"Bittersweet" is NOT a favourite of mine hard to say whether it or "I Married an Angel" is my least favourite J/N flick. Still, due to Nelson's presence, it is somewhat bearable. I really adore both Nelson and Jeanette, don't get me wrong. What I really didn't like was the fact that the entire thing seemed tossed together without much thought or plan for a plot. Like what point did that Tokay scene make?? I mean, it was adorable to see him bouncing Jeanette on that table, but usually the songs and scenes in their films serve some purpose. The storyline in general is just rather obscure.<p>Jeanette's gowns I found a bit much - it seems Adrian must have been in a wild mood a couple times some were okay: I really liked the blue one she wore at the beginning and the satin ones she wore at Schlick's. The apricot one at the last café scene was the best! The purple one in the Tokay scene drew all attention away from anything else in the scene and drives my eyes buggy with those perfectly matched, zig-zagging stripes. Good for a laugh only.<p>I loved Hawwy and Jane. Even though they were both despicable.<p>I thought the scene where Jeanette breaks down trying to sing that song for Herr Wyler was very touching. <p>And I love the part where Nelson's two friends start pulling out the pawn tickets. The look on his face when they said, "That's for the bed," was hilarious. And Jeanette, "Oh, Carl, it's just the bed!" Men and their strange values. <p>And of course the scene when he carried her upstairs was darling. I laughed so hard the first time I saw him toss her over his shoulder and cart her the rest of the way up.<p>I too hate that Nelson has to die they adored each other so much and it WAS too abrupt. Somehow though I start laughing, because I think of one website where a lady put a picture of Nelson in Jeanette's arms in the death scene, with the caption, "Carl! How many times have I told you to stay away from sharp objects??!?" (Of course, she meant it as a joke.) Honestly though I hate that he dies. It's despicable. George Sanders is despicable. Despicable is my current buzzword. <p>This movie overall is NOT despicable, simply not Jeanette and Nelson's best example of collaboration. If you are new to Nelson and Jeanette, I would recommend "New Moon" or "Maytime" as good films to start with. Save this one for after you become a fan, so you can watch it with a little more sympathy and leniency than otherwise you would.
Reader Reviews
This movie, while cinematically colorful, is a mediocre offering by the usually radiant singing duo, Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald. Here, Ms. MacDonald plays the role of Sarah, a Victorian era, young Englishwoman who is about to enter into an arranged marriage with Harry, a stuffy Englishman. Sarah also has a voice teacher named Karl (Nelson Eddy) with whom she makes beautiful music and falls in love. On practically the eve of her wedding, she and Karl declare themselves to each other and run away together to his native Vienna after getting hitched.There, she lives the impoverished life of a young wife happily married to a struggling composer, as Karl finishes writing his cherished operetta. While in Vienna, Sari, as Sarah is now called, makes the acquaintance of two individuals who are to have a great impact on her life, a rakish Baron and member of the Austrian Emperor's dashing Hussars (George Sanders) and a simpatico English Lord (Ian Hunter). Unfortunately, the Baron ultimately tries to seduce the unwilling Sari with catastrophic results.
This film was understandably a flop, as it pales alongside this singing duo's other cinematic pairings. Jeanette MacDonald is radiant as always, but as she was nearly forty years old at the time, it is difficult to believe her in the role of a young woman in her late teens. Nelson Eddy played the role of Karl as it he were in a state of near catatonic shock. It is hard to believe how he could sweep any woman off her feet, much less anyone as vivacious as Sarah. In fact, the acting in his death scene was little different from that when playing the living Karl in love with the woman his dreams.
George Sanders, however, is excellent as the scheming, villainous Baron, and Ian Hunter is charming in the role of the English Lord. Still, these two performances alone could not save a film that was doomed from the beginning by a weak screenplay, third rate music, and uneven performances. In fact, one of the scenes was downright embarrassing, with Jeanette MacDonald singing a dreadful song with a bizarre French accent. Moreover, the death scene was over in the blink of an eye, as if Nelson Eddy could not disappear from this film quickly enough. It was quite bizarre and totally lacking tension or cinematic fire. It was totally anti-climactic.
This film was apparently based upon a Noel Coward operetta. Until I saw this film, I had no idea Noel Coward was a composer. Now I know why I had never heard of his music, if this is an example of it. Still, those who are fans of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy will find some redeeming value in this sentimental mish-mosh. If, however, you are not a fan of theirs, deduct one star from my rating.
