Commentary from Missy:
Nelson Eddy was at the top of the entertainment world in 1938. He was also waiting for Jeanette MacDonald to go through with filing a divorce from Gene Raymond. She had every reason to, in love with Nelson or not.
Excerpt: Page 237 from Sweethearts by Sharon Rich
At year's end, the inevitable motion picture polls were tabulated. The Brisbane Courier-Mail announced that in a film star popularity contest, covering all of Australia, Jeanette had placed first for women (with Shirley Temple second), and Nelson was second for men (after Robert Taylor). In the Unite States, Nelson polled first in many fan magazines as top radio star, tio classical singer and top male movie star. Furthermore, he was acclaimed as the highest =paid singer in the world, and the top wage earner in motion pictures, thanks to his radio and concert activity. He was not commanding $15000 per concert and $5000 a week for singing a few songs on the Chase and Sanborne show. Jeanette also won fanzine contests and more important, in a poll of fifty major newspapers across the country culled by the New York Daily News, Jeannette won as most popular actress with 59,608 votes. (The male winner was Tyrone Power with 89,647 votes.)
( $15000 1938 dollars is about $252,196.49 according to the U.S. Inflation Calculator. $5000 a week is about $84,065.50.)
Commentary from Missy:
Nelson Eddy, as it could be said was the case with Jeanette MacDonald and Gene Raymond, had a domineering mother. She had resisted Jeanette as a wife for her son at first but came to like her and believe in their romance. However, she, like the other mothers, had been called into the studio and told to get their offspring in line with the demands of their contracts.
When would Nelson truly give up on having Jeanette as wife?
When she failed to follow through on a divorce, Nelson called it quits again, raging at Mayer that he did not want to work with Jeanette again.
Excerpt: Page 239
Jeanette reported wearily to the studio on the morning of January 20, 1939. She had two numbers to finish, then her work on the film was done. (The film was Broadway Serenade.) She had not seen a morning paper by the time she arrived at the set, nor had anyone volunteered the startling news that was now circulating at the spread like wildfire. A studio messenger came on to the set to end the speculation Yes, it was true, Nelson Eddy had eloped with Ann Franklin in Las Vegas yesterday. The news had come as a surprise to everyone, including Mayer, who was furious. Jeanette screamed in horror and ran off the set, sobbing. The entire crew was silent in shock. Until now, sympathies among the crew had tended to be with Nelson. Studio workers who perceived what they thought were Jeannette's roller- coaster emotions towards Nelson, felt that he'd had it pretty touch, But now...
Commentary from Missy:
Jeanette locked herself up in her dressing room. She had taken an overdose of sleeping pills. She was semi-conscience and calling out for Nelson.
Excerpt Page 239: Suddenly Mayer appeared at the door. He rushed to see Jeanette and tenderly took her hand. Crying real tears, Mayer sobbed, "Jeanette baby, I never meant to hurt you! Like your own father I wanted what was good for you. Speak to me Be a good girl and speak to me!"
When there was no response, he turned to Woody, "It's that baritone's fault. It's him. He's doing this to my beautiful star: To Woody's surprise, Mayer picked Jeanette up and carried her to a waiting car...
Jeanette's stomach was pumped..... Gene was ordered to keep a suicide watch...
***
Commentary from Missy:
Upon returning from a tour, Nelson asked Ann for a divorce. They had married in Vegas by a Justice of the Peace and he had been drinking. She said no.
Isabel Eddy, Nelson's mother, handed over his diary - letter that was to Jeanette, in which he claimed he had been, in so many words, snookered into marrying Ann and regretted it. He claims he could not go through with sex with Ann and would never touch another woman. In truth it is unlikely that he never had another affair and though he and his wife had separate bedrooms it is also unlikely that they never had sex. His concert tours and film work kept him away from home a lot. Ann was determined to keep her marriage though she was jealous of his love for Jeanette. His marriage changed her. She would put up boundaries she never had before, but he was just more determined to get her back. Just several months after his marriage, the two were to film 'Bittersweet."
Ann Franklin - Eddy (born Ann Denitz - her first husband being director Sidney Franklin) asserted her dominance over her legally wed husband, Nelson Eddy. Born into a prosperous Jewish family and seven years older than Nelson, she was raised to be a lady but her first marriage had ended after an episode of partner-swapping. She has a son born of Franklin. She said she didn't care what Mayer wanted and would not allow Nelson to work with Jeanette again. He knew otherwise. However, Ann may have also threatened to blackmail Nelson if a divorce lead to telling all the ugly truths in court. It would seem that Nelson had gotten himself a domineering wife.
Once World War II broke out in Europe Hollywood scandals did not take the headlines as they once had. Nelson and Jeanette both knew they could never give up on each other completely, though their relationship would take many forms and disguises. Perhaps their spouses felt the same. Gene Raymond earned well, it's just that Jeanette earned five times as much. He might have felt he had some duty as a husband but continued to keep a homosexual life. Ann Eddy had her marriage to a top Hollywood star to keep, which kept her prestige and living in wealth, even if she didn't have him to herself.
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