Jeanette MacDonald | Nelson Eddy : RSS Products Feed :: Books

Mac/Eddy Songbook #2

maceddyclub@aol.com (Mac/Eddy Club) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:02:41 -0500

A sheet music compilation of many of the songs from their separate films, with hits from The Firefly Rosalie San Francisco, Balalaika, Let Freedom Ring, The Love Parade, etc. Learn the words to their songs. Over 150 pages with some cover reproductions.

Songs:

The Love Parade: March of the Grenadiers, Dream Lover

The Vagabond King: Only a Rose, Some Day

Monte Carlo: Beyond the Blue Horizon

Let's Go Native: Let's Go Native

One Hour With You: One Hour With You

Love Me Tonight: Isn't it Romantic, Lover

Cat and the Fiddle: Try to Forget, The Night Was Made for Love

Student Tour: The Carlo

The Merry Widow: Vilia, Merry Widow Waltz

San Francisco: San Francisco, Would You

The Firefly: Giannina Mia, When a Maid Comes Knocking, Donkey Serenade, Love is Like a Firefly, Sympathy, A Woman's Kiss, He Who Loves and Runs Away

Rosalie: In the Still of the Night, Rosalie

Let Freedom Ring: Love Serenade, Dusty Road

Broadway Serenade: For Ev'ry Lonely Heart

Balalaika: At the Balalaika

Smilin' Through: Smilin' Through

The Chocolate Soldier: My Hero, While My Lady Sleeps

Phantom of the Opera: Lullaby of the Bells

Knickerbocker Holiday: September Song

Follow the Boys: I'll See You in My Dreams

Northwest Outpost: Love is the Time

Three Daring Daughters: The Dickey Bird Song

Mac/Eddy Songbook #1

maceddyclub@aol.com (Mac/Eddy Club) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:02:21 -0500

A sheet music compilation of most of the songs from the eight Mac/Eddy films. Learn the words to their greatest hits. Nearly 150 pages with some cover reproductions.

Songs:

Naughty Marietta: Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life, Italian Street Song, I'm Falling in Love With Someone, 'Neath the Southern Moon.

Rose Marie: Indian Love Call, The Mounties, Rose Marie, Pardon Me Madame

Maytime: Will You Remember, Les Filles de Cadix, Carry Me Back to Old Virginny, The Road to Paradise, Farewell to Dreams

Girl of the Golden West: Who Are We to Say (Obey Your Heart), Shadows on the Moon, Wind in the Trees

Sweethearts: Sweethearts, Pretty as a Picture, Badinage (Summer Serenade), On Parade, Every Lover Must Meet His Fate, Mademoiselle

New Moon: One Kiss, Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise, Wanting You, Stouthearted Men, Lover, Come Back to Me

Bitter Sweet: What is Love, If You Could Only Come With Me, The Call of Life, I'll See You Again, Zigeuner

I Married an Angel: I Married an Angel, Spring is Here

Jeanette MacDonald Autobiography: The Lost Manuscript

maceddyclub@aol.com (Mac/Eddy Club) — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 10:58:13 -0500

Jeanette MacDonald Autobiography: The Lost Manuscript
by Sharon Rich
Publisher: Bell Harbour Press
ISBN: 0-9711998-8-4
Binding: Trade Paper
455 pages

Description:

�Perhaps the most unbelievable note I ever received backstage was between the second and third act of [the opera] Romeo and Juliet. It read: �Please sing �The Indian Love Call� during the next intermission.��

So writes Jeanette MacDonald in her unpublished autobiography. Read the fascinating story of Jeanette�s ill-fated autobiography plus the incomplete, unpolished edition dating from summer 1960. Written in collaboration with movie magazine writer Fredda Dudley Balling, the typewritten manuscript has Jeanette�s hand-written comments and corrections all over it. She crossed out certain sensitive passages and entire pages but the full manuscript is reproduced so that today�s reader can experience it uncensored.

How much did the beloved MGM singing star reveal? Did she tell the truth about her life? Her career? Her purported first marriage to Bob Ritchie? Her Hollywood marriage to Gene Raymond? Her romance with co-star Nelson Eddy? What did Fredda Balling think of their collaboration...and the final book? Why did Jeanette need a ghost writer and why was this mysterious book never published?

MacDonald biographer Sharon Rich answers these questions. She has fully annotated the manuscript, providing reality checks, extensive background data and tragic new information about Jeanette�s health problems in her final years. Also included is Fredda Balling's correspondence about the project and working with MacDonald. The book includes a filmography, photos and a rare color picture gallery.

Reviews:

"Another great Jeanette MacDonald book!"

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Sweethearts

maceddyclub@aol.com (Mac/Eddy Club) — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 10:10:24 -0400

Sweethearts:The Timeless Love Affair -- On-Screen and Off -- Between Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, updated edition
by Sharon Rich
Publisher: Bell Harbour Press
ISBN: 0-9711998-1-7
Binding: Trade Paper
560 pages

Description:

"Sweethearts" is the true story of one of Hollywood's greatest cover-ups: the love affair between Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. Known as 'America's Singing Sweethearts' of the 1930s and 40s, they made eight box office hits together for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and became the most popular singing team in movie history. Rumor had it that they hated each other off-screen but the truth was that they were madly in love. Interference by studio boss Louis B. Mayer triggered a series of tragic events that caused them to self-destruct their film careers, health and ultimately their lives. Read about Jeanette's four pregnancies by Nelson, her affair with studio boss Louis B. Mayer, her marriage to bisexual Gene Raymond (who flaunted affairs with Buddy Rogers, Robert Stack, Cesar Romero, Rock Hudson and Jan Clayton, Lassie's mother). Nelson married a mentally unstable woman who blackmailed him into marriage, threatened to disfigure Jeanette, and vowed to go to the press with the scandal if Nelson tried to divorce her. Nelson turned to young women when he and Jeanette were at odds, and several of them have gone on record in this book for the first time. Despite all, Nelson and Jeanette had a fierce, spiritual bond and loved each other to the end. The author was a close friend of Jeanette's older sister plus had access to a wealth of unpublished letters and memoirs. This is an updated version of the 1994 edition, including an additional chapter, new information and more photos.

This book was a selection of the Entertainment Book Club and the #1 Best Seller for 4 weeks at Booksurge.com (an Amazon.com company).

Reviews:

"Sweethearts is one of the finest books about Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Hollywood during the Golden Era. It is a bittersweet love story of a famous couple whose musical duets on the silver screen thrilled a generation of moviegoers. They were a once-in-a-lifetime experience. With the knowledge, thanks to Miss Rich, that the actors were in love off the screen, gives their films a heartbeat. Included are love letters, notes from diaries, and observations of those who kept their secret. You will enjoy every word of Sweethearts and you will find a new meaning when viewing their musicals. Then you�ll read it a second time. -Jane Ellen Wayne, Author, The Golden Guys of MGM

"Offers considerable proof they may have been secret lovers for years." -Robert Osborne

"The star-crossed love affair of the century....The account is anything but sugar-coated. Ms. Rich's book certainly contains much to raise the eyebrows. She names names and pulls no punches. Still, this is not a sensational expose; one comes away feeling sorry for the protagonists, and wishing that their story could have had a happier resolution....Scrupulously documented...give[s] credibility to an amazing story." Rob Ray, Past Times

"Rich affords a long, exciting, revealing look at two of the most important screen personalities of the 1930s. Vital reading to anyone interested in film history, Hollywood, or popular culture." Mike Tribby, Booklist

"A surprisingly interesting look at two people so wrapped up in make-believe that they began taking it seriously." Harry Bowman, Dallas Morning News

"A bonanza for MacDonald/Eddy fans." Kirkus Reviews

"This book rings true. It is full of flowery language (from the principals' letters), illegitimate pregnancies, fainting spells, suicide attempts, mental breakdowns, and true romance. Fans will love it." John Smothers, Library Journal

Jeanette MacDonald & Nelson Eddy: Interactive CD-ROM Biography

maceddyclub@aol.com (Mac/Eddy Club) — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 19:36:17 -0400

A companion book-on-CD-ROM to Sweethearts, written by Sharon Rich, with 160 photos including 100 candids! Written in Q&A format, it presents the evidence backing up the Mac/Eddy relationship, drawing on photos, documents, sound clips and inteview clips including Nelson speaking about his temper! Plus complete filmography with photos from each film and a high-resolution portrait gallery! �Better than a Movie of the Week!�--reader review. A computer with Acrobat Reader (included on CD) needed.

To Love Again by K.T. Ernshaw

maceddyclub@aol.com (Mac/Eddy Club) — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 19:36:02 -0400

To Love Again: A Fairy Tale for Adults of the Twenty First Century
by K. T. Ernshaw
Paperback: 549 pages
Publisher: Writer's Showcase Press (March 1, 2001)
ISBN: 0595166075

It is a story of two lives reclaimed through no choice of their own, but forced to live and work in a world not of their making, but of ours as it may well be if we do not change what we are doing to it in this century. It is basically the story of Catherine and her long lost love and their second chance.

Reviews:

"According to the author, who spoke at a MacDonald-Eddy luncheon, the main character in this book is really the movie star Nelson Eddy. And it is obvious from the very beginning that this is so. Her main character has no name, just like the "I" in Du Maurier's "Rebecca." It's an interesting plot if you like futuristic novels, and this one isn't set too far in the future, but let's face it, Nelson Eddy fans will want to read it for the love story. You have to keep in mind that this author had an extensive intimate relationship with Nelson Eddy, off-and-on over a period of 20 years. She has preferred to play this down and writes under a literary name, but she did show up in person and was agreeable to answering questions about Nelson, except for the most personal. She said she wrote the book for two reasons, to give some biographical and true understanding of the Nelson she knew and to combine that with a novel idea that she wanted to tell. It's a long book but but thoughtful and well worth reading on many levels. On a related subject, when asked about Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald, as in "did they or didn't they?" she answered that they in fact "did," that Nelson himself told her and she learned from him some of the details over the years. In fact, she only ever saw him when he had a falling out with Jeanette or was angry with his wife. This author knew the man at his most vulnerable and her book gives us a glimpse of what it was like to be close to this sensitive, artistic man. I highly recommend it!"

"Though this is basically a love story, it ranges over a number of subjects, many of which are controversal. Whether one agrees with the authors assumption of what our earth's future may be like or not, it can make you stop and think. She is at least not afraid to tackle the one cause of our earthly woes which politicians and most writers shy away from."

"The author of this novel has two main interests, and has managed to combine them into a story which will interest all those who share her loves and fears. The unnamed hero of her novel is recognisable to all those who have succumbed to the beauty of the voice of the early twentieth century baritone, Nelson Eddy. This is not a biography of Nelson by someone who never met him, but an affectionate picture of a man known and loved by the author, in real life. The second interest of the author is in the environmental damage we are doing to our planet, and her story takes place in the future, when many of our worst fears have taken place, and the world is in the process of recovery. The two interests are cleverly linked, and offer a ray of hope that mankind may be able to redeem himself, and put right many of his mistakes. But above all, this IS a love story to warm the readers's heart."

Jeanette MacDonald: The Irving Stone Letters

maceddyclub@aol.com (Mac/Eddy Club) — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 19:35:30 -0400

Jeanette MacDonald: The Irving Stone Letters
by Sharon Rich
Publisher: Bell Harbour Press
ISBN: 0-9711998-4-1
Binding: Trade Paper
220 pages

Description:

Before she became a movie star, Jeanette MacDonald was a Broadway ing�nue. In 1927 she fell in love with Irving Stone, who worked for his uncle's famous Milwaukee department store, The Boston Store. For two years, Jeanette and Irving kept their long-distance romance alive with frequent long, newsy letters. Irving carefully saved all her correspondence -- hundreds of pages of mostly handwritten letters that were found in his home after his death. Even after the affair ended Jeanette kept writing. She discussed her Hollywood career with him, including co-stars such as Nelson Eddy. Her last correspondence to Irving is dated 1938.

The Irving Stone letters are a revelation. Once and for all they disprove the fiction that Jeanette MacDonald was a prude. She frankly discusses topics like sex, industry gossip, her views on homosexuals, and marriage to someone she's not certain she loves. In 1927 she worries about pregnancy and setting up trysts behind her mother's back; the following year she carefully juggles simultaneous affairs with two men. She discusses various health problems including her earliest documented heart attack in 1929 at age 26.

These letters are transcribed uncensored in their entirety, with many of the originals reproduced. They give insight into the fiercely determined young singer who went on to become a 1930s Hollywood icon.

Sharon Rich has annotated the letters, adding rare photos, commentary and historical background.

Reviews:

"Loved it! A great collection of hand-written letters by MGM's musical songbird, before she was a star. Lively, entertaining, and she sure wasn't a boring prude like some others have made her out to be. Ms. Rich wisely keeps the annotations to a minimum, since Naughty Marietta tells it like it was in her own words. I particularly enjoyed MacDonald's Broadway and Hollywood gossip from the good old days! Lots of good dish."

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Nelson Eddy: The Opera Years

maceddyclub@aol.com (Mac/Eddy Club) — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 19:35:00 -0400

Nelson Eddy: The Opera Years
by Sharon Rich
Publisher: Bell Harbour Press
ISBN: 0-9711998-0-9
Binding: Trade Paper
200 pages

Description:

The most complete and accurate coverage of Nelson Eddy�s early career ever published! Before he became a movie star, Nelson was an opera star. This photo-filled book is a study of that career and a compilation of virtually every review, interview and article written about him from 1922 until 1935, when his success in the MGM musical "Naughty Marietta" convinced him that his future was in Hollywood. Included are clippings from his personal scrapbooks with his handwritten notations and many rare photographs, all his operas (including some tenor and bass roles), his oratorios, radio, earliest interviews and insight into his youthful romances. A bonus chapter includes Jeanette MacDonald�s opera career (1943-45), plus coverage and rare photos of their operatic scenes in the lost "Tosca" Act II from Maytime. Also, there are excerpts from an unproduced movie script written by Nelson on the life of Feodor Chaliapin, in which he had planned to play dual roles--Chaliapin and himself.

Reviews:

"For those who think, like I do, that Nelson Eddy was America's Greatest Baritone, this book is a must. You see how hard Nelson worked to get to the top of his profession, starting with his first professional performance. Sometimes he sang 2 or 3 times a week, and all the reviews and interviews are here. If he had a cold or was flirting onstage with his singing co-star, it's all here. I liked the reproductions from his scrapbooks with his personal comments. After reading the excerpts from Nelson's Chaliapin screenplay, I'm sorry he never had a chance to make that movie. The coverage of Jeanette MacDonald's opera career was equally thorough and interesting, since people tend to diss her (apparently unfairly) as an opera singer. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in either star or in the history of 20th Century American opera."

"Nelson Eddy was the lead baritone for the Philadelphia Opera Co. for over a dozen years before he made a film. It is regrettable that he is remembered for 16 motion pictures rather than the operas he sang so beautifully in. This book has all the reviews, showing how the critics loved him, and the responses of the audiences who could never get enough of the young, multi talented baritone. The book covers those first 12 years of his opera career, and shows him to be the first successful cross over artist, going smoothly from opera to popular music without missing a beat."

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The Rosary by Florence L. Barclay, introduction by Sharon Rich

maceddyclub@aol.com (Mac/Eddy Club) — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 19:34:29 -0400

The Rosary : New Introduction by Sharon Rich, comments by Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy
by Florence L. Barclay, new introduction by Sharon Rich, comments by Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy
Publisher: Bell Harbour Press
ISBN: 0-9711998-7-6
Binding: Trade Paper
290 pages

Description:

A runaway best seller in 1910, forgotten by 1930, FLorence L. Barclay�s novel The Rosary was re-discovered by Nelson Eddy in 1948 as a possible film vehicle for himself and Jeanette MacDonald. In contemporary letters, we learn that Nelson had read the book in his youth, then gave it as a gift to Jeanette at the height of their romance. A new introduction by Sharon Rich explains their attempts to make a film version in the late 1940s and the ironic similarities to the main characters of the novel. �The story is so like the course of our own lives it was amazing.� wrote Jeanette to Nelson in a 1948 letter. �It is such a beautiful story.� The Jane Eyre-like story would have made a fabulous film comeback for them; now you can read it for yourself and see why! Includes comments from MacDonald and Eddy, rare photos, plus a detailed history of the original novel and its author.

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