Bitter Sweet (C or 2/4 stars)
Based on Noel Coward's 1929 operetta, 'Bitter Sweet' (an MGM color spectacle directed by W.S. Van Dyke ... yeah, who?) made quite a bit of $$ back in 1940, but for me, the screenplay is a bit of a bust and, both the performances & visuals did little to get me jazzed about this cinematic venture. Lovely Jeanette MacDonald plays Victorian teen, Sarah Milick, who scandalizes her own family on the eve of her marriage to Harry Daventry (Edward Ashley) by running off with her music teacher, Carl Linden (played, of course, by her filmic partner, Nelson Eddy). The teacher & his prized pupil marry & head off to live in luxurious Vienna, Austria.
But poverty soon follows, & they become street singers with fellow entertainers. Carl has written an operetta but can't get any producers to be interested, so life gets even more difficult until Sarah captures the eye of Lorde Shayne (Ian Hunter) & Baron von Tranisch (George Sanders), 2 gambling opponents. Lorde Shayne thinks that Sarah's beautiful singing brings his good fortune, but the Baron has baser desires for our soprano protagonist. The Baron hires Sarah to sing at his cafe with her husband Carl along for the ride. The Baron begins seducing Sarah, & this is reported to Carl by ... oh, gee, who the heck cares anymore? Romantic entanglements ensue which leads to Carl having to duel for Sarah's honor with the Baron. Tragedy follows.
Now, it's hard to dislike Jeanette MacDonald & Nelson Eddy. They made quite the pair back in the day (1930s/40s). Everyone liked them, and for good reason. 'Bitter Sweet' may be a colorful, delectable little treat for their fans, but I wasn't wowed by this film, at all. Furthermore, I enjoyed MacDonald & Eddy much more so in New Moon, a black-&-white picture from the same year (1940). Here, I found her too high-spirited, and he, too pompous. The direction lacks vim, vigor, or much interest. The writing, as I mentioned in the 1st paragraph, leaves a lot to be desired. i.e., just how is Jeanette McDonald supposed to be playing an 18 yr. old? And during the segment when our duo is dirt poor & struggling, how does she still have such lavish outfits? Headscratching stuff.
This production is just too clumsy, wooden, & sugary sentimental to take seriously. And speaking of 'seriously', when the film gets all dramatic/sad, it kind of deadened any charm that it had early in the proceedings. Now, I DID enjoy enough of Noel Coward's songs & how they were sung (Zigeuner, The Call of Life, If Love Were All, & the wonderfully poignant I'll See You Again). I also admire the rich color cinematography, ornate sets, & 19th century costumes. But none of that could override my disappointment. Even Noel Coward, himself, disliked the film so much that he didn't want Hollywood calling for him anytime soon. Meh.
But poverty soon follows, & they become street singers with fellow entertainers. Carl has written an operetta but can't get any producers to be interested, so life gets even more difficult until Sarah captures the eye of Lorde Shayne (Ian Hunter) & Baron von Tranisch (George Sanders), 2 gambling opponents. Lorde Shayne thinks that Sarah's beautiful singing brings his good fortune, but the Baron has baser desires for our soprano protagonist. The Baron hires Sarah to sing at his cafe with her husband Carl along for the ride. The Baron begins seducing Sarah, & this is reported to Carl by ... oh, gee, who the heck cares anymore? Romantic entanglements ensue which leads to Carl having to duel for Sarah's honor with the Baron. Tragedy follows.
Now, it's hard to dislike Jeanette MacDonald & Nelson Eddy. They made quite the pair back in the day (1930s/40s). Everyone liked them, and for good reason. 'Bitter Sweet' may be a colorful, delectable little treat for their fans, but I wasn't wowed by this film, at all. Furthermore, I enjoyed MacDonald & Eddy much more so in New Moon, a black-&-white picture from the same year (1940). Here, I found her too high-spirited, and he, too pompous. The direction lacks vim, vigor, or much interest. The writing, as I mentioned in the 1st paragraph, leaves a lot to be desired. i.e., just how is Jeanette McDonald supposed to be playing an 18 yr. old? And during the segment when our duo is dirt poor & struggling, how does she still have such lavish outfits? Headscratching stuff.
This production is just too clumsy, wooden, & sugary sentimental to take seriously. And speaking of 'seriously', when the film gets all dramatic/sad, it kind of deadened any charm that it had early in the proceedings. Now, I DID enjoy enough of Noel Coward's songs & how they were sung (Zigeuner, The Call of Life, If Love Were All, & the wonderfully poignant I'll See You Again). I also admire the rich color cinematography, ornate sets, & 19th century costumes. But none of that could override my disappointment. Even Noel Coward, himself, disliked the film so much that he didn't want Hollywood calling for him anytime soon. Meh.