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Sweethearts

Play trailer Poster for Sweethearts 1938 1h 54m Musical Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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Happily married New York City stage actors Ernest Lane (Nelson Eddy) and Gwen Marlowe (Jeanette MacDonald) are stars of a successful Broadway production. However, when the couple is wooed by Hollywood, the team behind the play, including theater producer Felix Lehman (Frank Morgan), launches a scheme to prevent their move to the West Coast. While the deception works, it also causes the charming pair to split. Can Ernest and Gwen see through the lies and rekindle their love?

Critics Reviews

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James T. Hamada The Nippu Jiji (Honolulu) Filmed entirely in natural colors, it brings out a vivid new personality in Miss [Jeanette] MacDonald, who proves herself a decided knockout with her flaming red hair and her jade-green eyes. Oct 14, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member While there films are not nearly so popular today, Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy were incredibly hot properties for MGM and this would explain why MGM made "Sweethearts" in full Technicolor...something they'd never done with a full length film. Many studios had made films using cheaper (and inferior) color stock such as Two-Color Technicolor and the new, improved full color from Technicolor was expensive and MGM pulled out all the stops for their big team. MacDonald and Eddy play Gwen Marlowe and Ernest Lane, a pair of Broadway stars who have been packing theaters for years with their latest show, "Sweethearts". Not surprisingly, Hollywood comes knocking...and Marlowe and Lane's handlers do their best to try to hold on to them and prevent their defection to the West Coast. As you watch this, you might think that the Technicolor is a bit garish and intense. This was often the case with early Technicolor...partly because of the film process and partly because its inventor insisted that his ex-wife, Natalie Kalmus, be the color consultant...and she determined the colors of the costumes, sets and the like. And, of the stars, MacDonald comes off the worst because she appears so incredibly ruddy in the film....and rather unnatural. As you'd expect in one of their films, there is a LOT of singing...intense singing and big stage production numbers. This is the style of their films...a style which seemed to grow less and less popular into the 1940s and 50s. You either like it or you don't. As for the rest of the story, it's enjoyable and well made. I didn't mind the story at first, but found it really tanked when MacDonald's character changed...becoming rather demanding and nasty and VERY jealous. This was NOT a welcome story element. I also found the musical numbers difficult to enjoy because it's a style I've never been all that fond of seeing and hearing in films. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Audience Member boring by todays standards. You'd have to be a nut for musicals to be interested Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member The first Technicolor MacDonald/Eddy musical is a witty, plush MGM extravaganza which gives the two stars plenty of singing time; Victor Herbert's score includes "Pretty As a Picture," "On Parade" and the title song. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Sweethearts starring Jeanette MacDonald & Nelson Eddy is a very splended MGM muscial from 1938. This film for trivia info was voted the best film of the year by movie goers...not bad. Also it was the very frist MGM filmed in color. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member There are some funny scenes, but mostly it's a boring drama with a lot of singing. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Sweethearts starring Jeanette MacDonald & Nelson Eddy is a very splended MGM muscial from 1938. This film for trivia info was voted the best film of the year by movie goers...not bad. Also it was the very frist MGM filmed in color. Jeanette & Nelson play a very much in love stars on Brodway. It is a sweet film with very lavish musical numbers telling a story of the couple getting courted on a possible film career and a misunderstanding....a lovely film! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Sweethearts

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Movie Info

Synopsis Happily married New York City stage actors Ernest Lane (Nelson Eddy) and Gwen Marlowe (Jeanette MacDonald) are stars of a successful Broadway production. However, when the couple is wooed by Hollywood, the team behind the play, including theater producer Felix Lehman (Frank Morgan), launches a scheme to prevent their move to the West Coast. While the deception works, it also causes the charming pair to split. Can Ernest and Gwen see through the lies and rekindle their love?
Director
W. S. Van Dyke II
Production Co
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre
Musical, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
May 4, 2011
Runtime
1h 54m