TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

Ghoulumbe Better than most people think

Cleveronix A different way of telling a story

Freeman This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Neil Doyle MacDonald/Eddy fans will appreciate the similarity between this and NAUGHTY MARIETTA, but will probably notice that the story here is a lot weaker and even less plausible, with Nelson noticeably heavier than he was in the earlier film. Not that that is going to matter much, when the camera is clearly in love with Jeanette's luminous close-ups. She is, as usual, costumed in an array of lavish gowns and hair-styles and holds the attention in all their scenes together.The Sigmund Romberg score is an excellent one as far as operettas go, and they are both in excellent voice whether singing solos or duets. Jeanette is particularly lovely singing "Lover Come Back to Me" and "One Kiss" while Eddy does his famous "Stout-Hearted Men" with manly gusto.Time has not been kind to this sort of musical entertainment, so I can recommend it only for fans of MacDonald and Eddy. It's not their best effort, but the Romberg score is worthy of their singing talents.

bkoganbing The New Moon and Naughty Marietta get understandably confused in the minds of some filmgoers. Both are set in New Orleans during the French colonial period, both star Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, both begin with a ship crossing from France.But New Moon is set during the last days of Louis XVI while Naughty Marietta takes place during Louis XV's reign. This time it is Nelson who is the fugitive. He's a member of the aristocracy who's believing and preaching the ideals of the Revolution. He's slipped away as a bond servant sailing to New Orleans. In Naughty Marietta it's Jeanette who's disguised as a bondservant to escape an arranged marriage.Also both films have Nelson singing a rousing fight song for his followers in Naughty Marietta, it's Tramp Tramp Tramp, while in this film he exhorts and rallies his troops with Stouthearted Men.MGM did this film before with Lawrence Tibbett and Grace Moore at the beginning of the sound era. They made the mistake of changing the story line to fit the Russian Revolution. Here they wisely opted for the traditional locale.Jeanette and Nelson are in their traditional roles in the romance game. She with her kittenish ways, him with his put downs of same.The plot here calls for the two of them after escaping from New Orleans on the ship the New Moon (hence the title), to drop anchor at an island where the former bondservants set about to create at Utopian society. A little bit like Pitcairn Island in Mutiny on the Bounty. It only lasts a short while until news of the revolution in France arrives.I've often wondered how portraying a Utopian socialist ideal must have sat with the very Republican Jeanette MacDonald. I'm guessing she would have been glad of rescue for more reasons than one would think.Of course it's the music and the voices that one sees this film and the Sigmund Romberg-Otto Harbach-Oscar Hammerstein, II score was never better sung. The obligatory duet of Wanting You is heard and Jeanette is in particularly good voice in One Kiss. She also sings Lover Come Back to Me first alone and later with Nelson. That was the big hit of the score, sung by artists that range from Rudy Vallee to Ella Fitzgerald.Personally speaking I'll listen to any kind of music as long as I can recognize the melody. This film will have melody lovers everywhere entranced.

didi-5 One of the more risible romantic musicals, this effort teamed Nelson Eddy and Jeanette Macdonald for the fifth time and gave them the creaky score by Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II to sing. The good news is that this included songs such as ‘Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise', and ‘Lover, Come Back To Me', and the overblown 'Stout Hearted Men'. The bad news is that the story is absolute rubbish – Jeanette is a singer captured by mutineers (yes, Nelson as the ringleader and not exactly convincing), forced to settle with the other passengers and crew on a distant island.Departing somewhat from the original stage production in its story, ‘New Moon' is not quite camp enough to compare with the best of the Singing Sweethearts classics. Both of them too are looking their age and beginning to tire in their ever-innocent personas. However, they are in good voice, and this film is bearable if you are looking for undemanding musical fare.

Ishallwearpurple The main thing in a Nelson/Jeanette film is the songs and beautiful harmony the stars accomplish. "Wanting You" is so lovely, I replay it before I go on with the rest of the show.Operettas are a specialized taste, and not for everyone. But for those who like them, this is a special treat. Nelson is very romantic in this film and of course, no one sings harmony better. Jeanette always does the melody and it is Nelsons great pacing and harmony that make the songs so beautiful.The story of the Louisiana bayou country and the French settlers at the time of the French Revolution is just a way to get the cast in lovely costumes and settings. Nelsons "Give Me Some Men" is thrilling and his holding his long note for over a minute, just great. All in all, a fine entry in the pairing of Americas Sweethearts. 9/10