NAUGHTY MARIETTA (1935) B/W 106m dir: W.S. Van Dyke II

w/Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, Frank Morgan, Elsa Lanchester, Douglas Dumbrille, Joseph Cawthorn, Cecilia Parker, Walter Kingsford, Greta Meyer, Akim Tamiroff

From The Movie Guide: "Nelson Eddy made his full-fledged debut in this, the first of eight films in which he costarred with Jeanette MacDonald. Rita Johnson Young and Victor Herbert's hoary operetta was dusted off, given a new screenplay, new lyrics by Gus Kahn, and the result was a neatly paced (by 'One-Take' Woodie Van Dyke) Best Picture nominee that only slightly betrays its stage origins. Fleeing an arranged marriage to a Spanish grandee (Walter Kingsford), French Princess Marie de Namours de la Bonfain (MacDonald) switches places with her maid and boards a ship bound for Louisiana, where its female passengers are to become colonial brides. ... A much underrated if not great film, NAUGHTY MARIETTA features some particularly amusing supporting work by Harold Huber and Edward Brophy. Eddy is actually much better than most would have it, and his singing is quite stirring. MacDonald, though, is really the one in excellent form here, whether blasting the lengthy final high C of the 'Italian Street Song' right in Nelson Eddy's face or doing an hilarious impersonation of a gluttonous, bespectacled woman on board the ship. One should admit, though, that the film isn't nearly as good as some of her others, most notably THE MERRY WIDOW, where her comedic talents are in full bloom."

The film was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Sound (Douglas Shearer).