Career Nelson Eddy

1 career

1.1 singing
1.2 hollywood
1.3 recordings
1.4 war work
1.5 radio , television
1.6 nightclub act

career
singing

eddy developed talent boy soprano in church choirs. throughout teens, eddy studied voice , imitated recordings of baritones such titta ruffo, antonio scotti, pasquale amato, giuseppe campanari, , reinald werrenrath. gave recitals women s groups , appeared in society theatricals, little or no pay.

having had job in iron works factory, spent ten years newspaper reporter, fired paying more attention music journalism. first professional break came in 1922, when singled out press after appearance in society theatrical, marriage tax, although name had been omitted program.

in 1924, eddy won top prize in competition included chance appear philadelphia opera society. late 1920s, eddy appearing philadelphia civic opera company , had repertoire of 28 operas, including amonasro in aida, marcello in la bohème, papageno in magic flute, almaviva in marriage of figaro, both tonio , silvio in pagliacci, , wolfram in tannhäuser.

eddy performed in gilbert , sullivan operas savoy company, oldest amateur theater company in world devoted exclusively works of gilbert , sullivan in traditional manner. savoy, eddy sang leading role of strephon in iolanthe @ broad street theatre in philadelphia in 1922. next year, played role of major-general stanley in savoy s production of pirates of penzance. reprised role of strephon savoy in 1927, when theater group moved performances famed academy of music. thirty-one years later, asked savoy lead playing role of strephon in 1958 thoughts , recommendations on how play role. eddy wrote:

i envy you. d play strephon again, too! 1 thing suggest keep him gay, happy, , care-free. can set character first entrance. dance in sort of cute abandon. in morrow, mother act joyfully in love. rest fall right line. first time did it – @ old broad street theatre – better when did @ academy. let myself impressed importance of latter house , growing experience in opera – , played grand. don t fall trap. luck , best wishes – , company. sincerely, nelson eddy.

eddy studied briefly noted teacher david scull bispham, former metropolitan opera singer, when bispham died suddenly, eddy became student of william vilonat. in 1927, eddy borrowed money , followed teacher dresden european study, considered essential serious american singers. offered job small german opera company. instead, decided return america, concentrated on concert career, making occasional opera appearances during next 7 years. in 1928, first concert accompanist young pianist named theodore (ted) paxson, became close friend , remained accompanist until eddy s death 39 years later. in 1930s, eddy s principal teacher edouard lippé, followed him hollywood , appeared in small role in eddy s 1935 film naughty marietta. in later years, eddy changed teachers, trying new vocal techniques. had home recording studio, studied own performances. fascination technology inspired him record three-part harmonies (tenor, baritone, & bass) role multiple-voiced singing whale in animated walt disney feature, whale wanted sing @ met , concluding sequence in 1946 feature film make mine music.

with philadelphia civic opera, eddy sang in american performance of feuersnot richard strauss (december 1, 1927) , in first american performance of strauss s ariadne auf naxos (november 1, 1928) helen jepson. in ariadne, eddy sang roles of wigmaker , harlequin in original german. performed under leopold stokowski drum major in second american performance of alban berg s wozzeck on november 24, 1931.

at carnegie hall in new york city, christmas 1931, sang in world premiere of maria egiziaca (mary in egypt), unexpectedly conducted composer ottorino respighi himself when famed conductor arturo toscanini fell ill @ last minute. years later, when toscanini visited mgm lot in california, eddy greeted him singing few bars of maria egiziaca.

eddy continued in occasional opera roles until film work made difficult schedule appearances requisite year or 2 in advance. among final opera performances 3 san francisco opera in 1934, when still unknown . marjory m. fisher of san francisco news wrote of december 8, 1934, performance of wolfram in tannhäuser, nelson eddy made tremendously fine impression ... left no doubt in minds of discerning auditors belongs in fine group of baritones includes lawrence tibbett, richard bonelli, , john charles thomas , represents america s outstanding contribution contemporary opera stage. sang amonasro in aida on november 11, 1934 similar acclaim. elisabeth rethberg, giovanni martinelli, , ezio pinza in cast. however, opera quietly faded eddy s schedule films , highly lucrative concerts claimed more , more of time.

when resumed concert career following screen success, made point of delivering traditional concert repertoire, performing hit screen songs encores. felt audiences needed exposed kinds of music.

hollywood

eddy discovered hollywood when substituted @ last minute noted diva, lotte lehmann, @ sold-out concert in los angeles on february 28, 1933. scored professional triumph 18 curtain calls, , several film offers followed. after agonizing, decided being seen on screen might boost audiences considered real work , concerts. (also, machinist father, fascinated gadgets , mechanics of new talking pictures.) eddy s concert fee rose $500 $10,000 per performance.

eddy , macdonald trailer sweethearts (1938): pair acted in 8 films together.

eddy signed metro-goldwyn-mayer (mgm), made first 15 of 19 feature films. contract guaranteed him 3 months off each year continue concert tours. mgm not sure how use him, , spent more year on salary little do. voice can heard singing daisy bell on soundtrack of 1933 pete smith short, handlebars. appeared , sang 1 song each in broadway hollywood , dancing lady, both in 1933, , student tour in 1934. audience response favorable, , cast male lead opposite established star jeanette macdonald in film version of victor herbert s 1910 operetta naughty marietta.

naughty marietta surprise hit of 1935. key song, ah! sweet mystery of life , became hit , earned eddy first gold record. sang tramp, tramp, tramp , m falling in love . film nominated oscar best picture, received photoplay gold medal award best picture, , voted 1 of ten best pictures of 1935 new york film critics. critics singled out eddy praise:

new star emerged on capitol screen.  — new york daily news.
screen has found thrilling thrush, possessed not of rare vocal tone, of personality , form , features cast in heroic mould. - new york american.
eddy brilliant baritone, masculine, engaging , looking. - richard watts, jr., in new york herald.

eddy appeared in 7 more mgm films jeanette macdonald:

rose marie, 1936, most-remembered film. eddy sang song of mounties , indian love call rudolf friml. definitive portrayal of steadfast mountie became popular icon, spoofed in cartoons , tv skits, , generating travesties on stage (little mary sunshine, 1959) , film (dudley do-right, 1999). when mounties retired classic red jackets , campaign hats in 1970, except ceremonial attire, hundreds of newspapers accompanied story photo of nelson eddy sgt. bruce in rose marie, made 34 years earlier.
maytime, 1937, regarded 1 of eddy s best films. remember sigmund romberg brought eddy gold record. new york times wrote film [was] entrancing operetta screen has given us.... [i]t affirms nelson eddy s preeminence among baritones of filmdom .
the girl of golden west (1938) had original score sigmund romberg , reused david belasco stage plot employed giacomo puccini la fanciulla del west.


new moon (1940)



sweethearts, 1938, mgm s first three-strip technicolor feature, incorporating victor herbert s 1913 stage score modern script dorothy parker. won photoplay gold medal award best picture of year.
new moon, 1940, based on romberg s 1927 broadway hit, became 1 of eddy s popular films, although in 1978 included in book fifty worst films of time. key songs lover, come me , softly in morning sunrise , wanting , , stout hearted men .
bitter sweet, 1940, technicolor film version of noël coward s 1929 operetta. love theme ll see again. eddy played viennese singing teacher elopes pretty english pupil , takes live in vienna.
i married angel, 1942, adapted rodgers , hart stage musical angel loses wings on wedding night, suffered censorship problems. eddy sang spring here , title song.

nelson eddy starred in films other leading ladies:

rosalie, 1937, eleanor powell, offered score cole porter. in first solo-starring film, script called eddy portray football-playing west point pilot pursues princess-in-disguise europe. eddy recorded title song.
let freedom ring, 1939, virginia bruce, western. eddy got beat rugged oscar winner victor mclaglen , preserve freedom , american way bad guys, popular theme before world war ii.
balalaika, 1939, ilona massey, based on 1936 english operetta george posford , bernard grün. eddy prince in disguise, in love commoner during russian revolution. title song became 1 of standards.
the chocolate soldier, 1941, metropolitan opera star risë stevens, stylish musical adaptation of ferenc molnár s guardsman. eddy played dual role , turned in 1 of best performances.
phantom of opera, 1943, eddy s first film after left mgm @ end of seven-year contract. lavish technicolor musical starred claude rains phantom , susanna foster christine.
knickerbocker holiday, 1944, based on popular stage musical kurt weill , maxwell anderson. co-starred charles coburn (singing classic september song ) , constance dowling.
make mine music, 1946, walt disney animated feature compilation. eddy provided singing , speaking voices touching final segment, whale wanted sing @ met, later released short, willie, operatic whale, rko in 1954. using technique based on technical experiments home recording equipment, eddy able sing sextets himself on soundtrack, providing voices bass soprano.
northwest outpost, 1947, co-starred ilona massey. rudolf friml provided songs story of fort ross, russian settlement in wild west of california. made @ republic studios , turned out eddy s final film.

after eddy , macdonald left mgm in 1942, several unrealized films remained have reunited team. eddy signed universal in 1943 two-picture deal. first phantom of opera , second have co-starred macdonald. filmed 2 scenes follow boys, both stars severed ties universal, eddy upset how phantom of opera turned out.

among later other proposed projects east wind; crescent carnival, book optioned macdonald; , rosary, 1910 best-seller, eddy had read teen , pitched mgm comeback film macdonald , himself in 1948. under name isaac ackerman wrote biopic screenplay chaliapin, in play lead , young nelson eddy, never produced. wrote 2 movie treatments macdonald , himself, timothy waits love , stars don t spangle.

recordings

eddy made more 290 recordings between 1935 , 1964, singing songs films, plus opera, folk songs, popular songs, gilbert , sullivan, , traditional arias concert repertoire. since both macdonald , under contract rca victor between 1935 , 1938, allowed several popular duets films. in 1938, signed columbia masterworks division of columbia records, ended macdonald-eddy duets until favorites in stereo, special lp album 2 made in 1959. recorded duets other screen partner risë stevens (the chocolate soldier) , albums with, among others, nadine conner, doretta morrow, eleanor steber, , jo stafford.

eddy s recordings drew rave reviews during 1930s , 1940s, continued rate them 1960s. los angeles herald-examiner on october 4, 1964 noted: nelson eddy continues roll along, physically , vocally indestructible. proof newest recording on everest label, of girls sing . @ age of 63 , after 42 years of professional singing, eddy demonstrates not change has occurred in romantic , robust baritone, made him america s popular singer in 30s .

war work

like many performers, eddy active in war work during world war ii, before united states entered war. did first war effort concert on october 19, 1939, leopold stokowski polish war relief. in 1942, became air raid warden , put in long hours @ hollywood canteen. broadcast armed forces throughout war. in late 1943, went on two-month, 35,000-mile tour, giving concerts military personnel in belém , natal, brazil; accra, gold coast; aden; asmara, eritrea; cairo (where met king farouk); tehran; casablanca; , azores.

radio , television

eddy had own show on cbs in 1942–43 , starred on electric hour (1944-1946).

he began more 600 radio appearances in mid-1920s. first may have been on december 26, 1924 @ station woo in philadelphia. besides many guest appearances, hosted voice of firestone (1936), chase , sanborn hour (1937–39), , kraft music hall (1947–48), among other programs. eddy used radio shows advance careers of promising young singers. while programs featured serious music, never straitlaced. in series of comedy routines edgar bergen , charlie mccarthy on chase , sanborn hour eddy s name became associated song carry me old virginny , included in film maytime. on march 31, 1933 performed role of gurnemanz in broadcast of richard wagner s opera parsifal rose bampton, conducted leopold stokowski. during 1940s, frequent guest on lux radio theater cecil b. demille, performing radio versions of eddy s popular films. in 1951, eddy guest-starred on several episodes of alan young show on cbs-tv. in 1952, recorded pilot sitcom, nelson eddy s backyard, jan clayton, failed find network slot. on november 12, 1952, surprised former co-star jeanette macdonald when subject of ralph edwards life. on november 30, 1952, eddy ed sullivan s guest on toast of town.

during next decade, guest-starred on danny thomas s sitcom make room daddy , on variety programs such ford show, starring tennessee ernie ford, bob hope show, colgate comedy hour, spike jones show, dinah shore chevy show, , big record (with patti page). frequent guest on talk shows, including merv griffin show , tonight show jack paar. on may 7, 1955, eddy starred in max liebman s 90-minute, live-tv version of sigmund romberg s desert song on nbc-tv. featured gale sherwood, metropolitan opera bass salvatore baccaloni, veteran film actor otto kruger, , dance team of bambi linn , rod alexander.

nightclub act

the advent of television made inroads in once-lucrative concert circuits, , in 1950s, eddy had consider future career options, deciding form nightclub act, premiered in january 1953 singer gale sherwood, partner, , ted paxson, accompanist.

variety wrote, nelson eddy, vet of films, concerts, , stage, required less 1 minute put jam-packed audience in hip pocket in 1 of explosive openings in city s nightery history.... before eddy had started sing, liked him warm human being . act continued next 15 years , made 4 tours of australia.