Rich, who was a close friend of MacDonald's older sister Blossom Rock, also knew Gene Raymond, and documents that the relationship lastedwith a few breaksuntil MacDonald's death. A talented lyrical soprano, she had a wide vocal range, E above high C, close to three octaves. 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 . [47] In this tale of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, MacDonald played a hopeful opera singer opposite Clark Gable as the extra-virile proprietor of a Barbary Coast gambling joint, and Spencer Tracy as his boyhood chum who has become a priest and gives the moral messages. Hers is next to Nat King Cole, and George Burns and Gracie Allen. Jeanette MacDonald. "[3], MacDonald died at the Houston Methodist Hospital from heart failure on January 14, 1965, with Raymond by her hospital bed. [119] She also suffered from stage fright throughout her life to the point that her therapist told her to imagine that all of the members of the audience were lettuce. With breathtaking honesty and insight, she recounts her months spent taming a goshawk and how, finally, this strange kinship led her to the first tentative steps to recovery. For her next project she insisted Clark Gable should co-star. MacDonald had been suffering heart problems for decades (including at least two heart attacks in . Based in large part on the author's exclusive access to MacDonald's private papers, including her unpublished memoir, this vivid, often touching biography transports us to a time when lavish musical films were major cultural events and a . [31], In hopes of producing her own films, MacDonald went to United Artists to make The Lottery Bride in 1930. Tablet injectable opioid agonist therapy (TiOAT) programs have been implemented in select rural communities as a means to address drug-related harms. MacDonald earned gold records for "Ah! "[76], MacDonald also made a few nightclub appearances. In the last year of her life, despite declining health, she still was trying to find a publisher. Eddy preferred to publicly blame the proposed project as mediocre, when in fact MacDonald was uninsurable due to her heart condition. In 1938, they had a small Burbank house located at 812 S. Mariposa Street in Burbank. She refused to gossip about her colleagues and said she did not live that kind of life. [22] In 1929, famed film director Ernst Lubitsch was looking through old screen tests of Broadway performers and spotted MacDonald. [52] MacDonald's co-star was tenor Allan Jones, who she demanded get the same treatment as she would, such as an equal number of close-ups. Jeanette MacDonald's death; Nelson Eddy breaks down when interviewed, January 14, 1965 (Exclusive) maceddy 1.05K subscribers 298K views 16 years ago Hollywood's Greatest Cover-Up. Its a privately owned cemetery in Glendale, California, United States. [82] Officially, it was announced as heat prostration, but in fact it was a heart seizure. , patti [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. [53] The MacDonald/Eddy team had split after MacDonald's engagement and marriage to Gene Raymond, but neither of their solo films grossed as much as the team films, and an unimpressed Mayer used this to point out why Jones could not replace Eddy in the next project. In January 1938, Raymond was arrested for one of three times for having sex with men. This was followed by Bitter Sweet (1940), a Technicolor film version of Nol Coward's 1929 stage operetta, which Coward loathed, writing in his diary about how "vulgar" he found it. Past News Releases On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Remembering sisters Jeanette MacDonald and Blossom Rock today. She was on the Academy Awards ceremony broadcast in 1931. ), representatives of her fan club, former presidents Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower, Senator George Murphy, former vice-president Richard Nixon, future governor & president Ronald Reagan, and Mary Pickford; Dr. Gene Emmet Clark of the Church of Religious Science officiated. [157], MacDonald began developing an autobiography in the 1950s. Her zodiac sign is Gemini. place of burial. Robertson had reportedly been struggling "with a severe illness" in the days leading up to her death. ), and Filming Today Press, 2005, Hollywood, California (www.GDHamann.com). In 1928 Paramount tested and rejected her, but a year later Ernst Lubitsch saw her test and picked her to play opposite Maurice Chevalier in The Love Parade (1929). Of the 79 reported cases "More than half of the deaths were expected in the near future" meaning several were cases where death was not expected in the short term. He also tells an incorrect story of when he first met Jeanette although he is honest in saying it was on personal terms rather than for the start of Naughty Marietta. He very well may have gone to a party at Jeanettes home for a public function but there is ample documentation to show that by November 1933 they had already had their first disastrous date, she was attending his local concerts and he had already- to her amazement asked her to marry him. Her first, The Love Parade (1929), directed by Ernst Lubitsch and co-starring Maurice Chevalier, was a landmark of early sound films, and received a Best Picture nomination. 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. Singer actress. The ceremony was filmed and presented by Ed Sullivan. In 1928 Paramount tested and rejected her, but a year later Ernst Lubitsch saw her test and picked her to play opposite Maurice . MacDonald following her 'illness' . In 1921, MacDonald played in Tangerine as one of the "Six Wives. [117], A recurrent issue throughout MacDonald's career was her health. [15] MacDonald played the second female lead in this long-running musical which starred Mitzi Hajos. His breathing gets tense and a bit laboredwatch for that. Jeanette Winterson and Helen Macdonald's books read like opposites but share so much in the making. In the 1940s, Nelson leased and remodeled for himself and MacDonald the old cowboy bunkhouse at 1330 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills. (And that is a horror story on its ownbut not the topic of this article.). [152], MacDonald was named Philadelphia's Woman of the Year in 1961. She is considered by many to be the leading authority on MacDonald and Eddy in the world. Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, John Barrymore. [124] She fired her manager Charles Wagner for anti-Semitic abuse of her Jewish friend Constance Hope,[125] and declared during the 1940 presidential election, "I sing for Democrats and Republicans, black and white, everyone, and I just can't talk politics. 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. [2] [171], At that time Mayer adamantly refused to allow MacDonald to annul her marriage and elope. 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. [55] The film featured an original score[56] by Sigmund Romberg,[57] and reused the popular David Belasco stage plot[54] (also employed by opera composer Giacomo Puccini for La fanciulla del West). [48] A new script was filmed with a different storyline and supporting actors (including John Barrymore,[49] whose relationship with MacDonald was strained due to his alcoholism). . [76] 20th Century Fox also toyed with the idea of MacDonald (Irene Dunne was briefly considered) for the part of Mother Abbess in the film version of The Sound of Music. During the 1930s and 1940s she starred in 29 feature films, four nominated for Best Picture Oscars, and recorded extensively, earning three gold records. [146] Despite the surgery, MacDonald became ill with pleurisy the week after, and was in Houston Methodist Hospital for over a month. Jeanette MacDonald is a 61 years old Singer actress from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Maus, who played several characters in . Actress: Cairo. As late as 1948, MacDonald's desk diary has a "Lake Tahoe" entry. Its all over him. ), Collections of contemporary newspaper and magazine references in the following: Jeanette MacDonald in the 30s. American Actress Jeanette MacDonald was born Jeanette Anna MacDonald on 18th June, 1903 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA and passed away on 14th Jan 1965 Houston, Texas, USA aged 61. [16], The following year, 1926, found MacDonald still in a second female lead in Bubblin' Over, a musical version of Brewster's Millions. He. : June 18, 1907 (Philadelphia, PA) D.O.D. Browse 452 jeanette macdonald stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. [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. Naughty Marietta (1935), directed by W. S. Van Dyke, was MacDonald's first film in which she teamed with newcomer baritone Nelson Eddy. The situation ended with MacDonald losing her baby at nearly 6 months. 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 ( Love Me Tonight, The Merry Widow) and Nelson Eddy ( Naughty Marietta, Rose-Marie, and Maytime ). She earned three gold records,[2] one for the LP album, Favorites in Stereo[3] that she did with Nelson Eddy in 1959.[179]. [39] Starring Chevalier as a humble tailor in love with a princess played by MacDonald, much of the story is told in sung dialogue. In her films, radio, television appearances, concerts, and recordings, she sang opera, operetta, art songs, and show tunes, often with an eye toward popularizing classical music for the masses. MacDonald had a reported eight pregnancies by Eddy, the first while they were filming Rose Marie. [18] Planned as a sequel to producer H.H. Jeanette MacDonald & Nelson Eddy Home Page | Mac/Eddy Club 1996-2022. She was busy in a string of musical productions. 14 January 1965. [citation needed] In addition, MacDonald was one of the top-10 box-office attractions in Great Britain from 1937 to 1942. 2. [83] Despite less-than-enthusiastic comments from critics, the show played to full houses for virtually every performance. [128] He was an architecture student at New York University and the son of a successful bottle manufacturer. 12:19 pm, Grim. In December 1956, MacDonald and Eddy made their first TV appearance as a team on the Lux Video Theatre Holiday Special. Genealogy for Elsie MacDonald (1893 - 1970) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. [106] MacDonald was the only daughter in the family that had inherited both her father's red hair and blue-green eyes,[7] although she often admired her sisters' beauty, such as Blossom's dimples[107] and her elder sister Elsie's (1893[106]1970[108]) blonde hair and blue eyes. Memorial: MacDonald was interred on January 18, 1965 in a crypt at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. They considered that "by God's laws" they were married, although they were never able to do so legally. Few details were known of Stone's romance with MacDonald until the discovery of hundreds of pages of handwritten love letters she wrote to him that were found in his apartment after his death, which happened three years after her death. [17] She finally landed a starring role in Yes, Yes, Yvette in 1927. [15] In 1925, MacDonald again had the second female lead opposite Queenie Smith in Tip Toes, a George Gershwin hit show. San Francisco. Another Rida Johnson Young script, but with somewhat poorer standards of production. Every autumn, they returned to Lake Tahoe to renew their vows. I have spent many good years in training and cultivating it, and I would be foolish to do anything which might impair or ruin it. (Jeanette MacDonald), Copyright 2023 /The Celebrity Deaths.com/All Rights Reserved. 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. Birthday: June 18, 1903 Date of Death: January 14, 1965 Age at Death: 61 Live Live Death Statistics Worldwide and The United States Is Jeanette MacDonald's father, Daniel MacDonald, dead or alive? None of that stuff for me." imported from Wikimedia project. Months later she summoned her manager Bob Ritchie from London to help her renegotiate. 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. 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). It was during the making of 'Girl of the Golden West' (1938) that the short held secret of the Macdonald/Raymond sham marriage was almost let out of the bag. [41] In The Merry Widow (1934), director Ernst Lubitsch reunited Maurice Chevalier and MacDonald in a lavish version of the classic 1905 Franz Lehr operetta. [155], The USC Thornton School of Music built a Jeanette MacDonald Recital Hall in her honor. Her nickname was MacDonald Jeanette Anna. Frazee's No, No, Nanette, the show toured extensively, but failed to please the critics when it arrived on Broadway. Nelsons initial shock and disbelief was very clear (see photo above) as the first TV reporter interviewed him. [148] On the afternoon of the 14th, Raymond was at her bedside massaging her feet when she died. 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. She later appeared in opera, concerts, radio, and television. Rudolf Friml's 1912 stage score was borrowed, and a new song, "The Donkey Serenade," added, adapted from Friml's "Chanson" piano piece. For many years, this was the only available interview footage but just last week, our fellow sleuths Katie and Angela were able to obtain a TV interview done with Nelson Eddy the next day. [110] At this time, MacDonald discovered that she was an extrovert who enjoyed socializing with friends and performing for others, admitting that "[I] needed people to watch and applaud me as much as I needed food and drink. In the 1950s, talks with respect to a Broadway return occurred. Note that he had not slept all night and was talking to reporters until 5 am. He at first refused - "I just sit there while she sings. 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. Her handwritten letter from August, 1929 indicates that MacDonald, age 26, had recently suffered a heart attack. Thanks to Katie and Angela for uncovering this unhappy but important gem and making it available for viewing. 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 [38] Currently, no surviving print of Une Heure prs de toi (One Hour With You) is known. [137], MacDonald married Gene Raymond in 1937. But Nelson Eddy? MacDonald appeared on early TV, most frequently as a singing guest star. [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. Rich's findings also included documentation that Raymond physically and emotionally abused MacDonald, and had affairs as early as their honeymoon when MacDonald allegedly discovered Raymond in bed with Buddy Rogers. [109] Elsie could play the piano, and taught toddler MacDonald a variety of popular waltzes and Stephen Foster's compositions. date of death. "[13] In 1922, she was a featured singer in the Greenwich Village revue Fantastic Fricassee,[14] for which good press notices brought her a role in The Magic Ring the next year. The movie actress Jeanette MacDonald died at the age of 61. Please note the viewing rights of this video at the link to Katies original posting of it here (with more research and insights pertaining to the events of that awful week) and she also found a tragic statement given by Nelson to the Boston Sunday Herald dated Jan 17, 1965. Thereafter, she stuck to guest appearances. [91] She auctioned off encores for donations and raised almost $100,000 for the troops[92] (over $1.5 million, adjusted for inflation). 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. [31] She returned to MGM after five years off the screen for two films. [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. Jeanette MacDonald (1903 - 1965) Nelson Eddy (1901 - 1967)Farewell To Dreams from the "first" Maytime scrapped after the death of Irving Thalberg. In the 1960s, MacDonald was approached about starring on Broadway in a musical version of Sunset Boulevard. MacDonald played a widow who has lost her son, but warms to orphan Claude Jarman Jr.[73] It would prove to be her final film. "[163], In the biography Sweethearts by Sharon Rich, the author presents MacDonald and Eddy as continuing an adulterous affair after their marriages. This was before she had an intimate relationship with Gene Raymond. She was Movies (Actress) by profession. Background Rural and smaller urban settings in Canada are disproportionately impacted by the overdose crisis, highlighting the need for novel public health interventions within these jurisdictions. It is crude and shrill on the ears. [56], Mayer had promised MacDonald the studio's first Technicolor feature, and he delivered with Sweethearts (1938), co-starring Eddy. [76] It never moved beyond the discussion stages partly because of MacDonald's failing health. She is most remembered for The Merry Widow. In 1957, Eddy and she appeared on Patti Page's program The Big Record, singing several songs. Jeanette MacDonald Birth 18 Jun 1903 Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA Death 14 Jan 1965 (aged 61) Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA Burial Forest Lawn Memorial Park Glendale, Los Angeles County, California, USA Show Map Plot Alias confirmed: Nelson and Jeanette Randall?! [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]. MacDonald made her opera debut singing Juliette in Gounod's Romo et Juliette in Montreal at His Majesty's Theatre (May 8, 1943). During her career she was also billed as Marie Blake or Blossom MacDonald.