Picture Play Magazine (1938)

Record Details:

Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

diet, especially in the matter of Hollywood whimsies, but I do think we arc headed for much greater talents on the screen. Good music and perfect dancing are here already; good directors and a few good scenarists also. If we could muster up some original ideas and half a dozen boys and girls who could be made to forget about mugging and prating their lines per dramatic school instructions, thinking they must all be tragediennes to be great, we might find the movies emerging from the mists of medieval mawkishness. And banish forever such macabre spectacles as "Camille" and "The Garden of Allah." such debacles as "Mary of Scotland." "Quality Street," "Anthony Adverse," ami "Parnell." Willie Hix. Edroy, Texas. Jeanette Second Best to Nelson. IT has been said that every person that buys a ticket at the box office has paid for the right to be a critic. If that, is true, here goes for some up-to-theminute criticism from your amateur critic. First, my nomination for the greatest singer of this generation — Nelson Eddy. The most natural actor — Nelson Eddy. And the most interesting, worth-while person to come before the public in many years — Nelson Eddy. Now I want to correct a few erroneous ideas. I say give credit where credit is due. First of all. he acts better than John Barrymore and he doesn't have to Lana Turner, the cute little trick who was murdered in "They Won't Forget," becomes a Tartar handmaiden for "The Adventures of Marco Polo." Ain't art grand? What the Fans Think snort all over the place or chew the scenery to do il. either. He just behaves as the character would in the given circumstances, and what more do you want? Another thing, while Jeanette MacDonald is my favorite actress and I think the most charming and beautiful woman on I he screen, she still is only second best to Nelson Eddy, and would you please sec what yon could do about having her appear at leasl forty minutes after the picture starts in "Girl of the Golden West," and have Nelson in I lie very first scene:-' We wailed twenty-five minutes for him in "Naughty Marietta," twenty-five minutes in "Rose-Marie," and worst of all, thirty-five minutes in "Maytime." The more popular he becomes the longer we have to wait for him. Some of these days I really expect they will put him in a singing version of "The Invisible Man." We pay our money to see and hear Nelson Eddy. Another fact. Nelson has made Jeanette the greal success she is to-day. If any one else had been with her in "Naughty Marietta" she would now be retired. She was starred with Maurice Chevalier, and what happened? A moderately successful actress who sang. Then she was put in "The Vagabond King," with that singing star from the stage, Dennis King. Most people don't even remember this picture. Then came "The Cat and the Fiddle" and what happened? Nothing, except Jeanette was left to wend her way slowly but surely into oblivion. As a last try she made "The Merry Widow" which completely flopped and so finished her. Then MGM in desperation, put her in "Naughty Marietta" and the rest is history. (Sung to the tune of "Sweet Mystery of bile.") Irene Leonard Wood. 1615 Minor Avenue, Seattle, Washington. Why Anti-MacDonald Campaign? 1HAYE noticed growing animosity toward the unrivaled queen of singing stars. The first flavor of this was evident when an article was published sonic time ago which apparently intended to convey the impression that Jeanette MacDonald suffered from an inflated ego, and which set out to reduce said ego by criticizing the lady's acting, singing, appearance, conduct and private life. This contemptible slander has been followed by various insulting subtleties, a typical example of which is the comment on the star's wedding in the September issue. The description of Hollywood's reception of the event is strangely at odds with the account given in other publications. The antipathy seems to have spread to readers, loo. In the same issue are two letters from misguided young ladies who sign themselves Cecile and Anne O'Brien. Their outpourings exhibit the despicable. back-stabbing type of abuse which seems to be a characteristic of Americans. To take Cecile 's firs) insult. She states that "there has been altogel her loo much of Jeanette MacDonald in all the Eddy films" and that "the crowd was rather restive . . . until Mr. Eddy appeared." Apart from the fact that Miss MacDonald's name is always placed at the head of the casl and that, strictly speal they should be called the "MacDonald films," my experience of whispers among the audience has always been phrases such as "isn't she beautiful," and "hasn't she a, wonderful voice." and the like. As for Miss MacDonald holding the spotlight— well, in the past many articles bj her costars have appeared and, witho exception, they praised her consideration for her fellow players. By the way, if I have created the impression that 1 dislike Nelson Eddj I must hasten to correct this, because I have nothing lint admiration for his voice and personality. Anne O'Brien is not content with one or two scathing remarks. She can fine! no good in Miss MacDonald at all. Perhaps it is her Hibernian blood which makes her so venomous. An analysis of her letter produces r< markable contradictions ami paradoxes. To begin with, she says that a star i no better than her story, director, el cet< ra It seems to have escaped her notice thai this applies as much to Grace Moon . to Miss MacDonald. Her statement anent improved recording being the cause of Miss MacDonald's present (] success is far more applicable to Gn Moore, who once made a brief appearance in the early days of the talkies an.) was a total Hop. Miss MacDonald was then at the Fox Studio and then struggled through the worst vehicles • unloaded on a star. Continued en paye 70 Isa Miranda, Italian cinema star, is having her English ironed out before starting a picture for Paramount.