald and Eddy is breathtaking....at times understated and amazingly carefree considering the pomp and glamor always part of their costumed and sumptuously decorated surroundings, and at times intimate to a level of sexual believability almost "x" rated. but it never occurred to the censors to object to their movies or performances or for the public, even the most conservative part of it, to object to the acting and love duet singing these two super stars provided. They were in a class by themselves, never to be forgotten, always to be cherished, probably never to be duplicated at any time in the future.....they were to musical performing arts what Shakespeare was to dramatic play writing....the best of the best.

The camera work includes many night time scenes and moving scenes tracking marching men, galloping horses, and sumptuous dances and walks in formal gardens in New Orleans mansions part of it all. So, too, are wonderful special effects sequences showing a storm at sea which wrecks the large sailing ship which takes the main characters away from New Orleans, deposits them on a lonely island, and is wrecked by a storm which somehow does not drown or harm the endangered boat passengers.

Somehow, it is all believable, and one can never take one's eyes off of the screen, or stop being interested and believing in the story, rooting for the main characters as they face and overcome one travail after the other.

New Moon (1940 MGM) starring Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy is the sort of movie one knows will end happily from the start, and no matter what the characters face, the audience knows it will all come out all right in the end, and a splendid and enjoyable story is always ahead, well presented and scripted, witty and charming, wonderfully costumed, supplied with one beautifully furnished and designed setting after another....the sort of movie which could and was only provided for American and world audiences during the fabled Golden Age Of Big Studio Hollywood in the years immediately before World War II, perhaps the high water mark in movie history.

See this movie and these two actors (and the other two movies of fame they did before this....Naughty Marietta [1935 MGM] and Rosemarie [1937 MGM]}. Everything about it is good in all ways

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Written by Tex Allen, SAG-AFTRA movie actor. Visit WWW.IMDb.Me/TexAllen for more information about Tex Allen.

Tex Allen's email address is TexAllen@Rocketmail.Com.

See Tes Allen Movie Credits, Biography, and 2012 photos at WWW.IMDb.Me/TexAllen. See other Tex Allen written movie reviews....almost 100 titles.... at: "http://imdb.com/user/ur15279309/comments" (paste this address into your URL Browser)

Saw this on Friday,13 December 1940 in Birmingham,a wonderful escape from the intense bombing. Eddy comes again in very fine voice,but not quite up to the standard of "Naughty Marietta," the first of the duo's film operettas. He has obviously gained significant weight: for example, he navigates with difficulty the gunwale of a ship which his comrades and he are attacking with strangely no casualties. The hit song in this operetta,which would not,I think,benefit from color because most of its takes are either at night or interiors, is "Wanting You",which the duo pulls off quite nicely.However,his emotional reactions during this piece,although adequate at the embrace,appear rather automatic,and do not compare with Allan Jones' tenderness in "Tomorrow is another day" (Day at Races,1937) or even the Red Shadow's pouring out his heart in the dated 1929 "Desert Song".His acting skills leave something to be desired:he turns his back on Jeanette during her vocal response,and shows deficiencies in emotional reaction. There is a marked antiquatedness in the dialog as in Jeanettes"I'll try my powers" when asked to sing "Paris" at the film's beginning, or her "Spare your minions!" when offered help in the captured ship. At times they are distinctly looking their ages.He is no longer the angular, gangling young Captain Warrington (lean and muscular) of "Naughty Marietta",but considerably "filled out." All the same,this is delightful escapist musical romance,with pirates, secret police,the French Revolution,sailing gunboats,Caribbean Islands,moonlight and beaches etc. I would strongly recommend this as a video played through an equalizer and amplifier perhaps with a sub-woofer,since the MGM musical recording is extremely good for the time.Romberg's operetta is not as classic as Herbert's "Naughty Marietta" and something is lost from the stage version with all its colorful choruses,reprises,but this is made up for in action and motion not practicable on the stage.

These people are marvelous. The woman star is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen and the man is beyond handsome, and these gorgeous people can sing, and sing beautifully. I've been unable to get the music out of my head. It is romantic and gorgeous and unforgettable. The story is old fashioned and as different from today's movies as daylight is from night. This movie is not edgy or raw, it is just the opposite. Just a wonderful emotional experience. (At the crack of dawn, my mother in law (we are staying with them for the weekend) dragged me out of bed and said that I had to see this movie and although we have little in common when it comes to taste in clothes and many other things, she was entirely right about this movie. Thank you Gina.)

This movie is lighthearted and a joy to be "lost in" for an evening. The music and singing perfectly complimented an intricate plot. The quality of Nelson Eddy's and Jeanette McDonald's is incredible, and they take you from the depths of sadness and loss to triumph and joyful reunion throughout the show. Nelson Eddy is as dashing and handsome as any leading man in the 21st century, and Jeanette McDonald's beauty is unrivaled. Both have central roles in a plot that twists and turns, and play them well, intelligently, believably. All the supporting cast is enthusiastic and funny, and add to the energy and drive of the story. The story is clean and innocent which was very refreshing. At the same time it is compelling, engaging and will remain in one's mind for days afterward. A wonderful surprise of a movie, one that I will keep in my movie library for years to come.