A Wild Dream Provides Great Entertainment
Added 3/10/2009
Combine Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy and a wild dream and what could be more fun?
The premise of a boss and secretary falling in love and marrying is as old as the hills, but there's nothing about this plot that can remotely be called ordinary. Let your mind wander into the realm of bizarre dreams and believe in the adage of "be careful what you wish for because it might come true" ... and this movie is a riot. Yes, the original script fell victim to the Hays Code censorship who considered an angel losing her wings on her wedding night to be too scandalous for the times. But in spite of numerous script re-writes, the story line is entertaining and Nelson & Jeanette appear to be having a blast with their unconventional roles.
For the 6 years she's worked at the Palaffi bank, Anna Zador (Jeanette) has had a crush on her boss, but playboy Count Willi Palaffi doesn't even know the shy secretary exists. All that changes when she is invited to his birthday costume party. Her simple, cheaply made angel costume and sweetly shy demeanor glare in stark comparison to the lavish outfits and flirty exuberant behavior of the other guests and she quickly becomes the butt of jokes, drawing laughter from everyone including Willi. But when he realizes he's hurt her feelings he apologizes and asks her to dance. Afterwards and with the party still in full swing, Willi makes his way upstairs where he falls asleep. And thus begins the dream.
Enter Brigitta ... an angel who in Willi's champagne-hazed subconscious looks just like Anna Zador. Brigitta announces she's been sent to marry him and that she will devote herself to his happiness. At first Willi is enchanted by the sweet, pure demeanor and blatant honesty of his angel bride, but soon her overt truthfulness begins to cause him nothing but trouble. His attempts to convert her to the more human like trait of shading the truth, backfires badly, leaving his marriage in shreds and him in ruin. He declares he never again wants to hear the truth. But by the time his dream ends, he recognizes the error of his ways and awakens to the realization that he's fallen in love with Anna Zador.
The movie is an amusing fantasy with some wonderful songs and two terrific and charming stars whose voices are once again in fine form. Jeanette even gets to display her dancing talent in a hearty Charleston with actress Binnie Barnes in a scene that is great fun. As an interesting piece of trivia, actor Douglass Dumbrille who co-starred with Nelson & Jeanette in their first movie together (Naughty Marietta) also co-stars in this one, their last as a team. And in both movies Dumbrille takes the role of the person pulling their relationship apart.
MacDonald & Eddy were always terrific together and this movie is worth watching for that reason alone. But if you enjoy comedic fantasy this is a definite must.
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Last of the delightfull films of Nelson and Jeanette...love it
Added 4/10/2008
The films of Nelson Eddy and Jeanette Macdonald have always held a special
place in my heart, cause they usually point to love and music. Films that
have affected audiences for a long time. They also made people feel better
in the dark days of war.
And today, they still make us feel good. There's a magical chemistry
when they are together. This only lasted 8 films, and Married to a
Angel was their last one. Saw it as a kid, and even today i still love
this film. Dont try to disect the movie, just sit down and enjoy.
And in the end, if it leaves a smile on your face, Nelson and Jeanette
succeeded in their work.
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ABSOLUTELY HEAVENLY...
Added 12/8/2002
This is an absolutely charming fantasy film. I love it! Of course, since I was a child, I have always been partial to Nelson Eddy/Jeanette MacDonald films. Together, they made beautiful music. This film is particularly bittersweet, as it was their final film together, forever ending a wonderful musical chapter in Hollywood history.Based upon the Rogers and Hart broadway hit, the film's plot is simple. Taking place in Budapest, a handsome and rich banker, thirty something playboy, Count William Palaffi (Nelson Eddy), falls asleep at his birthday party, dreaming of being married to a heaven sent angel named Brigitta (Jeanette MacDonald). The dream tracks the early days of their marriage and her transition from angel to devil in an effort to please her husband. When he awakens, he realizes that his angel has been there all along, as Ms. Szabo (Jeanette MacDonald), a secretary from his bank who had attended his costume birthday fete dressed up as an angel is a doppelganger for Brigitta. The path to true love is a strange one, indeed! The costumes are lovely in this film, and the music is glorious. Though filmed in 1942, the film still has some of the sumptuousness of filming associated with the nineteen thirties. Highly stylized, it is a musical that those who love vintage films will surely enjoy. Bravo!
14 out of 14 people found this helpful.
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So awful it's good
Added 12/8/2002
I MARRIED AN ANGEL shows up on a lot of lists of the worst movies ever made, and the first thing that has to be acknowledged is that it truly is dreadful. As my daughter and I watched this, she kept screaming over and over, "This is so stupid!" And it is. I couldn't tell her that she was wrong. But . . . if you can get past the fact that the plot is absurd and the premise ridiculous, it can provide a lot of fun. The songs are good, even if the context is sometimes dreadful, the singing spirited, and the acting as good as could be expected under the circumstances. And there is a certain bravery everyone displays in carrying the spirit of the thing all the way to the end.Although the movie is never not embarrassing, the hardest to watch part consists of bank owner Nelson Eddy falling asleep on a couch and having a vivid dream in which an angel, played by Jeanette MacDonald, who bears a striking resemblence to an employee in his bank who has come to his birthday party in an angel costume, descends from heaven with the intent to marry him. The complications that arise in his dream of this marriage of heaven and earth provide the action for most of the film. Once one gets past the silliness of all this, it is actually a lot of fun. As a long time animal rights supporter, I got a kick out of the scene where angel MacDonald refuses to wear a hat with bird feathers on it, or a dress with an animal's tail, or carry a wolfskin hand warmer. There is also a risque scene where MacDonald wakes up in the morning after her wedding, to discover that she no longer has wings. And the long scene wedding reception where she speaks the truth to everyone she meets has its charms. The fact is, while the material is pretty bad, the spirit and gusto with which everyone carries out their parts makes it a lot of fun. This was the end of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy's string of enjoyable musicals, and pretty much the end of each's career as a film performer. MacDonald was hurt by the fact that she would turn 40 the year after this movie was released (the unfair and unfortunate bane of many Hollywood actresses), and Eddy by the fact that his singing style had gone somewhat out of style and had little appeal apart from teaming with MacDonald. I enjoy their films, though I acknowledge that they are an acquired taste, and lack the universal appeal of someone like Astaire and Rogers. I wish the singing duo had gone out with a better film. But I proimise this film isn't as bad as many claim. And if you cut it a lot of slack, it can be a lot of fun.
15 out of 17 people found this helpful.
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I Married An Angel - MacDonald and Eddy's Last Hurrah
Added 3/1/2002
This movie is a cult classic for musical lovers. This was the last movie that Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy made together and you can see that the actors have matured and are comfortable with one another. The actors' facial expressions, body language and overall acting all combine to completely charm the watcher of this movie. Watch closely as Nelson and Jeanette look at each other at the birthday party -- it's enough to give you that little tingle that goes all the way down to your tummy! What a beautiful couple! What gorgeous costuming! What wonderful songs! There are no others that have voices that blend so beautifully as Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy and there has not been a couple like these two since. Every song in this movie leaves a lasting impression and you find you will hum these songs after the movie ends. The story line is enchanting. I have loved this movie since the first time I saw it as a child and I love it still today. I highly recommend this movie.
21 out of 21 people found this helpful.
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