~ SWEETHEARTS ~

Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy were the most beloved movie stars of their era. Between 1935 and 1942 they made eight films together, most of them blockbusters that earned millions of dollars for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. Each was a musical star in his own right, but once they sang their first duet on-screen they achieved instant immortality. Audiences of the Depression years were mesmerized by their romantic chemistry, the epitome of timeless love. Their faithful fans saw each film dozens of times and still wanted more. They were uncaring of the few critics who found the movie plots sentimental or corny. What mattered was the on-screen intimacy, the way Nelson unconsciously caressed Jeanette's fingers, his blatant adoration when she walked into his view, her seductive child/woman quality, their haunting duets that were imprinted forever in the listener's memory. Their fame spread across the globe; soon they were Hollywood's top box office stars in China, Australia, Europe and South America.

As singers they had a powerful impact in other ways. They bridged the gap between classical singing and movies, and inspired thousands of young people to seek careers in opera or show business as a result a handful of names would include such diverse stars as Beverly Sills, Joan Sutherland, Mario Lanza, Carol Burnett and Betty White. As concert artists, MacDonald and Eddy were as popular as today's rock stars; they needed bodyguards and police escorts and broke attendance records everywhere. Nelson, who additionally had a weekly radio series, was the highest paid singer in the world for over a decade.

From day one the fans were convinced theirs was a love affair off-screen. When they married other people, MGM was deluged with thousands of stunned, irate letters. As the years passed most fans felt something had gone very awry in their lives, for the on-screen chemistry never changed. Did they love each other or hate each other? The point was argued for decades, when the film careers ended suddenly and inexplicably, when they died prematurely, and even now some thirty years after their deaths. What is not disputed is the continuing loyalty of their fans, unwavering with the passage of time. At this writing there are at least four fan clubs around the world. New fans are being made daily, thanks to the release of their films on video.

The astonishing thing about Nelson Eddy is that while he was a public figure whose influence stretched over an entire generation, he was also a man who guarded his private life almost to a fault. Why? He was not devious by nature, so what were the secrets he guarded so carefully?

There were a number of them. First, hard as it may be for some to believe -- myself included -- I am the son of Nelson Eddy.

Then there was Jeanette MacDonald, who was in fact the love of his life. I never met her, but I was privy to one conversation about her. During the 1960s Nelson was giving an interview in his dressing room in the Palmer House in Chicago, in the presence of Theodore Paxson, his accompanist, and the columnist of a local newspaper. I saw the color drain from Nelson's face when he was asked about Jeanette; he had almost a longing in his voice and expression as he spoke about her. The change in him was startling enough to indicate that she meant something to him. After the interview I asked Ted Paxson about Jeanette and Nelson, and after a silence he made the remark, "That's a story that can't be written in our lifetime."

I never pressed for a closer relationship with Nelson, not wishing to embarrass a fine man. In that I felt I was a better son by respecting his privacy.

There are so many self-proclaimed experts who claim to know everything about Nelson and Jeanette. In Sweethearts, Miss Rich allows the reader to make his own decision about their relationship, and that decision is based on detailed and collaborated fact, not what some people wish had occurred. With skill and caring the author relates the personal tragedy of two star-crossed lovers who as "America's Singing Sweethearts" brought happiness to millions all over the world, but who were never destined to find it for themselves.

Jon Eddy