Naughty Marietta (1935) - Robert Z. Leonard

The first of MGM's phenomenally profitable Jeanette MacDonald-Nelson Eddy musicals, Naughty Marietta takes several beneficial liberties with the libretto of the original Victor Herbert operetta. MacDonald plays an 18th-century French princess who escapes an arranged marriage by posing as a "cake girl," a mail-order bride sent to the New World to marry a colonist. En route, MacDonald and the other brides are captured by pirates, but are rescued by mercenary Eddy and his roistering companions. To avoid marrying some lowly farmer or frontiersman, simon-pure MacDonald intimates that she is a woman with a "history," which makes her attractive to the glitterati of old New Orleans. Only Eddy sees through MacDonald's feigned "naughtiness," and in the end claims her for his own. The most memorable of the Herbert songs retained for the film version of Naughty Marietta was "Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life", which remained one of Jeanette MacDonald's signature tunes ever afterward.

Review: Naughty Marietta was the first pairing of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, who together defined forever the film operetta, fixing in most people's minds an image of overwrought vocalizing, stiff and/or stuffy acting, ridiculous plots and period settings. Well, Marietta's setting is most definitely period, and no one will ever go to bat for the credibility of its plot, but the first two charges are not really accurate. Granted, Eddy was never the most natural of actors, but he's not the total wooden stick in Marietta that he is in some of his other outings. And MacDonald is far from stuffy here; in some films she did fall into the trap of putting the grande into dame, but here she's aristocratic without being removed. There's a great deal of fun in MacDonald, and she shows it here, helped no doubt by the much better than average dialogue supplied by the screenwriters; there's a snap and a lilt to the dialogue, and nice little insights into the characters. Of course, what makes any operetta is the music, and Victor Herbert's is soaringly glorious. Of course, many people simply don't care for the style, and they won't be able to bear the outsized emotionalism of "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life" or the showiness of "Italian Street Song." Those who are tuned in to the style, however, will appreciate the beauty of these two glorious voices lighting into these gorgeous melodies. Throw in a marvelous supporting cast, efficient direction, fine photography and lovely costumes and the result will cause operetta lovers to go into rapture – and may very well entertain some who are not usually fans of the genre. (by Craig Butler)

Awards: Nominated for oscar Best Picture & won oscar Best Sound.