Sweethearts: The Timeless Love Affair -- On-Screen and Off -- Between Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, updated edition [Paperback]

Sharon Rich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 18, 2001

"Sweethearts" is the true story of one of Hollywood's greatest cover-ups: the love affair between Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. Known as 'America's Singing Sweethearts' of the 1930s and 40s, they made eight box office hits together for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and became the most popular singing team in movie history. Rumor had it that they hated each other off-screen but the truth was that they were secretly engaged in the summer of 1935 while filming their famous "Mountie" movie, "Rose Marie." Interference by studio boss Louis B. Mayer triggered a series of tragic events that caused them to self-destruct their film careers, health and ultimately their lives. Read about MacDonald's four pregnancies by Eddy, her relationship with studio boss Louis B. Mayer, her marriage to bisexual Gene Raymond (who flaunted affairs with Buddy Rogers, Robert Stack, Cesar Romero, Rock Hudson and Jan Clayton). On the rebound, Eddy wed a mentally unstable woman who blackmailed him into marriage, threatened to disfigure MacDonald, and vowed to go to the press with the scandal if Eddy tried to divorce her. Eddy turned to young women when he and MacDonald were at odds, and several of them have gone on record in this book for the first time. Despite all the high drama, Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy had a fierce, spiritual bond and loved each other to the end. The author was a close friend of MacDonald's older sister plus had access to a wealth of unpublished letters, eyewitness accounts, diary entries, love letters and the unfinished memoirs of both Jeanette MacDonald and Isabel Eddy, Nelson's mother. Rich also interviewed over 200 co-stars, co-workers, family and friends. Included among her more famous sources were MGM stars Rise Stevens and Miliza Korjus, opera stars Rose Bampton, Helen Jepson and Theodor Uppman, MGM co-workers William Tuttle and Fred Phillips, and U.S. Senate Chaplain Richard Halverson who, in his youth, was MacDonald's butler/chauffeur and had occasion to observe her interaction both with Nelson Eddy and Gene Raymond. This is a completely rewritten and updated version of the 1994 edition, including an additional chapter, new information in every chapter, more photos and over 50 pages of source notes.

"Sweethearts" was a selection of the Entertainment Book Club and the #1 Best Seller on Booksurge.com for 4 weeks in March 2002.

Reviews:

"Offers considerable proof they may have been secret lovers for years." Robert Osborne

"Sweethearts" is one of the finest books about Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Hollywood during the Golden Era. It is a bittersweet love story of a famous couple whose musical duets on the silver screen thrilled a generation of moviegoers. They were a once-in-a-lifetime experience. With the knowledge, thanks to Miss Rich, that the actors were in love off the screen, gives their films a heartbeat. Included are love letters, notes from diaries, and observations of those who kept their secret. You will enjoy every word of "Sweethearts" and you will find a new meaning when viewing their musicals. Then you'll read it a second time." -Jane Ellen Wayne, Author, The Golden Guys of MGM

"The star-crossed love affair of the century....The account is anything but sugar-coated. Ms. Rich's book certainly contains much to raise the eyebrows. She names names and pulls no punches. Still, this is not a sensational expose; one comes away feeling sorry for the protagonists, and wishing that their story could have had a happier resolution....Scrupulously documented...give[s] credibility to an amazing story." Rob Ray, "Past Times"

"Rich affords a long, exciting, revealing look at two of the most important screen personalities of the 1930s. Vital reading to anyone interested in film history, Hollywood, or popular culture." Mike Tribby, "Booklist"

"A surprisingly interesting look at two people so wrapped up in make-believe that they began taking it seriously." Harry Bowman, "Dallas Mor

Editorial Reviews

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: 560 pages
• Publisher: Bell Harbour Press (December 18, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971199817
• ISBN-13: 978-0971199811
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #633,367 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Love Story!, June 30, 2005

By 

JeanetteEddy (Glendale, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sweethearts: The Timeless Love Affair -- On-Screen and Off -- Between Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, updated edition (Paperback)

The love affair between Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy was one of Hollywood's best kept secrets but now everyone can learn the truth. For some reason many people refuse to believe that Nelson and Jeanette had a real life love affair. I have been a devoted Nelson and Jeanette for many years, I have read all the books, and I do believe they were in love. I'm sure there are some things in this book that aren't accurate but most of the information comes from Jeanette's sister who had no reason to lie. This book provides so many details about their relationship that it would be almost impossible to make it all up. If the stories in this book weren't true then why didn't Jeanette's widow, Gene Raymond, sue the author for slander? I am so glad Sharon Rich decided to write this book. She gets criticized a lot but if you read this book you will see she is just a fan who wants to share their story with the world.

41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exhaustive Research Portrays an On and Off Screen Romance, November 2, 2005

By 

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 109,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sweethearts: The Timeless Love Affair -- On-Screen and Off -- Between Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, updated edition (Paperback)

Sweethearts will appeal most to those who are already devoted fans of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. The book will also prove to be fascinating reading for those who like to read about doomed romances. I also hope that some young people will read this book and learn important lessons about life and love.

The strength of this book is in Ms. Rich's exhaustive research into the written and oral sources concerning Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy to display their covert relationship. Ms. Rich interviewed more than 200 people who were close to the stars and read many hither-to-unpublished sources to fill in the blanks.

With evidence coming from so many sources, this book is clearly based on fire as well as smoke . . . as opposed to the usual expose by a tabloid newspaper or a dirt-digging author. Ms. Rich also takes a fan's view and does a fine job of describing the artistic parts of the two stars' lives.

Here are the basic facts of the romance as described in the book. Nelson Eddy was blessed with a wonderful voice and good looks while held back by an immature personality. Jeanette MacDonald was an established movie star when she first saw Eddy and was powerfully attracted. Although their initial movie work was fraught with tension, they did finally fall for one another in real life. But the studio didn't want that because it might harm the box office appeal of their successful pictures. Eddy demanded that MacDonald give up her career to be a wife and mother. MacDonald didn't want to because her career was the center of her life. So they didn't marry. On the rebound, MacDonald married a man who reminded her of Eddy . . . but who turned out to be bisexual (with a stronger preference for men). Shocked by finding that out, the marriage didn't really take. Eddy, in his turn, managed to be blackmailed into marrying a woman he didn't like. Escaping these poor marriage choices, MacDonald and Eddy slipped in and out of intimacy for many years . . . including several pregnancies. Eddy and MacDonald weren't willing to go through divorces at the same time . . . although they continually talked about it. So they mostly spent stolen moments together when they were supposed to be doing something else. Their ups and downs were also influenced by Eddy's inclination to be attracted to more than one woman.

Ms. Rich does a fine job of providing biographies of both stars, a history of their film work as well as her love story of their romance. It's a fine, balanced work that I highly recommend to those who find these subjects appealing. You will be especially delighted to read extensive writings by the people involved.

Having said so many nice things about the book, you may be wondering about the four-star rating.

I decided to grade the book down for three reasons . . . none of which may bother you. If these reasons don't bother you, I suggest you think of this as a five-star book . . . as many people do and will.

First, the book contains more detail than I really wanted to know. I would have liked the book better if it was about 30% shorter.

Second, the reproduction quality of the photographs is usually poor. Although I enjoyed seeing the photographs, I found them disappointing in most cases because of the printing quality.

Third, the book needed more editing. This is an updated edition, but it contains a lot of typos that any word processing program would have caught. In addition, many of the extensive quotes should have been shortened down to their nub . . . for greater impact.

I have not read any other books about these two stars so I cannot compare the work to what else is available. But due to the extensive research and unique access to many of the witnesses, I find it hard to imagine that a more authentic book exists on this subject.

When you read this book, I also suggest that you arrange to view some of the films that are described in the book. Consider Naughty Marietta and Sweethearts as your choices.

May you and your sweetheart live more happily ever after than Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy did!

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of the book Sweethearts, December 11, 2002

By A Customer

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This review is from: Sweethearts: The Timeless Love Affair -- On-Screen and Off -- Between Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, updated edition (Paperback)

I read both the first edition and most recent edition of Sweethearts. The first time I read it I thought it was very interesting. The second time I read it I had my doubts although I thought parts of it had to be true. I then read the newest edition and must say I think perhaps at least 85-90% of the book must be true. Most other books go over board to disprove the affair, however, Sharon Rich does have a lot of documentation. One thing that surpised me was the first book had a lot of mistakes in the words and thought the second edition would have been proof read better but it also had many mistakes. Watching some of the movies with Jeanette and Nelson did show them at different emotional stages, as the book suggest, however seems to be a stretch at times to read the same emotions as Rich suggest. There certainly was someting between them that they didn't have with other co stars and the fact that they can not seem to be separated even in the publics eye after all these years. At anyrate I obviously did enjoy the book if I read it 3 times.