Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #885 in VHS
• Released on: 1998-09-01
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Formats: Black & White, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 113 minutes

Customer Reviews

One of MGM's finest thirties musicals
There have been surprisingly few performers in the history of movies who have possessed operatic type voices. Mario Lanza, Kathryn Grayson, and Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald very nearly completes the list, though a nod should be made to Allan Jones, who, though never a star, managed a few notable appearances in various films, including two Marx Brothers films (A NIGHT AT THE OPERA) and this film, as Romeo to Jeanette MacDonald's Juliet early in the movie, and in TOSCA, near the end.

Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy were, therefore, a unique aberration in the history of cinema history, the only operatic partnership in Hollywood, ever. They were the operatic equivalent of Astaire and Rogers, and if their films never achieved the polish or brilliance of those two, they nonetheless managed to make some very fine films. ROSE MARIE is probably their most famous, and perhaps their finest.

The various renderings of "Indian Love Call" in the film are what the film is best known for, but upon reviewing the film last night with my daughter (who loved it, although she found many moments so embarrassing that she had to hide her head under a pillow, especially during the movie's closing moments), I was amazed at how enjoyable the movie is as a whole. The movie is delightful from beginning to end, gorgeous to look at (filmed, unfortunately, at Lake Tahoe, instead of the Canadian Rockies), and infinitely less dated than one might expect from an operatically driven 1936 comedy. The movie was also enhanced from a barrage of excellent supporting players. Reginald Owen, David Niven, Alan Mowbray, Una O'Connor, the aforementioned Allan Jones, and Jimmy Conlin (familiar to anyone who has seen many Preston Sturges comedies) provide a deep cast. Jimmy Stewart has a smallish role in the last film he made before becoming a lead actor.

One of the more intriguing segments was filmed at an actual Indian camp. Visually, it is a stunning sequence, but unfortunately MGM in the best Hollywood fashion marred the scene with added orchestral music and choreography. And no, this is not the film that breaks the mould by having an actual Native American play a Native American. George Regas, who made a career out of playing Indians, was actually born in Greece.

MacDonald and Eddy Have Simpatico
Rudoph Friml's "Rose Marie", filmed in the 1930s, stands strong, even in 2001. Its stars shine as a memorial to the era. At her elegant best as an opera singer seeking to save her brother, a young Jimmy Stewart, from a life of crime, Jeanette MacDonald follows his trail to the Canadian Rockies. There, Royal Mounted Police Sgt. Bruce played by Nelson Eddy, committed to his duty as an officer of law, uses MacDonald, (Rose Marie) as a decoy to get his man. Their words of love are painfully sacrificed in the echoing hollows of the magnificent Northwest. The music haunts the story throughout. The pace of the drama is flawlessly done, directed with total honesty to Friml's artistry. No detail is overlooked in this poignant drama of idealistic love, so masterfully commanded by both MacDonald and Eddy. It's almost as if they were not acting at all.

"When I'm Calling Youuuuuuuuuu..."
Considered by many to be the best of the Eddy/MacDonald cannon, "Rose Marie", while not my personal fave, is nevertheless quite good and makes for an excellent introduction to their films. MacDonald is a tempermental opera diva with a soft spot for her criminal brother (James Stewart) and Eddy is a Canadian Mountie sworn to capture said brother. They end up searching for him together through the Rockies, making time to sing the famous "Indian Love Call".

Other songs include "The Mounties", snippets of "Tosca" and "Romeo et Juliette" and the title song. The music is good, the costumes are stunning, and the secenery is, well, scenic. Jeanette and Nelson have great chemistry as always, and there are plenty of light moments to offset the angst. We also get to see a very young Jimmy Stewart and a huge Indian tribal dance number. What more could you want?

If you like "Rose Marie", be sure to check out "Naughty Marietta" (my favorite Nelson/MacDonald) and the tragic "Maytime". Jeanette and Eddy made a total of eight films together, most of them wildly popular. Watch "Rose Marie" and know why. GRADE: A-