I Married an Angel (1942)

Although I MARRIED AN ANGEL was adapted from a successful Broadway musical - it flopped at the box office and marked the end of the string of films which co-starred Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. It was reasoned that movie audiences by this time wanted to hear a more contemporary sound rather than the operatic style belted out by the dynamic duo. It's also reasoned that the Hayes Codes caused the filmmakers to make considerable cuts and tone down some of the more "racier" elements of the Broadway play - which is somewhat of a cop out methinks because there were some excellent films made in spite of the Hayes codes (THE LADY EVE for example). I think the elements were certainly in place for this to have been a potentially very good film - but the execution just wasn't quite there. Something about the timing or rhythm to the comedy just feels off overall. It could be the editing - especially noticeable in the early scenes when footage of lowly bank secretary, Anna Zador (MacDonald) and playboy bank president, Willie Palaffi (Eddy) are spliced together to make it seem that they are in the scene together when you know they were not. The sets and costumes are as elaborate as any of the previous MacDonald/Eddy outings. The costume ball scene is very well staged and MGM spared no expenses in that regard. The slinky costumes worn by actresses Mona Maris, Janis Carter and Inez Cooper during their musical number - "Tira Lira La" are especially sexy (um, what Hayes codes?...I told you it could be done, didn't I?) I though there was a nice fantasy sequence as the angel Brigitta (also played by MacDonald) descends from heaven and all the flowers and some of the furniture in the room bows down to her. It was also fun to watch Jeanette MacDonald channel Marlene Deitrich during another musical number later in the film. The film also seemed that it could have been a throwback to Jeanette MacDonald's earlier films directed by Ernst Lubitsch (ONE HOUR WITH YOU or THE LOVE PARADE.) No, I MARRIED AN ANGEL doesn't touch the greatness of those two earlier films (and which made me a big fan of Jeanette MacDonald btw) but the POTENTIAL was there. ( sigh ) Too bad.