Last of the delightfull films of Nelson and Jeanette...love it   April 10, 2008

ABSOLUTELY HEAVENLY...   December 9, 2002

The costumes are lovely in this film, and the music is glorious. Though filmed in 1942, the film still has some of the sumptuousness of filming associated with the nineteen thirties. Highly stylized, it is a musical that those who love vintage films will surely enjoy. Bravo!


So awful it's good   December 8, 2002
  15 out of 18 found this review helpful

I MARRIED AN ANGEL shows up on a lot of lists of the worst movies ever made, and the first thing that has to be acknowledged is that it truly is dreadful. As my daughter and I watched this, she kept screaming over and over, "This is so stupid!" And it is. I couldn't tell her that she was wrong. But . . . if you can get past the fact that the plot is absurd and the premise ridiculous, it can provide a lot of fun. The songs are good, even if the context is sometimes dreadful, the singing spirited, and the acting as good as could be expected under the circumstances. And there is a certain bravery everyone displays in carrying the spirit of the thing all the way to the end.

Although the movie is never not embarrassing, the hardest to watch part consists of bank owner Nelson Eddy falling asleep on a couch and having a vivid dream in which an angel, played by Jeanette MacDonald, who bears a striking resemblence to an employee in his bank who has come to his birthday party in an angel costume, descends from heaven with the intent to marry him. The complications that arise in his dream of this marriage of heaven and earth provide the action for most of the film. Once one gets past the silliness of all this, it is actually a lot of fun. As a long time animal rights supporter, I got a kick out of the scene where angel MacDonald refuses to wear a hat with bird feathers on it, or a dress with an animal's tail, or carry a wolfskin hand warmer. There is also a risque scene where MacDonald wakes up in the morning after her wedding, to discover that she no longer has wings. And the long scene wedding reception where she speaks the truth to everyone she meets has its charms. The fact is, while the material is pretty bad, the spirit and gusto with which everyone carries out their parts makes it a lot of fun.

This was the end of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy's string of enjoyable musicals, and pretty much the end of each's career as a film performer. MacDonald was hurt by the fact that she would turn 40 the year after this movie was released (the unfair and unfortunate bane of many Hollywood actresses), and Eddy by the fact that his singing style had gone somewhat out of style and had little appeal apart from teaming with MacDonald. I enjoy their films, though I acknowledge that they are an acquired taste, and lack the universal appeal of someone like Astaire and Rogers.

I wish the singing duo had gone out with a better film. But I proimise this film isn't as bad as many claim. And if you cut it a lot of slack, it can be a lot of fun.


I Married An Angel - MacDonald and Eddy's Last Hurrah   March 1, 2002
  18 out of 18 found this review helpful

This movie is a cult classic for musical lovers. This was the last movie that Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy made together and you can see that the actors have matured and are comfortable with one another. The actors' facial expressions, body language and overall acting all combine to completely charm the watcher of this movie. Watch closely as Nelson and Jeanette look at each other at the birthday party -- it's enough to give you that little tingle that goes all the way down to your tummy! What a beautiful couple! What gorgeous costuming! What wonderful songs! There are no others that have voices that blend so beautifully as Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy and there has not been a couple like these two since. Every song in this movie leaves a lasting impression and you find you will hum these songs after the movie ends. The story line is enchanting. I have loved this movie since the first time I saw it as a child and I love it still today. I highly recommend this movie.


Censors triumph over angels   March 28, 2001
  16 out of 17 found this review helpful

Rodger's and Hart's spritely Broadway musical had originally been written for the screen in 1933 with Jeanette MacDonald as the intended Angel. When the code came in, a story about an angel who loses her wings on her wedding night became too risky, so R&H bought the property back from Paramount and did it on Broadway with Dennis King and Vivienne Segal. It was a huge hit, and many of its songs became classics. MGM bought the film rights for the MacDonald/Eddy team. But 1942 censors were no more sympathetic to the story, and the film plot got chopped to bits, making some of the final result incomprehensible. Nevertheless, the music is glorious, and Jeanette has a good time going from Angel to Devil, all for love of playboy Willy (Nelson Eddy). It would be their final film together, though both made more films and continued their hectic concert and radio schedules. Binnie Barnes has an especially delightful supporting role and does a jitterbug with Jeanette.