May time

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Movie
German title May time
Original title Maytime
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1937
length 132 minutes
Rod
Director Robert Z. Leonard
script Noel Langley based
on the operetta of the same name by Sigmund Romberg
production Hunt Stromberg
for MGM
music Sigmund Romberg ,
Herbert Stothart
camera Oliver T. Marsh
cut Conrad A. Annoying
occupation

Maienzeit (OT: Maytime ) is an American film operetta from 1937 and is the third collaboration between the popular screen couple Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy . The direction in which produced with considerable effort movie that vague bonds of the same name operetta by Sigmund Romberg takes, led Robert Z. Leonard . Maienzeit became the most financially successful film for the studio in 1937.

action

While the youth of a small town are dancing around the maypole, the old maid Miss Morrison tries to comfort a young man whose girlfriend, a budding opera singer, has just received an offer for a permanent engagement. It turns out that Miss Morrison was the famous opera diva Marcia Morrison when she was long ago. An extended flashback tells of her rise and the subsequent tragedy that led to her retreat into private life.

Marcia tries her luck as a singer in Paris, where she studies with the well-known singing teacher Nicolai Nazaroff. There is a trusting relationship between the two, which ultimately leads to Nicolai's marriage proposal. Marcia accepts, but only out of a sense of responsibility rather than real love. A short time later she meets the young singer Paul Allison and they both immediately fall in love. Marcia feels obliged to the word that Nicolai gave and urges Paul to forget her. The marriage between Nicolai and Marcia is unhappy. Years later in New York the lovers meet again when Paul is given the male lead in a production alongside Marcia. The feelings flare up again, but Marcia resists the temptation. However, Nicolai misunderstood the situation and shot Paul in a fit of jealousy in front of Marcias eyes. The famous opera diva Marcia Morrison becomes the careworn Miss Morrison.

At the end of her story, Miss Morrison successfully mediates between the young man and his girlfriend. When the youth sees happily dancing on the tree, Miss Morrison dies and falls back into Paul's arms in another world.

background

May time had a complicated and lengthy production history. Initial plans for a film adaptation of Sigmund Romberg's popular operetta , which had 492 performances in 1917 with Peggy Wood in the leading role, were already in place as a possible project for Grace Moore in mid-1935 . The studio planned to shoot the film entirely in the newly developed so-called 3-color Technicolor . The plans with Moore came to nothing and Irving Thalberg finally gave the leading roles to Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy in mid-1936 , who had recently celebrated a surprising artistic and financial success with Tolle Marietta . Edmund Goulding took over the direction , several supporting roles were filled with other actors. Immediately after Thalberg's death in September 1936, filming was completely stopped and the entire project was subjected to a general overhaul. Now Robert Z. Leonard took over the direction, the script was completely revised and almost all references to the play were discarded. The content of the final version with its tragic love story is closely based on Noël Coward's Bitter Sweet . At the same time, many of the original actors were replaced. Only now did John Barrymore take on the role of Nicolai, which was initially intended for Paul Lukas . Much of the material that had already been shot was not used when the film went back to the cameras in October 1936.

Jeanette MacDonald always called Maienzeit her personal favorite film.

Theatrical release

With a production cost of US $ 2,126,000, Maienzeit was one of the most expensive MGM films to date. In the USA, the film grossed the very high sum of 2,183,000 US dollars, to which 1,823,000 US dollars came from abroad. With a cumulative total of US $ 4,006,000, Maienzeit became MGM's most successful film of the year.

music

The film's soundtrack includes the following pieces of music:

criticism

Most of the critics were enthusiastic and did not hold back with their praise. The New York Times found that May Time was the best film operetta to date ("the most entrancing operetta the screen has given us ... [It] approaches perfection.")

Awards

At the 1938 Academy Awards , the film received nominations in the following categories:

  • Best film score
  • Best tone

novel

Eduard Andrés published a novel written after the film in 1938 in Germany with many film photos.

Web links