Jeanette MacDonald Autobiography: The Lost Manuscript (Paperback)

~ Sharon Rich (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"Perhaps the most unbelievable note I ever received backstage was between the second and third act of [the opera] Romeo and Juliet. It read: 'Please sing "The Indian Love Call" during the next intermission.'"

So writes Jeanette MacDonald in her unpublished autobiography. This book tells the fascinating story of that ill-fated project and includes an incomplete, unpolished edition dating from summer 1960. Written in collaboration with movie magazine writer Fredda Dudley Balling, the typewritten manuscript has Jeanette's hand-written comments and corrections all over it. She crossed out certain sensitive passages and entire pages but the full manuscript is reproduced so that today's reader can experience it uncensored.

How much did the beloved MGM singing star reveal? Did she tell the truth about her life? Her career? Her purported first marriage to Bob Ritchie? Her Hollywood marriage to Gene Raymond? Her romance with co-star Nelson Eddy? What did Balling think of their collaboration...and the final book? Why did Jeanette need a ghost writer and why was this mysterious book never published?

MacDonald biographer Sharon Rich answers these questions. She has fully annotated the manuscript, providing reality checks, extensive background data and tragic new information about Jeanette's final years. Also included is Fredda Balling's correspondence about the project and working with MacDonald. The book includes a filmography, photos and a rare color picture gallery.

About the Author

Sharon Rich has written six books and edited and written over sixty magazines about 1930s singing stars Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. She was close friends for many years with Jeanette's older sister Blossom Rock. Along with interviewing hundreds of people, she had access to many collections of private letters, Nelson’s personal scrapbooks, diary entries, FBI files and Jeanette’s unpublished autobiography. She is considered by many to be the leading authority on MacDonald and Eddy in the world. In 1994 she was a guest speaker at the American Film Institute (East Coast) and the "Sweethearts" launch party was hosted by the AFI. In 1995 she was awarded a Dame of Merit by the Knights of Malta for her contribution to History and Literature. For more information check out www.maceddy.com. Rich lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Paperback: 455 pages
• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (July 23, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971199884
• ISBN-13: 978-0971199880
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,245,897 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific piece of unknown Hollywood History, May 22, 2007

By	Darrell G. Rooney - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Its always fascinating to see what a celebrity has to say about their time in the limelight even if its seen through a gauze towards rewriting history. This is another fascinating insight into the world of Jeanette during her heyday.