Matinee Classics - Jeanette MacDonald Biography & Filmography

Jeanette MacDonald ACTOR

PHOTOS

JEANETTE MACDONALD BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Jeanette MacDonald was born on June 18th, 1903 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with the middle name Anna. She was the third daughter born to parents, Daniel and Anne MacDonald.

From a young age she loved to entertain, taking dance lessons and by the age of six she was already singing in local theaters. When she was just a teenager, she was entering singing contests and was winning proving herself to be a very talented operatic vocalist.

Her career in the industry began when she followed her actress sister to New York and found work as a chorus girl in 1920. Soon she was working as a stage performer in a number of musicals on Broadway such as, "Night Boat" and "Irene". She was also a feature singer in a Greenwich Village revue, "Fantastic Fricassee". Other productions soon followed such as, "The Magic Ring", "Tip Toes", "Bubblin' Over" and "Yes, Yes, Yvette".

Macdonald tried to break into the film industry in 1928, however Paramount Pictures turned her down. She did get a break though when, film director, Ernst Lubitsch remembered seeing her test and he chose her to work in the film, "The Love Parade" (1929), which then, Paramount agreed to sign her to a contract.

Soon other film roles followed such as, "The Vagabond King", "Let's Go Native", "Monte Carlo" and "The Lottery Bride" all 1930. She took a brief break from films to travel to Europe and do a concert tour.

She then returned to films and continued to work in the industry appearing in such features as, "One Hour with You" (1932), "Love Me Tonight" (1932) and "The Cat and the Fiddle" (1934).

Jeanette then was convinced to leave Paramount and join MGM, where she began starring in such films as, "The Merry Widow" (1934), "Naughty Marietta" (1935), "Rose Marie" (1936), "San Francisco" (1936) starring alongside of stars Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy and "Maytime" (1937). She began to earn the nickname, The Iron Butterfly, since many felt she was the most lady like and beautiful woman on the MGM lot.

Some of her latest roles were in, "I Married an Angel" (1942), "Cairo" (1942), "The Sun Comes Up" (1949) and the television series, "The Jackie Gleason Show" (1953), "Screen Directors Playhouse" (1956) and "Playhouse 90" (1957).

She did take a brief break from her film career to focus on her love of singing. In 1943, MacDonald performed in Montreal, Canada in her operatic debut at, His Majesty's Theater singing the role of Juliet in, "Romeo and Juliet". She also performed in such musicals as, "The King and I", "The Guardsman" and performed in Las Vegas and at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles, California.

Four of the twenty nine films she appeared in were nominated for Best Picture Oscars, "The Love Parade" (1929), "One Hour with You" (1932), "Naughty Marietta" (1935) and "San Francisco" (1936).

Throughout her career, she recorded more than ninety songs and earned three Golden Records. She also had a very successful radio career with such shows as, "Publix Hour", "Vicks Open House", "The Railroad Hour", "The Electric Hour" and "The Kraft Music Hall".

During World War II she was very active in devoting her time to war work. She was one of the founders of the Women's Voluntary Services and was an active member with the Army Emergency Relief, raising funds through performing concerts.

Jeanette MacDonald was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to Motion Pictures as well as Recording. She sang on such soundtracks as, "Naughty Marietta" (1935), "San Francisco" (1936) "Bitter Sweet" (1940), "Smilin' Through" (1941), "I Married an Angel" (1942), "Three Daring Daughters" (1948) and "The Sun Comes Up" (1949), among many others.

She had many fans and men adored her. She married actor, Gene Raymond in 1937 and the couple stayed together until she passed on January 14th, 1965 in Houston, Texas after suffering from a heart attack. Her remains are interred in a crypt at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California.