weezeralfalfa In the mid-30s to early '40s, there were 3 main female musical stars contracted to MGM, around which most of their musicals were built. They were Jeanette MacDonald, Eleanor Powell, and Judy Garland, each approximately a decade younger than the previous one, in that order. Except for "Broadway Melody of 1938", they were never mixed in a given musical. Jeanette, in her 30s, found her greatest popularity in old fashioned operettas, mostly with Nelson Eddy as her singing costar. Eleanor was most famous as a superb partnerless tap dancer. Young Judy was best known for her partnered and solo contemporary-styled singing, dancing and acting. While their extraordinary musical talents were emphasized, all developed into excellent actresses, which they frequently aren't given sufficient credit for. For today's audiences, the JM & NE musicals are generally the most difficult to relate to. Nonetheless, for a select audience, they can be the most cherished of these choices.In contrast to the other JM & ME films, this one is a tragedy, in that Eddy(as Paul) and Jeanette discover each other too late, just after Jeanette(as opera star Marcia) inadvisably succumbs to the pleading of her cherished long time opera trainer, Nicolai(John Barrymore) to marry him. In truth, he is too old and lacking in youthful pastimes to make an appropriate romantic partner for her. Also, in a fit of jealousy, Nicolai shoots Paul dead, near the ending(The consequences for Nicolai remain unexplored.) Judging by the number of reviewers and mean rating of respondents, this is clearly the most popular of the JM & NE films for recent audiences, despite its unusually heavy dose of opera songs. Perhaps this is because it is the only classic tragedy among their films. I've noticed in these films that Eddy almost never has a real rival for Jeanette's heart, although, as in the present film, he often has an 'official' rival. In their most popular films, the setting is almost always France or a French colony in the New World. Also, the screenplay usually involves a past historical period: in the present case, the reign of Louis Napoleon, in the mid-1800s. Another given is a memorable 'signature' love song, sung by one or both, several times, including at the ending, when they are reunited. For "Maytime", it's "Will You Remember". For the later "New Moon", there are actually two such songs: "Lover Come Back to Me", and "Wanting You". While the later is sung at the ending, the former is actually the more memorable. While their films included at least a few newly composed songs, this 'signature song' always was derived from the original play, the title is taken from. In fact, "Will You Remember" is the only song retained from the original 1917 play. In addition, the story was completely remade, much more resembling Noel Coward's operetta "Bitter Sweet". Ironically, a few years later, MGM had JM & NE costar in a film adaptation of "Bitter Sweet", with the story sufficiently altered so that it didn't seem a remake of the present film.In the screenplay, Marcia first encounters fellow American Paul on a whimsical night carriage ride around Paris, just after reluctantly promising to marry Nicholai. He is leading a rousing group sing in a tavern. She is impressed with his singing and looks, and he with her looks and being a fellow American. She very reluctantly agrees to meet him in his apartment for lunch the next day. They have fun singing "Carry Me Back to Old Virginia", discovering that both are from Virginia. She begs off an invitation to meet Paul at the Mayday celebration the next day, but shows up anyway. They have a fun time, after which Paul leads Marcia to a nearby beautiful isolated area, where he serenades her with "Will You Remember?", and they kiss. But Marcia says they must not see each other again, and explains her obligation to marry Nicolai. There follows a montage of bits of operas that Marcia stars in, over the next few years. Finally, Paul and Marcia meet again when they are cast as the leads in the opera "Czaritza". Nicolai realizes too late the significance of this pairing. After the performance, he has a frank talk with Marcia about her feelings toward him vs. Paul. She asks for her freedom to live with Paul. Nicolai reluctantly agrees, but then goes to Paul's apartment and shoots him dead. We return to the present, as Miss Morrison again counsels young Barbara and Tom about their conflicting ambitions, then dies. Marcia's ghost then emerges from Miss Morrison's body, and meets a ghost-like image of Paul. They again sing "Will You Remember", amid many falling fruit tree flower petals, to end the film.At 132 min., this was clearly the longest of the JM & NE films, comparable with "The Firefly", in which Alan Jones replaced Eddy as Jeanette's operatic singing costar. However, in the latter film, this extra time is mostly spent on the political and military aspects of the Peninsular Wars, rather than more music. ..I hope you will agree that Eddy doesn't come across as 'wooden'. In fact, I have found no legitimate basis for this common charge. Any 'woodenness' is due to the traditional acting style of the type of musicals they specialized in....John Barrymore does a great job as a talented trainer and promoter of his opera pupils, but who seems to lack real warmth....Herman Bing helps to lighten things periodically, as Paul's voice coach-sidekick combo: a strange combination...Guy Post makes quite a believable Louis Napoleon, in his limited role.

gkeith_1 This is a sweet movie. Color would have been way better, no matter all the reasons it first was supposed to be made in color then scrapped for economic reasons. It was started over in black and white.A bad message for women is to drop your career aspirations for a man. If the man dumps you or you dump him later, your career was an unexplored fantasy. When you are a drudge cleaning his toilets or raising his progeny, your hoped-for "what you wanted to be when you grew up" was all for naught. A man would not have been expected to give up his career for a woman. Barbara should have been told by Mornay/Morrison to pursue her career; perhaps Kip could have accompanied her on her travels -- if he really loved her, that is.Nelson and Jeanette great singers, as usual. The story was very sweet, if a tad villainous with the seedy-appearing (the Great) John Barrymore. The two composers did a nice job. Bing was buffoonish, yes, but his character had great faith in Nelson.Did Nicolai go to prison for the murder? Did he really give Jeanette her freedom? Did he commit suicide? At any rate, it looked like she would have to pay the rest of her life for her attraction to Nelson. Was there more than just kissing between Paul and Marcia? Did Marcia get pregnant and have to have an abortion like the star in real life? Apparently Nicolai was impotent. Marriage to him must have been like a prison term.

blanche-2 "Maytime" is, I believe, the most popular film of that very popular singing team of Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald. The story, based on the Romberg operetta, tells the story in flashback of a beautiful young opera singer (MacDonald), under the wing of her teacher (John Barrymore) who in spite of herself falls in love with a baritone (Eddy) though she's promised to marry her teacher. She chooses loyalty and career over true love, with tragic results.This isn't the most feminist film you'll ever see, as the elderly Miss Morrison (MacDonald) tells her story to a young woman who wants to throw her boyfriend over and pursue her career in New York. Nevertheless, it's the setting for a touching tale and gorgeous music sung by MacDonald and Eddy.MacDonald was beautiful and a fine actress, and she had parts of her voice, particularly the middle range, that were absolutely beautiful. Her high notes and singing technique - well, not so great. Some of it was the way female singers were taught to sing "white" high notes - backing off of them and straightening the tone, and part of it was the unsophisticated recording devices. The difference in placement between her voice and Eddy's, who sang a frontal placement all the way up, is remarkable. The montages show the great female star singing Trovatore and Wagner - not with that lyric coloratura voice, she wasn't. Eddy sings magnificently throughout, though he was never the presence that MacDonald was.Have some tissues ready. It's a lovely story, and the acting is very good. MacDonald is very touching and Barrymore is appropriately villainous and also underplayed, for those who think he was a big ham.It's one of those films you'll always remember, especially the ending, and that's what the film is about - remembrance.

edwagreen This was by far Jeanette MacDonald's best film when teamed up with Nelson Eddy.An elderly woman, counseling young lovers, thinks back to her tragic love affair during the Napoleonic era. Both Nelson and Eddy are at their usual singing best and for a change, Eddy acts the part. He has often been criticized for poor acting in his other films with the wonderful MacDonald.John Barrymore was literally robbed of a best supporting Oscar nomination for his tyrannical role of a lover and husband of MacDonald. It was his inability to accept that MacDonald had found true love with Eddy that leads to tragedy.Too bad that this wonderful film wasn't in color since the set scenes of the Napoleonic era are beautifully realized.