Very disappointing...

Expected more

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I first saw this movie as a Blockbuster rental with my husband and his late mother - 25 years ago. TCM aired it recently, and we recorded it and watched it on a Saturday night (it IS rather long, at 2 hours and 12 minutes!). I'm not a person who likes to watch movies (or plays, or TV shows) over and over again; when I was a young teenager my girlfriends and I would usually sit through THREE consecutive showings of a film - that must have "cured" me. After 25 years I did remember the highlights (even though my MIL did chat quite a bit during the movie), but I was surprised that I hadn't realized what a great job John Barrymore did! I had always considered him a bombastic stage actor, playing to the back rows of the second balcony. He is so SUBTLE and SINISTER in this. For this viewing I saw Maytime on a pretty-good quality Samsung wall-hung TV, but I truly would love to see it on the big screen, in a theater. The May Day scenes especially deserve that. The lack of color doesn't bother me, though it does remind me of Irving Thalberg's too-early death.

I just watched Maytime on TCM. Overall I feel that this movie is a bit too long and dull and the outdoor scenes (e.g., Maytime and Paris) are a bit too stereotypical and precious, but it contains two really strong musical numbers that saved the movie for me: the first occurrence of "Will You Remember (Sweatheart)" and the climactic "Czaritza" duet. Not only are the music and singing and orchestration great, but the acting of Eddy and MacDonald is very believable. Jeanette MacDonald looks beautiful in this film, and the costumes, scenery, cinematography, etc. are all first rate. I also enjoyed the reprise of "Will You Remember (Sweatheart)" at the end of the film, but for me it lacked emotional impact because the camera was not focused on the actors' faces. For me the message of the film as delivered by MacDonald to the young woman was a clunker as there was obviously a middle course. And finally the major plot twist near the end of the film was jarring. I can imagine several more realistic scenarios.

This was by far Jeanette MacDonald's best film when teamed up with Nelson Eddy.An elderly woman, counseling young lovers, thinks back to her tragic love affair during the Napoleonic era. Both Nelson and Eddy are at their usual singing best and for a change, Eddy acts the part. He has often been criticized for poor acting in his other films with the wonderful MacDonald.John Barrymore was literally robbed of a best supporting Oscar nomination for his tyrannical role of a lover and husband of MacDonald. It was his inability to accept that MacDonald had found true love with Eddy that leads to tragedy.Too bad that this wonderful film wasn't in color since the set scenes of the Napoleonic era are beautifully realized.

Because there was nothing suitable in the opera repertoire for a baritone and a soprano to sing together! And Romberg's music wasn't used because it was too expensive; practically everything in the film score was in public domain or composed for the film. Likewise, filming in color was nixed in a cost-cutting move (though, frankly, I can't imagine how this film could be any better in color!) Movie-making is all and always about compromise. A little research into Herbert Stothart's tonal plan for this film will help you understand it better, if understanding the technicalities will help you appreciate it more. But just enjoy "Maytime" for what it is, not what it isn't. A lovely, opulent, romance treasure. Don't be afraid to like it!