Oof, these Jeannette MacDonald/Nelson Eddy musicals are just not for me.
"Sweethearts" is dreadful, nearly unwatchable. It's actually the perfect movie to have on while you're sick (as I was when I saw it) because you can doze on and off and know you're not missing anything.
The only interest a movie like this has for me is from a historical perspective. In 1938, people wouldn't have had the Internet or T. V. to entertain them. You maybe could hear MacDonald and Eddy on the radio, but the only place to seem them was at the movies. So a whole film that's nothing but them performing musical numbers with a barely existent (and completely nonsensical when existent) plot would have been enough for audiences at the time. And its always mystified me that back then people just showed up at a movie whenever, and then watched the next screening until it got to the point where they came in. But then you see a movie like this and you get it. It wouldn't matter where you came in.
This movie gets a couple of points, barely, for featuring Frank Morgan doing his blustery, dithery bit which I always enjoy, but otherwise it's nearly inconceivable to me that someone could sit down and enjoy this.
"Sweethearts" received a special Academy Award in 1938 for its color cinematography, a year before the Academy would start giving separate competitive awards for black and white and color cinematography. It looks terrible, but Technicolor was new, so I'll give it a break. MacDonald especially looks hideous, like a freaky clown.
The film received regular Oscar nominations for Best Scoring and Best Sound Recording.
Grade: D.
"Sweethearts" is dreadful, nearly unwatchable. It's actually the perfect movie to have on while you're sick (as I was when I saw it) because you can doze on and off and know you're not missing anything.
The only interest a movie like this has for me is from a historical perspective. In 1938, people wouldn't have had the Internet or T. V. to entertain them. You maybe could hear MacDonald and Eddy on the radio, but the only place to seem them was at the movies. So a whole film that's nothing but them performing musical numbers with a barely existent (and completely nonsensical when existent) plot would have been enough for audiences at the time. And its always mystified me that back then people just showed up at a movie whenever, and then watched the next screening until it got to the point where they came in. But then you see a movie like this and you get it. It wouldn't matter where you came in.
This movie gets a couple of points, barely, for featuring Frank Morgan doing his blustery, dithery bit which I always enjoy, but otherwise it's nearly inconceivable to me that someone could sit down and enjoy this.
"Sweethearts" received a special Academy Award in 1938 for its color cinematography, a year before the Academy would start giving separate competitive awards for black and white and color cinematography. It looks terrible, but Technicolor was new, so I'll give it a break. MacDonald especially looks hideous, like a freaky clown.
The film received regular Oscar nominations for Best Scoring and Best Sound Recording.
Grade: D.