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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZEDDY, Nelson, and Jeanette MacDonald; Singers popular in operetta films (Eddy b 29 June '01, Providence RI d 6 March '67; soprano MacDonald b 18 June '01, Philadelphia PA; d 14 Jan. '65). He taught himself singing by listening to opera records, worked odd jobs to pay for lessons, made opera debut in a small role in NYC '24, sang on radio, was signed to MGM by Louis B. Mayer early '30s, had minor roles in Dancing Lady and Broadway To Hollywood '33, Student Tour '34. She began in the chorus of Broadway show The Night Boat '20, supporting roles in Tip Toes and Bubbling Over '26, starred in Yes, Yes, Yvette '27, Sunny Days '28, Boom! Boom! '29. She starred in early film musicals with Maurice Chevalier: The Love Parade '29, Love Me Tonight and One Hour With You '32, The Merry Widow '34. Together in Victor Herbert's Naughty Marietta '35 they achieved instant stardom. They were undistinguished singers, especially MacDonald; Peter Bogdanovich wrote that the director Ernst Lubitsch loved her not despite the fragility of her talent but because of it. Other films together were Rose-Marie '36, Maytime '37, Girl Of The Golden West and Sweethearts '38, Bitter Sweet and New Moon '40, I Married An Angel '42. She also made San Francisco '36, The Firefly '37 (made a star of Allan Jones), others; he made The Chocolate Soldier '41, Phantom Of The Opera '43, Knickerbocker Holiday '44, more. They were both active in radio; he starred on The Voice Of Firestone '34--5, Chase And Sanborn Show '37--9 with Don Ameche, Dorothy Lamour; had own shows '40s. |