The 1924 Broadway musical Rose Marie has been the basis of three MGM films of the same title. The best-known film adaptation was released in 1936; however, a silent version was released in 1928 and another film was released in 1954. All three versions are set in the Canadian wilderness. Portions of Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart's original score for the Broadway musical are utilized in the 1936 and 1954 films.
Joan Crawford starred in the 1928 version, alongside James Murray. This version was filmed on location at Yosemite National Park. Crawford later remarked, "Rose Marie was surprisingly good without the music, but I felt uneasy as a French Canadian, but the critics didn't notice."[citation needed]
The best known film version was the 1936 version, which starred Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. Although the original plot was changed, and most of the songs were dropped, it was a huge success and became MacDonald and Eddy's best-known film.
The 1954 Eastmancolor version in Cinemascope more closely followed the original plot, but it still dropped most of Friml's songs. This version starred Ann Blyth, Howard Keel and Fernando Lamas, with Bert Lahr and Marjorie Main as comic relief. It was choreographed by Busby Berkeley.
1936 Version
Production
While footage of the Mounties in boot camp was filmed in Canada, location filming with the lead actors was at Lake Tahoe. The film was originally slated to be in color but makeup man Fred Phillips explained that when this was dropped, the studio ordered him to change Eddy's makeup for the worse. Phillips stated that orders came from Louis B. Mayer, who was angry at Eddy for his personal involvement in MacDonald's life.[1]
Synopsis
Marie de Flor (Jeanette MacDonald) is a Canadian soprano starring in Roméo et Juliette, singing opposite a young tenor (Allan Jones). After the show, she refuses to see her rich suitor, Teddy (David Niven as "David Nivens"), declaring to her maid Roderick (Una O'Connor) that all men are silly, except her brother Jack (James Stewart) who is in prison. Her manager Myerson (Reginald Owen) tells her the Premier of Canada (Alan Mowbray) has asked her to sing for him, and she invites him and his family to dinner in her hotel suite, hoping she can persuade him to pardon her brother. She sings "Pardon Me, Madame" for them, and soon the hotel guests, staff, and even passersby are singing with her. The premier is moved by her song and assures her he will listen to her request, not yet knowing what it is. A strange man called Boniface (George Regas) brings her an unexpected message. Jack was wounded as he escaped from prison and has killed a Mountie. Knowing such a crime is unpardonable, she leaves for the Canadian wilderness with Boniface to find Jack.
In the mountains, Sergeant Bruce (Nelson Eddy) and "The Mounties" are drilling. Sergeant Bruce reports to headquarters and receives his latest mission: he must find Jack Flowers, a desperate criminal hiding near Lake Chibougam who shot a Mountie. Sergeant Bruce sets off after him.
Marie and Boniface reach an outpost near Lake Chibougam, where Boniface disappears with Marie's purse. A shopkeeper advises Marie to report the theft to Sergeant Bruce, but Marie resolves not to speak to the Mounties lest they discover she is Jack's sister. Marie hears a woman singing in a cafè and asks the owner if she could get a job singing there. The owner tells her that the singers aren't paid but can keep the tips they are given. Marie agrees to sing, but is not used to singing faster, popular songs and sings "Dinah" somewhat poorly. The piano player (James Conlin) encourages her and she sings "Some of These Days". Sergeant Bruce enters the cafè and he begins to pay attention to Marie's singing. Belle (Gilda Gray), the usual cafè singer, is jealous and sings "Some of These Days" in her own sexy style. Marie cannot compete with Belle's physical interpretation and leaves the cafè.
Sergeant Bruce follows her and reassures her that she is a good singer. He has heard about the robbery and insists that she report the crime. He asks her name, and she calls herself Rose. He has recognized her voice, though, and marvels that he never knew such a famous opera singer's real name is 'Rose' Marie Le Flor. He asks why she has come to the mountains, and she tells him she is going to meet someone. Sergeant Bruce says they will surely find Boniface at the Indian ceremony that night. They row across the lake to the festival, and Sergeant Bruce asks what kind of man she is going to meet. Marie says he is an Italian tenor. Sergeant Bruce admits to not being Italian, but sings "Rose Marie" to her to prove he can sing. She tells him his composition is remarkable, and he begins a reprise, accidentally beginning "Oh, Caroline" intead of "Rose Marie". He admits that almost any girl's name can fit in his song, and he has sung it to many girls before.
Marie and the Sergeant watch the "Totem Tom-Tom" at the Indian festival. Sergeant Bruce questions the Indians about Jack Flower as Marie corners Boniface and threatens to turn him in to Sergeant Bruce unless he takes her to her brother. She arranges to set off with him in an hour.
Back at her hotel, Marie promises Sergeant Bruce to wait for him there until he is off-duty. Though Marie just hopes to get rid of him, she instead inspires him to sing "Just For You" at her window. Sergeant Bruce bids her goodbye and returns to headquarters, where he describes his new love to an old friend. He realizes that his Rose Marie's last name--de flor--is Flower in English, and realizes she must be related to Jack Flower. He returns to Marie's hotel to question her, but finds she is gone.
As Boniface and Marie travel on horseback, he gives her a map that leads to in his mother's house near Hayman's Landing where Jack is hiding. Marie, amused by an the echoing cliffs, sings a round of "Three Blind Mice" with herself. Sergeant Bruce hears her from across the valley. Boniface and Marie come to a river and Marie insists on crossing it to save time even though she has never ridden across a river before. She is swept off her horse into the river, and Boniface tries to save her. Sergeant Bruce arrives, and Boniface runs into the forest from the Mountie as the Sergeant rescues her.
Marie haughtily refuses the Sergeant's help until nightfall, insisting Boniface will come back for her. When she realizes he will not return, she accepts the food he offers her and runs to his arms when a sound in the forest frightens her. Sergeant Bruce tells her an Indian legend of star-crossed lovers. Their spirits still inhabit that place, and when a lover gives their call, they echo it until it reaches the one he loves. Rose Marie sings the "Indian Love Call", and the Sergeant echos it. That night, the Sergeant tries to find Marie's map in her clothes hanging over the fire, but she keeps it with her inside the tent.
Marie cannot find a new guide until she reaches Hayman's Landing, so she and the Sergeant travel together for the next three days. On their last night travelling together, Marie asks him how he can dedicate his life to hunting down fugitives. She asks him to become a singer with her, and he declines. They admit that they love each other, singing "Indian Love Call" again, and she asks him to come if she ever calls him. He sharply returns to reality and they continue on their way. When they reach Hayman's Landing, he insists that she will not care about him when she returns to the city, and will see him as only a policeman.
Rose Marie finds Jack in the cabin and tries to persuade him to reform. She gives him the money necessary to start over, and he tells her he is considering moving to China. Sergeant Bruce appears with a gun and handcuffs Jack. Marie begs him to let her brother go, but the Sergeant is unmoved by her plee, even as she sings the "Indian Love Call". He takes Jack with him on horseback.
Marie is performing as an opera star again, this time playing the title role in the opera Tosca opposite the same tenor who played Romèo. She keeps hearing "Indian Love Call" throughout the opera and collapses onstage. Marie retires to a mountain lodge and refuses to sing for six months. Her manager Myerson visits and tells her how disappointed he is not to hear her voice again. After he leaves, she begins "Indian Love Call". Myerson urges Sergeant Bruce, who had been hiding in the foyer, to join her, and they sing together.
Songs
- Overture: "Indian Love Call" and "Rose Marie"
- Scenes from Romèo et Juliette (music by Charles Gounod, libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carréby)
- "Pardon Me, Madame"
- "The Mounties"
- "Dinah" (music by Harry Akst, lyrics by Sam Lewis and Joe Young)
- "Some of These Days" (Shelton Brooks)
- "Rose Marie"
- "Totem Tom-Tom"
- "Just For You"
- "Three Blind Mice"
- "Indian Love Call" (sung four times)
- Act III of Tosca, from Tosca's entrance (music by Giacomo Puccini, libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica)
- "Indian Love Call (reprise)"
Principal Cast
References
External links
