Nelson Eddy

At 65 years old, Nelson Eddy physical status not available right now. We will update Nelson Eddy's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.

Nelson Ackerman Eddy (June 29, 1901 – March 6, 1967) was an American singer, baritone, and actor who appeared in 19 musical films during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in opera and on television, television, and in nightclubs.

He is best known for the eight films in which he costarred with soprano Jeanette MacDonald.

He was one of the first "crossover" performers, a pop sensation with appeals to screaming bobby soxers and opera purists, and, in his heyday, he left footprints in Grauman's Chinese Theater's wet concrete, earning three gold medals and being invited to perform at the third inauguration of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941.

He also introduced millions of young Americans to classical music, and encouraged many of them to pursue a musical career.

Early life

Eddy was born in Providence, Rhode Island, the only child of Caroline Isabel (née Kendrick) and William Darius Eddy. His father, a machine gunman and toolmaker, suffered from a heroin overdose and inability to hold down a job, causing the family to move from town to town. Nelson grew up in Providence and Pawtucket, Rhode Island, as well as in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He was a strawberry blond as a boy and was quickly identified as "Bricktop." His reddish hair was actually whitened as an adult, so his hair was photographed as blond. He came from a musical family. His Atlanta-born mother was a church soloist, and his grandmother, Caroline Netta Ackerman Kendrick, was a distinguished oratorio performer. His father appeared as a stagehand at the Providence Opera House, performed in the church choir, played the drums, and appeared in local programs such as H.M.S. Pinafore is a form of cocaine. Nelson and his mother were physically and emotionally abused, and when Nelson was 14 years old, he deserted them.

Eddy was forced to drop out of school and join his mother in Philadelphia, where her brother, Clark Kendrick, lived. Eddy's uncle assisted him in securing a clerical position at Mott Iron Works, a plumbing supply firm. He later served as a reporter with the Philadelphia Press, the Evening Public Ledger, and the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. He served as a copywriter at N.W. for a brief period. But was fired for constantly performing on the job. Eddy never returned to school, but he was educated with correspondence courses.

Personal life

On January 19, 1939, Eddy married Ann Denitz Franklin, the former wife of noted director Sidney Franklin. Sidney Jr., Eddy's stepson, was born in Eddy's house, but Nelson and she had no children of their own. They were married for 27 years before Nelson's death. Ann Eddy died on August 28, 1987. In Hollywood Forever Cemetery, she is buried next to Eddy and Eddy's mother. Eddy was a Republican.

Despite public denies that Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy have any professional ties, evidence shows otherwise. Nelson Eddy writes, "I love you and will always be devoted to you" in a handwritten 1935 letter sent by Nelson to "Dearest Jeanette," wrote on his letterhead.

The author's book Sweethearts depicts MacDonald and Eddy as continuing an adultery after their marriages. Rich, who was a close friend of MacDonald's older sister Blossom Rock, also knew Gene Raymond, and she admits the friendship lasted for a few months after MacDonald's death. Eddy is the last person leaving the chapel, excepting Lauritz Melchior, who offers him condolences, in a news clip from MacDonald's funeral.

By Eddy, the first one while filming Rose Marie, MacDonald had eight pregnancies. This was before she had an intimate friendship with Gene Raymond. Raymond was physically incapable of fathering children, and MacDonald alluded to this fact in her unfinished autobiography, saying she returned from her Hawaii honeymoon with Raymond with the understanding that "The MacRaymonds had no children." Nonetheless, MacDonald had more documented and apparent pregnancies when he was married to Raymond, which resulted in miscarriage.

Rich's results also include evidence that Raymond physically and emotionally assaulted MacDonald and that they suspected of extramarital affairs as early as their honeymoon. Raymond was arrested three times, first in January 1938, as shown by a court statement, but the exact criminal charges were not revealed. During his United States Army service, Raymond was arrested in England on suspicion of being arrested for his conduct. MGM President Louis B. Mayer orchestrated Raymond's wedding to MacDonald. Raymond's 1938 capture of MacDonald prompted him to become Raymond's beard, and Raymond's 1938 detention resulted in Mayer blacklisting him in Hollywood for almost two years.

While filming Sweethearts, biographer E. J. Fleming claims that Eddy begged Raymond about insulting MacDonald, who was evidently pregnant with Eddy's child. Eddy stabbed him and left him dead, but newspapers incorrectly reported that Raymond was recovering from an accidental fall.

Louis B. Mayer adamantly refused to encourage MacDonald to cancel her marriage and elope. MacDonald's baby was lost to her baby at about 6 months. Daniel Kendrick Eddy was born on a private property in Ojai, California, and Nelson buried him (or his ashes) on his private property.

The MacDonald/Eddy relationship was confirmed by several co-stars and acquaintances.

MacDonald and Eddy had several private residences together over the decades. They had a tiny Burbank house on 812 S Mariposa Street in 1938. Nelson rented and remodeled the old cowboy bunkhouse at 1330 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills, in the 1940s. MacDonald and Johnson were remodeled, for himself and MacDonald. They used 710 N. Camden Drive, which had been the home of MacDonald's mother until her death in 1947. They also stayed at favorite hotels and homes owned by their celebrities around the country, including those owned by Lily Pons and Irene Dunne. MacDonald and Raymond lived on the 8th floor of the Wilshire Comstock in Westwood in 1963. Nelson Eddy had his own flat on the 7th floor of the West building. MacDonald allowed MacDonald to decorate it, and the couple used it as a rendezvous point until she was too sick to walk the few yards over to his house. (Anne was given the apartment after Eddy's death and moved into it.)

While filming Rose Marie, MGM studio manager Louis B. Mayer, MacDonald, and Eddy prohibited married early in the season. They married "by God's laws," they said, but they were unable to do so lawfully. Each fall, they returned to Tahoe to renew their vows. MacDonald's desk diary had a "Lake Tahoe" entry as late as 1948. Eddy wrote a long diary entry about his trip and his admiration for her, naming her "my wife" after his husband's death in private, which he did in private to the end of her life.

Source

Career

Eddy discovered his calling as a boy soprano in church choirs. Eddy absorbed voice and imitated baritones like Titta Ruffo, Antonio Scotti, Pasquale Amato, Giuseppe Campanari, and Reinald Werrenrath throughout his teens. He gave recitals for women's groups and appeared in revues, usually for little or no compensation.

He worked in an iron works factory and then spent ten years as a newspaper reporter. He was fired for paying more attention to music than to journalism. His first professional break came in 1922, when the public singled him out after an appearance in The Marriage Tax, a society dramatic, but his name had been barred from the service.

Eddy won the top prize in 1924 in a competition that also included a chance to perform with the Philadelphia Opera Society. Eddy was active in 28 operas by the 1920s, including Amonasro in Aida, Marcello in The Marriage of Figaro, Almaviva, both Tonio and Silvio in Pagliacci, and Wolfram in Tannhäuser.

With the Savoy Company, the oldest amateur theater company in the country devoted solely to Gilbert and Sullivan's operas in the traditional manner, Eddy appeared in Gilbert and Sullivan operas. Eddy, who appeared with Savoy, appeared as the leading role of Strephon in Iolanthe at the Broad Street Theatre in Philadelphia in 1922. He appeared in The Pirates of Penzance's production next year. In 1927, he revived the role of Strephon with Savoy, when the company's productions were transferred to the prestigious Academy of Music. He was asked by a Savoy lead in 1958 for his thoughts and suggestions on how to act the role three years later.

Eddy wrote:

Eddy worked briefly with former Metropolitan Opera singer David Scull Bispham, but Eddy became a student of William Vilonat after Bispham died unexpectedly. Eddy borrowed some money and followed his teacher to Dresden in 1927 for further study in Europe, which was then considered vital for serious American singers. He was given a job with a tiny German opera company. Rather, he returned to America, where he concentrated on his opera career, with only occasional opera appearances over the next seven years. In 1928, his first concert accompanist, Theodore (Ted) Paxson, became a close friend and remained his accompanist until Eddy's death 39 years later. Edouard Lippé, Eddy's primary mentor, went to Hollywood and appeared in a small role in Eddy's 1935 film Naughty Marietta, who was a student. Eddy changed teachers regularly in his later years, consistently learning new vocal techniques. He also had a home recording studio, where he studied his own appearances. It was his fascination with technology that led him to create three-part harmonies (tenor, baritone, and bass) for his role as a multi-voiced singing whale in Walt Disney's animated film "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met," the concluding sequence in 1946's animated film Make Mine Music.

Eddy appeared in the first American performance of Feuersnot by Richard Strauss (December 1, 1927) and in the first American performance of Strauss's Aristone on Naxos (November 1, 1928) with Helen Jepson. In the original German version of Ariadne, Eddy played the Wigmaker and Harlequin. In the second American performance of Alban Berg's Wozzeck, he appeared under Leopold Stokowski as the Drum Major.

He performed in the world premiere of Maria Egiziaca (Mary in Egypt), directed by composer Ottorino Respighi himself as renowned conductor Arturo Toscanini fell ill at the last minute. Eddy greeted him years later as Toscanini visited the MGM lot in California by performing a few bars of Maria Egiziaca.

Eddy performed in occasional opera roles until his film work made it impossible to schedule appearances the requisite year or two ahead of schedule. Three of his last opera appearances with the San Francisco Opera in 1934 were three when he was still "unknown." "Nelson Eddy made a spectacular debut in Tannhäuser on December 8, 1934," Marjory M. Fisher of the San Francisco News wrote. "He left no doubt in the minds of discerning auditors that he belonged to this select group of baritones that includes Lawrence Tibbett, Richard Bonelli, and John Charles Thomas, which represents America's outstanding contributions to the modern opera stage." He performed Amonasro in Aida on November 11, 1934, receiving acclaim. The cast included Elisabeth Rethberg, Giovanni Martinelli, and Ezio Pinza. However, opera gradually faded from Eddy's schedule as films and highly successful concerts took up more of his time.

Following his screen success, he made a point of presenting his hit screen hits only as encores. He argued that audiences should be exposed to all forms of music.

When Eddy was inserted at the last minute for the renowned diva Lotte Lehmann at a sold-out show in Los Angeles on February 28, 1933, he was "discovered" by Hollywood. With 18 curtain calls, he had a professional triumph, and several film offers followed shortly. After much debating, he decided that being seen on television would help fans of his "true work" - his concerts. (Also, like his machinist father, was obsessed with gadgets and the mechanics of the latest talking pictures.) Eddy's concert ticket went from $500 to $10,000 per performance.

Eddy has joined Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), where he made the first 15 of his 19 feature films. His deal guaranteed him three months off a year to continue his concert tours. MGM was not sure how to use him, and he had nothing to do when he waited for more than a year on salary. On the soundtrack of the 1933 Pete Smith shorthandlebars, he can be heard singing "Daisy Bell." Both in 1933 and 1934, he appeared and performed one song in Broadway to Hollywood and Dancing Lady, as well as the Student Tour in 1934. In Victor Herbert's 1935 film version of Naughty Marietta, the audience response was favorable, and he was cast as the male lead opposite Jeanette MacDonald.

It was shocking that Naughty Marietta was the surprise hit of 1935.

Its key song, "Ah!

"Beauty of Life" became a hit and earned Eddy his first gold medal. He also performed "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp" and "I'm Falling in Love with Somebody." The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, received the Photoplay Gold Medal Award as Best Picture, and was named one of the Top Picture of 1935 by New York film critics.

Critics singled out Eddy for praise:

Jeanette MacDonald appeared in seven other MGM films with Eddy:

Nelson Eddy has appeared in films with other leading ladies as well:

Many unrealized films that might have reunited the team after Eddy and MacDonald left MGM in 1942. In 1943, Eddy signed for a two-picture contract with Universal. The first was Phantom of the Opera, and MacDonald would have co-starred MacDonald. Follow the Boys filmed two scenes, but Eddy and the Opera company broke up as a result of her disappointment with how Phantom of the Opera came out.

Among the many of Eddy's later projects were East Wind; Crescent Carnival, a MacDonald book; and The Rosary, the 1910 best-seller, was pitched to MGM as a "comeback" film for MacDonald and himself in 1948. He wrote a biopic screenplay about Chaliapin, under the name "Isaac Ackerman," in which he was supposed to lead and also a young Nelson Eddy, but it was never produced. Timothy Waits for Love and All Stars Don't Spangle, Stephen Johnson, wrote two movie scripts for MacDonald and himself, and Timothy Waits for Love and All Stars Don't Spangle.

Between 1935 and 1964, Eddy performed songs from his films, plus opera, folk songs, hit songs, Gilbert and Sullivan, and traditional arias from his concert repertoire. Since MacDonald and he were under contract with RCA Victor between 1935 and 1938, it was possible to include many famous duets from their films. He signed with Columbia Records' Columbia Masterworks division, which ended MacDonald-Eddy duets until Favorites in Stereo, a special LP album that the two artists produced together in 1959. He appeared on television duets with his brother, Ris Stevens (The Chocolate Soldier), and albums with Nadine Conner, Doretta Morrow, Eleanor Steber, and Jo Stafford.

During the 1930s and 1940s, Eddy's recordings attracted rave reviews, and he continued to get good reviews into the 1960s. "Nelson Eddy continues to roll on, physically and vocally indestructible," the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner noted on October 4, 1964. "Of Girls I Sing" is his latest album on Everest, showing that he is the newest in the series. Eddy demonstrates that no change has occurred in his romantic and lusty baritone, which made him America's most popular singer in the early 1930s at the age of 63 and 42 years of professional singing.

Eddy was active during World War II, as well as before the United States entered the war. On October 19, 1939, he appeared at his first "war effort" concert with Leopold Stokowski for Polish war relief. He became an air raid warden in 1942 and spent long hours at the Hollywood Canteen. Throughout the war, he worked for the armed forces. In late 1943, he went on a two-month, 35,000-mile tour, giving concerts for military forces in Belém and Natal, Brazil; Aden, Eritrea; Cairo; Casablanca; and the Azores. Because he spoke fluent German, had performed opera in Dresden in the 1920s, his service as an Allied spy was invaluable until his coverage was blown in Cairo with a near-fatal assignment.

Eddy appeared on CBS (1942-1943) and appeared on The Electric Hour (1944-1946).

In an episode of the Scottish comedy sitcom Still Game (S4E2), his interpretation of "Rose Marie" was used, in which the song was requested by a dying patient.

In the mid-1920s, he made his first radio appearance in over 600 radio appearances. The first may have happened on December 26, 1924, at Philadelphia's station WOO. Among other programs, he hosted The Voice of Firestone (1936), The Chase and Sanborn Hour (1937-1939), and Kraft Music Hall (1947–1948). Eddy used his radio shows to help young singers get their careers. Although his radios often featured "serious" music, they were never truly straitlaced. In a sequence of comedy routines with Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy on the Chase and Sanborn Hour, Eddy's name became synonymous with the song "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny," which was also included in the film Maytime. In a broadcast of Richard Wagner's opera Parsifal with Rose Bampton conducted by Leopold Stokowski, he appeared as Gurnemanz on March 31, 1933. He appeared on Lux Radio Theater with Cecil B. DeMille during the 1940s, appearing on radio versions of Eddy's famous films. Eddy appeared on several episodes of The Alan Young Show on CBS-TV in 1951. In 1952, he appeared as a pilot on Nelson Eddy's Backyard, but the show was unable to find a network slot, but it was unsuccessful to find a television slot. When Jeanette MacDonald was the subject of Ralph Edwards' This Is Your Life, he surprised him on November 12, 1952. On November 30, 1952, Eddy was Ed Sullivan's guest on Toast of the Town.

He appeared on Danny Thomas' "Make Room for Daddy" and on various television shows including The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford, The Colgate Comedy Hour, The Spike Jones Show, and the Dinah Shore Chevy Show. He and Jeanette MacDonald's television reunions included Lux Video Theater and The Big Record (with Patti Page). Both appearances were highly acclaimed, but MacDonald's health was failing, and although there was talk of a TV variety show combining, it didn't happen.

Eddy appeared on many talk shows, including The Merv Griffin Show and Jack Paar's Tonight Show. Eddy appeared in Max Liebman's 90-minute live-TV version of Sigmund Romberg's The Desert Song on NBC-TV on May 7, 1955. Gale Sherwood, Metropolitan Opera bass Salvatore Baccaloni, veteran film actor Otto Kruger, as well as the dance team of Bambi Linn and Rod Alexander were among the performers on the show.

Television made inroads in the once-lucrative concert circuits, and Eddy considered future career choices in the early 1950s, eventually deciding to form a nightclub band. It premiered in January 1953, with singer Gale Sherwood, his companion, and Ted Paxson, his accompanist. "Nelson Eddy, a director of film, concerts, and stage, only needed less than one minute to put a thronging audience in one of the city's most vivacious openings," Variety said. The show went on for the next 15 years and completed four tours of Australia.

Source