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Sweethearts (1938) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
6.5/10   219 votes
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Director:
W.S. Van Dyke
Writers:
Fred De Gresac (book) &
Harry B. Smith (book) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for Sweethearts on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
22 December 1938 (USA) more
Genre:
Musical more
Tagline:
Exquisite music . . . sparkling romance for the King and Queen of song ! more
Plot:
A musical comedy duo in their 6th year on Broadway receive an offer to perform in Hollywood making films... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins more
NewsDesk:
'Twilight' Fans Celebrate With Saga's Stars At TwiCon
 (From MTV Movie News. 3 August 2009, 3:31 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Lovely confection for MacDonald and Eddy more (12 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Jeanette MacDonald ... Gwen Marlowe

Nelson Eddy ... Ernest Lane
Frank Morgan ... Felix Lehman

Ray Bolger ... Hans the Dancer
Florence Rice ... Kay Jordan
Mischa Auer ... Leo Kronk
Herman Bing ... Oscar Engel
George Barbier ... Benjamin Silver
Reginald Gardiner ... Norman Trumpett
Fay Holden ... Hannah the Dresser
Allyn Joslyn ... Dink Rogers
Lucile Watson ... Mrs. Marlowe

Gene Lockhart ... Augustus
Kathleen Lockhart ... Aunt Amelia
Berton Churchill ... Sheridan Lane
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
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Runtime:
114 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification:
Australia:G | Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #4619)
Company:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
This is MGM's first feature in full Technicolor. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The Waltons: The Hawk (#6.1)" (1977) more
Soundtrack:
SWEETHEARTS more

FAQ

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
Lovely confection for MacDonald and Eddy, 8 May 2009
7/10
Author: blanche-2 from United States

Much has been made of Jeanette MacDonald's singing, but there is never much mention of her beauty. She was very beautiful, with a vibrant personality and good acting ability. All of this is shown to advantage in this big-budget MGM extravaganza, "Sweethearts," a huge 1938 hit in which MacDonald costarred during her successful partnership with Nelson Eddy.

This isn't really the operetta "Sweethearts" - rather, it's a modern story about a couple starring in a show called "Sweethearts" on Broadway. The script is by Alan Campbell and Dorothy Parker, and we meet our singing lovebirds, married in real life, in their sixth year run of the show. Hollywood is beckoning to them; the couple is exhausted by an endless round of shows, radio appearances, and parties they must attend. Hollywood - the free evenings, the time off between films, the sunshine - is starting to sound pretty good to them. The producers of the show are in a panic. They have to keep them from going to Hollywood; since Hollywood is interested in both of them as a team, perhaps if they were no longer a team...

I've read a good deal here about "glorious Technicolor" - it's beautiful but a little garish. The film is filled, naturally, with lots and lots of music. MacDonald's voice never did much for me - nice middle, not much of a top most of the time - probably due to the way singers were taught back then. Eddy is extremely handsome in Technicolor and his magnificent baritone is well-served by the music.

I was recently reading about the stories that have been going around for years that the couple was secretly in love, supposedly supported by MacDonald's sister. It's the subject of a new musical and book. MacDonald's husband Gene Raymond did indeed resemble Eddy, and her marriage to Raymond was a Louis B. Mayer special - arranged. I think there is probably truth to the stories, and it makes sense that one reason for not marrying was that Eddy wouldn't have wanted her to work.

I read a comment here that the script is dated, etc. - MacDonald and Eddy were of their time, and they need to be appreciated in that context. When that is done, they bring us back to a more innocent time, pre-World War II, and they're wonderful.

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