"[3], MacDonald died at the Houston Methodist Hospital from heart failure on January 14, 1965, with Raymond by her hospital bed. Death: 1970 (76-77) Immediate Family: . He married Jeanette MacDonald in 1937 (her famous co-star Nelson Eddy sang "O Promise . Norm Macdonald dies of cancer at 61; stars heap praise on 'relentlessly There are many things to notice in this video. [178], MacDonald performed and recorded more than 50 songs during her career, working exclusively for RCA Victor in the United States. As we grow older, our bodies become restless, and at that time, it is more important to take care of our health. Jeanette MacDonald Singer actress - HowOld.co Her smile throughout the night shows the sincerity in her words", Jeanette MacDonald Autobiography: The Lost Manuscript, "Nelson Eddy's "Dearest JeanetteI love you" handwritten 1935 letter to Jeanette MacDonald! 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. Rich lives in New York City. A few years before her death, MacDonald became a Religious Scientist. Jeanette MacDonalds deathNelson Eddys reaction, Save the date! They also alternately stayed at favorite hotels and homes across the country owned by celebrity friends including Lily Pons and Irene Dunne. PAT ATF F St. at Thirteenth r Theater of the Stars "IN OLD CHICAGO." with Tyrone Power, i Alice Faye and Don Atneche. Jeanette MacDonald's death; Nelson Eddy breaks down when interviewed, January 14, 1965 (Exclusive) Twenty years after its initial publication, "Sweethearts" by Sharon Rich has been updated and newly released in both softcover and kindle ebook. [103] After the panelists guessed her identity, she told John Daly she was in New York for the holidays and would have a recital at Carnegie Hall on January 16. Jeanette MacDonald - Ethnicity of Celebs | EthniCelebs.com [44] The film won an Oscar for sound recording, and received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. [147] In December 1964, her condition worsened and she was rushed to UCLA Medical Center. None of that stuff for me." [146] Despite the surgery, MacDonald became ill with pleurisy the week after, and was in Houston Methodist Hospital for over a month. Indian Love Call. Jeanette MacDonald & Nelson Eddy Collection Volume 1 She was nowhere in sight to comfort her spouse who was grieving the loss of his great love. "[123] Neither she nor Gene Raymond were ever considered or subpoenaed for a HUAC hearing;[124] in a radio interview, MacDonald was quoted as saying, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" in response to what her opinion was on the investigations. [18] Planned as a sequel to producer H.H. Another telling part of this interview is when he is asked if their relationship changed when he became as big a movie star as she was due to Naughty Marietta. As my friend Bern pointed out, there is a momentary glimmer of panic and wariness and he tells the interviewer he doesnt understand the question. Sweethearts won the Photoplay Gold Medal Award as Best Picture of the Year. Jeanette MacDonald was born on June 18, 1903 and died on January 14, 1965. After initially insisting that she wanted to film Smilin' Through with James Stewart[62] and Robert Taylor,[63] MacDonald finally relented and agreed to film New Moon (1940) with Eddy, which proved to be one of MacDonald's more popular films. She is most remembered for The Merry Widow. [121] Her illnesses would not allow her to perform early morning filming shoots, much to her colleagues' annoyance. Jeanette MacDonald's death was a long time coming; she had a bad heart and had a slow decline. An annual poll of film exhibitors listed MacDonald as one of the top-10 box-office draws of 1936,[77] and many of her films were among the top-20 moneymakers of the years they were released. [41] Despite a Technicolor finalethe first use of the new three-color Technicolor process other than Disney cartoonsthe film was not a huge success. A wonderful article. [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. [56], Mayer had promised MacDonald the studio's first Technicolor feature, and he delivered with Sweethearts (1938), co-starring Eddy. The cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner, the Sheriff's office said, but there were no signs of foul play or drugs. Born Jeanette Anna MacDonald inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 18, 1903 (her burial crypt reads 1907, but as a young girl she enrolled in school by presenting birth records that stated 1903); died while preparing for open heart surgery on January 14, 1965, in Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas; daughter of Daniel MacDonald (a building [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. The situation ended with MacDonald losing her baby at nearly 6 months. On February 2, 1956, MacDonald starred in Prima Donna,[105] a television pilot for her own series, written for her by her husband Gene Raymond. Resident Evil Village Actress Jeanette Maus Dies, Aged 39 These included The Merry Widow, Naughty Marietta, Rose Marie, Maytime,[101] Sweethearts, Bitter Sweet, Smilin' Through, and The Sun Comes Up, plus other operettas and musicals such as Victor Herbert's Mlle Modiste, Irene,[102] The Student Prince, Tonight or Never with Melvyn Douglas, A Song for Clotilda, The Gift of the Magi, and Apple Blossoms. [86] Due to her heart condition, she could not carry a pregnancy to term; she had blackouts and fainting spells, became stressed to the point of not being able to eat, and was frequently in and out of hospitals and trying different treatments (one being massage therapy),[120] which only worked for a limited time. [150], MacDonald was crowned as the Queen of the Movies in 1939 with Tyrone Power as her king. : January 14, 1965 (Houston, TX) Cause of Death: Heart Attack. His breathing gets tense and a bit laboredwatch for that. [139] Despite the strong relationship, Raymond's mother did not like MacDonald, attempting to snub her a few times (such as arranging her son with Janet Gaynor as a plus-one at a charity ball),[140] and did not attend the wedding. For the attorney and author of 'Project Girl', see, Paramount, controversial move to Fox Film Corporation, sfn error: no target: CITEREFSweethearts,_2001 (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFI'll_See_You_Again,_Volume_1:_The_War_-_and_Before,_2019 (, Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg, "The-Love-Parade Cast, Crew, Director and Awards", "Legendary Jeanette MacDonald:: Filmography", "Biography [Jeanette MacDonald] - Miss MacDonald's", Jeanette MacDonald: The Irving Stone Letters, I'll See You Again, Volume 1: The War - and Before, 2019, "Celebrating Tyrone Power (May 5, 1914 November 15, 1958) on his birthday. MacDonald's extensive radio career may have begun on a 1929 radio broadcast of the Publix Hour. MacDonald was interred in a pink-marbled crypt[150] at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, which reads "Jeanette MacDonald Raymond." [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. In the 1940s, Nelson leased and remodeled for himself and MacDonald the old cowboy bunkhouse at 1330 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills. Jeanette MacDonald Biography, Songs, & Albums | AllMusic McDonald Sisters: Elsie (on left), Edith (aka, Blossom Rock), and Jeanette. And I'm perfectly happy. In the telling and re-telling of many of the same stories during that long hellish night, Nelson got a little more careful about what he revealed. Jeanette MacDonald Cause of Death A healthy life can lead us to live for a longer time. (And that is a horror story on its ownbut not the topic of this article.). ), and Filming Today Press, 2005, Hollywood, California (www.GDHamann.com). 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. [34], MacDonald took a break from Hollywood in 1931 to embark on a European concert tour, performing at the Empire Theater in Paris[36] (Mistinguett and Morris Gest were said to have been in the crowd)[36] and at London's Dominion Theatre,[37] and was invited to dinner parties with British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald and French newspaper critics. During the 1930s and 1940s she starred in 29 feature films, four nominated for Best Picture Oscars, and recorded extensively, earning three gold records. May 6, 1998 12 AM PT TIMES STAFF WRITER Gene Raymond, the suave, good-looking blond actor who ranged from Broadway to Hollywood to radio and television but was perhaps best known for his storybook. 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. [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. THEATERS 1 For additional information phone . The production opened at the Erlanger Theater in Buffalo, New York, on January 25, 1951, and played in 23 Northeastern and Midwestern cities until June 2, 1951. 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 . [93], Unlike Nelson Eddy, who came from opera to film, MacDonald in the 1940s yearned to reinvent herself in opera. There couldn't have been a more diligent, a more serious, a more pliable person than Jeanette. I WARNER BROS. Location: Forest Lawn Glendale; Freedom Mausoleum . It lost $142,000. He at first refused - "I just sit there while she sings. Jeanette sings the National Anthem at the Oscars. Jeanette MacDonald was an American singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier and Nelson Eddy. [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). Jeanette Macdonald and Nelson Eddy Sing "Ah Sweet Mystery of Life" and Other Favourites. [5] She was the youngest of the three daughters of Anna May (ne Wright) and Daniel McDonald, a factory foreman[6] and a salesman for a contracting household building company,[7] respectively, and the younger sister of character actress Blossom Rock (born Edith McDonald), who was most famous as "Grandmama" on the 1960s TV series The Addams Family. 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 . [157], MacDonald began developing an autobiography in the 1950s. [91] She auctioned off encores for donations and raised almost $100,000 for the troops[92] (over $1.5 million, adjusted for inflation). Jeanette MacDonald. Every autumn, they returned to Lake Tahoe to renew their vows. They Were Loved: Honouring Canada's COVID-19 victims - Macleans.ca [90] President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who considered MacDonald and Eddy two of his favorite film stars, awarded her a medal. "[98] The same critic reviewed Faust: "From where I sit at the opera, Jeanette MacDonald has turned out to be one of the welcome surprises of the season her Marguerite was better than her Juliet beautifully sung with purity of line and tone, a good trill, and a Gallic inflection that understood Gounod's phrasing You felt if Faust must sell his soul to the devil, at least this time he got his money's worth."[99]. 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. Nelsons initial shock and disbelief was very clear (see photo above) as the first TV reporter interviewed him. [76] It never moved beyond the discussion stages partly because of MacDonald's failing health. The film integrated Victor Herbert's 1913 stage score into a modern backstage story scripted by Dorothy Parker and Alan Campbell. [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. MacDonald had been suffering heart problems for decades (including at least two heart attacks in . [65] Smilin' Through (1941) was MacDonald's next Technicolor project, the third adaptation filmed in Hollywood,[62] with Brian Aherne and Gene Raymond. Jeanette MacDonald. Claudia Cassidy, the music critic of the Chicago Tribune wrote, "Her Juliet is breathtakingly beautiful to the eye and dulcet to the ear. She was busy in a string of musical productions. [81] While performing there, she collapsed. The ceremony was filmed and presented by Ed Sullivan. cause of death. sister. [44] It was voted one of the Ten Best Pictures of 1935 by the New York film critics, was awarded the Photoplay Gold Medal Award as Best Picture of 1935 (beating out Mutiny on the Bounty, which won the Oscar),[45] and in 2004 was selected to the National Film Registry. 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). Jeanette MacDonald (1903 - 1965) Smilin' Through (1941) [Moonyean Clare/Kathleen]: Playing a dual role as aunt and niece, the aunt "Moonyean" is shot in the chest by Gene Raymond at their wedding; she dies in Brian Aherne's arms shortly afterwards. [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. Jeanette was a very talented operatic singer/lyrical soprano, with a wide vocal range, E above high C, close to 3 octaves. [79], In the mid-1950s, MacDonald toured in summer-stock productions of Bitter Sweet and The King and I. Shortly thereafter, she appeared as the mystery guest on the December 21, 1952, episode of What's My Line? #botd #TyronePower #JeanetteMacDonald", "This lovely article chronicles a few of the acts that led to Jeanette MacDonald becoming #WomanOfTheYear in her hometown of Philadelphia, which she described as being "a more gratifying recognition than all". [116], On sets, MacDonald would never lip-sync, instead singing along to song playbacks during filming, which Lew Ayres discovered when he starred alongside her in Broadway Serenade, whereupon he was supplied with earplugs after the volume nauseated him. Her handwritten letter from August, 1929 indicates that MacDonald, age 26, had recently suffered a heart attack. Jeanette MacDonald - Biography - IMDb Jeanette MacDonald (1903 - 1965) Nelson Eddy (1901 - 1967)Farewell To Dreams from the "first" Maytime scrapped after the death of Irving Thalberg. Search instead in Creative? Resident Evil Village voice actress Jeanette Maus has died at the age of 39 following an eight-month battle with colon cancer. 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. 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. Gene Raymond, 89; Actor Wed Jeanette MacDonald She closed with "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," and 20,000 voices spontaneously joined in. She was on the Academy Awards ceremony broadcast in 1931. She frequently attempted a comeback movie, even financing and paying a screenwriter. [172], Other co-stars and friends verified the MacDonald/Eddy relationship. Jeanette MacDonald is a 61 years old Singer actress from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [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. In the first rush of sound films during 1929 and 1930, MacDonald starred in six filmsthe first four for Paramount Studios. 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. [135] He later relocated to Europe as an MGM representative, becoming responsible for recruiting Greer Garson, Hedy Lamarr, and Luise Rainer. [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. #BornOnThisDay Here are Tyrone and Jeanette being crowned King and Queen of The Movies in 1939! Chorale honours excellence - Jamaica Observer In the last year of her life, despite declining health, she still was trying to find a publisher. He totally relates to her and her viewpoint, he justifies why what she did was adorable and correct, and he sounds like a happy little kid telling ithis breathing changes, his face flushes slightly, there is momentary joy and pride in his voice behind the evident shell-shocked grief. Remembering sisters Jeanette MacDonald and Blossom Rock today. In 1995 she was awarded a Dame of Merit by the Knights of Malta for her contribution to History and Literature. 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. Jeanette MacDonald ( June 18, 1903 & ndash; 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 "). Blood Drive scheduled for March 4 at clubhouse | Menifee 24/7 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. 0 references. [172] The boy was named Daniel Kendrick Eddy, and Nelson buried him (or his ashes) on private property in Ojai, California. [137], MacDonald married Gene Raymond in 1937. Her first MGM film was The Cat and the Fiddle (1934), based on the Jerome Kern Broadway hit. Date of Death: January 14, 1965 Place of Death: Houston, Texas, U.S. Jeanette Anna MacDonald Other Names Jenni Jam The Iron Butterfly Mac Jeanette Anna MacDonald Jeanette MacDonald Age 61 (age at death) Date of Birth 18 June 1903 Birthplace Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Date of Death 14 January 1965 Location of Death Houston, Texas, USA Cause of Death Heart Attack Build Average Height 5' 4" (163 cm) Eye Color Blue . [38] Currently, no surviving print of Une Heure prs de toi (One Hour With You) is known. Many thanks to all for your never ending work in bringing all these many articles about our Jeanette and Nelson to us. She refused to gossip about her colleagues and said she did not live that kind of life. [32] MacDonald next signed a three-picture deal with the Fox Film Corporation, a controversial move in Hollywood; every other studio was far superior in the eyes of many, from their budgets to the fantastical entertainment of their films. In 1928 Paramount tested and rejected her, but a year later Ernst Lubitsch saw her test and picked her to play opposite Maurice . 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. Below is the video clip from January 15, the day after Jeanettes death, not seen since it first aired. "[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. [148] On the afternoon of the 14th, Raymond was at her bedside massaging her feet when she died. [70] Within one year, beginning in 1942, L.B. [104] Her surprise guests included her sisters, a sailor she danced with at the Hollywood Canteen, her former English teacher, her husband and the clergyman who married them, and Nelson Eddy appeared as a voice from her past, singing the song he sang at her wedding; his surprise appearance brought her to tears. In 1953, MacDonald sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the inauguration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, broadcast on both radio and TV. [158] In one early version she intended to candidly discuss Nelson Eddy but dropped that idea when Eddy feared public fallout. 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. Despite music by Rudolf Friml, the film was not successful. September 8, 2014 @ 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. After a falling-out with Mayer, Eddy bought out his MGM contract (with one film left to make) and went to Universal, where he signed a million-dollar, two-picture deal.