During the 1930s and 1940s she starred in 29 feature films, four nominated for Best Picture Oscars, and recorded extensively, earning three gold records. Other radio shows included The Prudential Family Hour, Screen Guild Playhouse, and The Voice of Firestone, which featured the top opera and concert singers of the time. [128] His family was hesitant about the relationship, assuming that MacDonald was a gold-digger, but accepted her after they met. [24] MacDonald's first recordings for RCA Victor were two hits from the score: "Dream Lover" and "March of the Grenadiers. [84], Starting in 1931 and continuing through the 1950s, MacDonald engaged in regular concert tours between films. But Nelson Eddy? She also did some early recordings for HMV in England and France while she was there on a concert tour in 1931. Jeanette Anna Macdonald Birth Place Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Born June 18, 1903 Died January 14, 1965 Cause of Death Heart Attack Following Abdominal Adhesions Biography Read More [152], MacDonald was named Philadelphia's Woman of the Year in 1961. Jeanette was a very talented operatic singer/lyrical soprano, with a wide vocal range, E above high C, close to 3 octaves. [146] Despite the surgery, MacDonald became ill with pleurisy the week after, and was in Houston Methodist Hospital for over a month. Annabelle's Affairs (1931) was a farce, with MacDonald as a sophisticated New York playgirl who does not recognize her own miner husband, played by Victor McLaglen, when he turns up five years later. Genealogy for Elsie MacDonald (1893 - 1970) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. . [17] She finally landed a starring role in Yes, Yes, Yvette in 1927. She was popular for being a Movie Actress. She began training for this goal with Lotte Lehmann, one of the leading opera stars of the early 20th century. A reunion with Maurice Chevalier was also considered. Jeanette MacDonald (English) 1 reference. [16], The following year, 1926, found MacDonald still in a second female lead in Bubblin' Over, a musical version of Brewster's Millions. Emotionally tearful, but polite crowds listened to a recording of "Ah, Sweet Mystery" at her Forest Lawn funeral, which was attended by Hollywood celebrities ranging from Mary Pickford and Charles (Buddy) Rogers to Nelson Eddy, Irene Dunne, and Ronald Reagan. 7:25 pm. Watch the video and read their story at http://www.maceddy.com. In the 1960s, MacDonald was approached about starring on Broadway in a musical version of Sunset Boulevard. [15] In 1925, MacDonald again had the second female lead opposite Queenie Smith in Tip Toes, a George Gershwin hit show. Of those four stars, MacDonald was the only one whom Mayer would rehire.[69]. [83] Despite less-than-enthusiastic comments from critics, the show played to full houses for virtually every performance. [42] It had a huge budget of $1.6 million,[42] partially because it was filmed simultaneously in French as La Veuve Joyeuse, with a French supporting cast and some minor plot changes.[43]. [76] It never moved beyond the discussion stages partly because of MacDonald's failing health. Showing Editorial results for jeanette macdonald. Recepients of the National Chorale Medal of Excellence award held at King'sHouse in St Andrew on Sunday. 2 Comments, The death of Jeanette MacDonald on January 14, 1965 at age 61 shocked and stunned fans worldwide who had not realized how very ill she was during her last years. [4] She began dancing lessons with local dance instructor Caroline Littlefield, mother of American ballerina/choreographer Catherine Littlefield, when very young, performing in juvenile operas, recitals, and shows staged by Littlefield around the city, including at the Academy of Music. I can live like this forever! (Jeanette MacDonald), I have no inhibitions about smoking or drinking, but I think too much of my voice to place it in jeopardy. [144], Raymond was sometimes mistaken for Nelson Eddy by MacDonald's fans and passersby, which MacDonald later admitted that she never liked: "Of course we always laughed it offsometimes Gene even obliged by signing Nelson's namebut no one will ever know the agonies I suffered on such occasions. Norm Macdonald, whose laconic delivery of sharp and incisive observations made him one of Saturday Night Live 's most influential and beloved cast members, died today after a nine-year private. ), Jeanette MacDonald in the 40s (100 pp. )[176], Forbidden to marry early on by MGM studio boss Louis B. Mayer, MacDonald and Eddy performed a mock wedding ceremony at Lake Tahoe while filming Rose Marie. MacDonald's performance was subdued, and choreographer Busby Berkeley, just hired away from Warner Bros., was called upon to add an over-the-top finale in an effort to improve the film. MacDonald appeared in condensed radio versions of many of her films on programs such as Cecil B. DeMille's Lux Radio Theater, often with Nelson Eddy, and the Railroad Hour, which starred Gordon MacRae. These were the ones which astounded me most. Offers continued to come in, and in 1962, producer Ross Hunter proposed MacDonald in his 1963 comedy The Thrill of It All, but she declined. English Wikipedia. [58] MacDonald and Eddy played a husband-and-wife Broadway musical-comedy team who are offered a Hollywood contract. This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 00:46. After opening the Metropolitan Opera's membership campaign,[71] MacDonald appeared as herself in Follow the Boys (1944), an all-star extravaganza about Hollywood stars entertaining the troops. [2], The Firefly (1937) was MacDonald's first solo-starring film at MGM with her name alone above the title. "[126], MacDonald met Jack Ohmeis (1901-1967)[127] at a party during her appearance in Tangerine. During her career she was also billed as Marie Blake or Blossom MacDonald. [95] She quickly repeated the role in Quebec City (May 12),[96] Ottawa (May 15 and 17),[96] Toronto (May 20 and 22),[96] and Windsor (May 24). [22] The Shuberts, however, would not let her out of her contract to appear in the film, which starred Dix and Helen Kane (the "Boop-boop-a-doop girl"). Learn How rich is She in this year and how She spends money? After Thalberg's untimely death in September, production was shut down and the half-finished film scrapped. 2. Rumors circulated that they were engaged and/or secretly married,[135] since Ritchie was by MacDonald's side during her European tour and they lived together[136]MacDonald even signing her return address as "JAR" (Jeanette Anna Ritchie)[135] and referring to him as her "darling husband. She later appeared in grand opera, concerts, radio, [] That November, she did two more performances of Romo et Juliette and one of Faust in Chicago. [46] When the Canadian Mounties temporarily retired their distinctive hat in 1970, photos of Eddy in his Rose Marie uniform appeared in thousands of U.S. newspapers. Actress: Cairo. One of the possible film reunions with Nelson Eddy was to be made in England, but Eddy pulled out when he learned MacDonald was investing her own funds. As late as 1948, MacDonald's desk diary has a "Lake Tahoe" entry. maceddy They Were Loved. [145] Two years before, she had been assigned Dr. Michael DeBakey, who had recently operated successfully on the Duke of Windsor, in the hope that he could save her. [10], In November 1919, MacDonald joined her older sister Blossom in New York. Her handwritten letter from August, 1929 indicates that MacDonald, age 26, had recently suffered a heart attack. Jeanette Anna MacDonald (June 18, 1903 - January 14, 1965) was an American singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (The . [33] Oh, for a Man! [142] MacDonald often worried about her husband's self-esteem; his acting career was constantly shaky, and RKO Pictures eventually sold out his contract when he had two movies left to make with them in the 1950s. Resident Evil Village voice actress Jeanette Maus has died at the age of 39 following an eight-month battle with colon cancer. . '"[110], MacDonald cited the number thirteen as her lucky number. Despite music by Rudolf Friml, the film was not successful. Robertson unexpectedly passed away on Saturday, Aug. 21 at the age of 77, according to her professional Facebook page. Jeanette Anna MacDonald (June 18, 1903 - January 14, 1965) was an American singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (The Love Parade, Love Me Tonight, The Merry Widow and One Hour With You) and Nelson Eddy (Naughty Marietta, Rose-Marie, and Maytime).During the 1930s and 1940s she starred in 29 feature films, four nominated for Best Picture . She took singing lessons with Wassili Leps[11] and landed a job in the chorus of Ned Wayburn's The Demi-Tasse Revue, a musical entertainment presented between films at the Capitol Theatre on Broadway. [121] Her illnesses would not allow her to perform early morning filming shoots, much to her colleagues' annoyance. She earned three gold records,[2] one for the LP album, Favorites in Stereo[3] that she did with Nelson Eddy in 1959.[179]. But this cannot apply to all because of their career and busy schedules. Eddy wound up making 19. [84] She sang and danced at The Sands and The Sahara in Las Vegas in 1953, The Coconut Grove in Los Angeles in 1954, and again at The Sahara in 1957, but she never felt entirely comfortable in their smoky atmospheres. [54] The Girl of the Golden West (1938) was the result, but the two stars had little screen time together, and the main song, "Obey Your Heart," was never sung as a duet. More than anything else in the world those days, I wanted to see him receive as much acclaim as I, to spare him these humiliations. [172] The boy was named Daniel Kendrick Eddy, and Nelson buried him (or his ashes) on private property in Ojai, California. Sweet Mystery of Life," "I'm Falling in Love with Someone," "'Neath the Southern Moon," "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp," and "Italian Street Song," enjoyed renewed popularity. When approached by the House Un-American Activities Committee about whether she had heard any gossip about Communist activity in Hollywood, she replied, "As at any focal point, there are some belligerents, but they are no more numerous than in any other community. ), and Filming Today Press, 2005, Hollywood, California (www.GDHamann.com). Browse 452 jeanette macdonald stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. San Francisco. (After Eddy's death, his widow Ann learned of the apartment and moved into it. Claudia Cassidy, the music critic of the Chicago Tribune wrote, "Her Juliet is breathtakingly beautiful to the eye and dulcet to the ear. [148] DeBakey suggested open-heart surgery, and Raymond brought MacDonald into the hospital January 12. [31] She returned to MGM after five years off the screen for two films. While MacDonald was appearing in Angela,[20] film star Richard Dix spotted her and had her screen-tested for his film Nothing but the Truth. September 8, 2014 @ [18] Planned as a sequel to producer H.H. "[144] When she reunited with Chevalier in 1957, he asked her why she had retired from films, to which she replied, "Because for exactly twenty years I've played my best role, by his [Raymond's] side. Here is all you want to know, and more! [138] The Raymonds lived in a 21-room Mock Tudor mansion named Twin Gables with their pet dogs and their horse White Lady, which Raymond gave to MacDonald as a birthday present;[141] after MacDonald's death, it was briefly owned by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips of The Mamas and Papas. Jeanette MacDonald is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park. spouse. Her last play was Boom Boom in 1929, with her name above the title; the cast included young Archie Leach, who would later become Cary Grant.[21]. Here is the audio tape of that very first interviewNelson gasping as he spoke in spurtsthe interviewer kept pushing him beyond what he could tell and deal with for (as he so bitterly termed) public consumption. The interview ended prematurely due to his breaking down and crying. [81] Her production of The King and I opened August 20, 1956, at the Starlight Theatre. Cause Of Death: Heart Attack. Jeanette was 61 years old at the time of death. Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. I am quite sure that Jeanette would have developed into a serious and successful lieder singer if time would have allowed it."[94]. MacDonald introduced "Beyond the Blue Horizon," which she recorded three times during her career, including performing it for the Hollywood Victory Committee film Follow the Boys. Her last ghost writer, Fredda Dudley Balling, noted that MacDonald was too ill to work more than a couple hours a day, so a final draft was never completed. She also did command performances at the White House for President Dwight D. [26] Broadway star Dennis King reprised his role as 15th-century French poet Franois Villon, and MacDonald was Princess Katherine. [9] She later took lessons with Al White and began touring in his kiddie shows, heading his "Six Little Song Birds" in Philadelphia at the age of nine. myocardial infarction. "[2] The following year, MacDonald starred in two of the highest-grossing films of that year. This was before she had an intimate relationship with Gene Raymond. She appears as a ghost (unseen by Brian) occasionally throughout the movie and her death is shown in a flashback when Brian tells the niece . He is so darling when hes recounting the doghouse storypoor guy. [72] MacDonald plays a divorce whose lively daughters (Jane Powell, Ann E. Todd, and Elinor Donahue) keep trying to get her back with her ex, but she has secretly remarried. [150], MacDonald was crowned as the Queen of the Movies in 1939 with Tyrone Power as her king. "[163], In the biography Sweethearts by Sharon Rich, the author presents MacDonald and Eddy as continuing an adulterous affair after their marriages. Edith Marie Blossom MacDonald (August 21, 1895 - January 14, 1978), also known as Blossom Rock, was an American actress of vaudeville, stage, film and television. Jeanette MacDonald Cause of Death A healthy life can lead us to live for a longer time. Norm Macdonald was known for his offbeat and absurdist humor, and a cultish following that lasted long after his time as "Weekend Update" anchor on SNL in the mid-'90s. [129] MacDonald next dated Irving Stone (1901-1968)[132] from around 192628; they met when she was touring in Chicago in The Magic Ring. [27] She sang "Some Day" and "Only a Rose." Biography - A Short Wiki She was the third daughter of Daniel and Anne MacDonald, younger sister to Blossom (MGM's character actress Marie Blake), whom she followed to New York and a chorus job in 1920. She was the third daughter of Daniel and Anne MacDonald, younger sister to Blossom (MGM's character actress Marie Blake), whom she followed to New York and a chorus job in 1920. Sweethearts won the Photoplay Gold Medal Award as Best Picture of the Year. She was 25 years old. The UCLA Film and Television Archive owns the only known color print of this production. She refused to gossip about her colleagues and said she did not live that kind of life. Based in large part on the author's exclusive access to MacDonald's private papers, including her unpublished memoir, this vivid, often touching biography transports us to a time when lavish musical films were major cultural events and a . [103] On November 12, 1952, she was the subject of Ralph Edwards' This Is Your Life. 2003. [38] Currently, no surviving print of Une Heure prs de toi (One Hour With You) is known. Jeanette MacDonald real name was Jeannette Anna McDonald. [74] Other thwarted projects with Eddy were The Rosary,[75] The Desert Song, and a remake of The Vagabond King, plus two movie treatments written by Eddy for them, Timothy Waits for Love and All Stars Don't Spangle. grief after the sudden death of her father, Helen Macdonald found herself turning to the wild for comfort. 1991. [citation needed] In addition, MacDonald was one of the top-10 box-office attractions in Great Britain from 1937 to 1942. [41] Despite a Technicolor finalethe first use of the new three-color Technicolor process other than Disney cartoonsthe film was not a huge success. From left are: Winston . Both were inspired by the death of a parent: in Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal . [68] MacDonald sang "Spring Is Here" and the title song. Raymond was physically unable to father children, and MacDonald alluded to this fact in her unfinished autobiography, writing that she returned from her Hawaii honeymoon with Raymond with the knowledge and accurate admittance that "The MacRaymonds had no children. [112] Interestingly, thirteen became a recurring number throughout her life, such as the thirteen-year gap between her overseas tours in Europe;[113] principal photography for The Merry Widow had taken thirteen weeks to film;[112] her first movie, The Love Parade, was the number-one box-office draw for 13 weeks;[114] MacDonald performed opera for the first time for a screen test thirteen years after meeting Newell (who was also on set);[115] the thirteen-year gap between her and sister Blossom's death;[108] and husband Gene Raymond's birthday was August 13. The death of Jeanette MacDonald on January 14, 1965 at age 61 shocked and stunned fans worldwide who had not realized how very ill she was during her last years. Its theme of reunion with deceased loved ones was enormously popular after the devastation of World War I, and MGM reasoned that it should resonate with audiences during World War II, but it failed to make a profit. [60] Broadway Serenade did not entice audiences in a lot of major cities,[61] with Variety claiming that New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles' cinema attendances were "sad," "slow,"and "sour. The initial show featured guest stars Leo Durocher and Larraine Day, but it failed to find a slot. Although it was quickly hushed-up - with evidence that Macdonald paid $1,000 for the arrest to . Her funeral was held on January 18, 1965, at Forest Lawn Cemetery. An early version of the book, written with James Brough, is in the Cinematic Arts Library, Doheny Memorial Library, University of Southern California. She sang on The Voice of Firestone on November 13, 1950. [83] On December 12, 1951, she did one performance of Faust with the Philadelphia Civic Grand Opera Company at the Academy of Music. PAT ATF F St. at Thirteenth r Theater of the Stars "IN OLD CHICAGO." with Tyrone Power, i Alice Faye and Don Atneche. "[25] The Vagabond King (1930) was a lavish two-strip Technicolor film version of Rudolf Friml's hit 1925 operetta. In contrast to the previous film, the co-stars were relaxed onscreen and singing frequently together. MacDonald was born Jeannette Anna McDonald[4] on June 18, 1903, at her family's Philadelphia home at 5123 Arch Street. [138] She met him at a Hollywood party two years earlier at Roszika Dolly's home;[139] MacDonald agreed to a date, as long as it was at her family's dinner table. "When Jeanette MacDonald approached me for coaching lessons," wrote Lehmann, "I was really curious how a glamorous movie star, certainly spoiled by the adoration of a limitless world, would be able to devote herself to another, a higher level of art. She is considered by many to be the leading authority on MacDonald and Eddy in the world. His breathing gets tense and a bit laboredwatch for that. Rudolf Friml's 1912 stage score was borrowed, and a new song, "The Donkey Serenade," added, adapted from Friml's "Chanson" piano piece. Shes a smart she was always a smart girl, he saysand those who have read the book Sweethearts know that he liked to call her my girl. I mean, who wouldnt want to look at the rushes? he defends her. Her sister Blossom said that the last 20 years of her life was borrowed time.