The greatest movie ever made..!

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

This film is wonderful. Jeanette MacDonald and her singing is amazing and beautiful. Nelson Eddie is also talented, and he has made a whole group of romantic opera singing films with Jeanette. Jeanette and Katheryn Grayson were both beautiful opera singers in 1930s and 1940s films. Again, why are there so many negative comments about Jeanette's opera in her films and Kathrine's opera in her films? Why do so many people today hate opera so much? It was well loved and appreciated during the era these films came out. Jeanette and Katheryn were both well loved during Hollywood's golden age. Tastes have really changed since then, since we are talking about 80 years ago. Jeanette and Katheryn were both beautiful, wonderful women of the Golden Age, with their looks, spirit, passion, and singing. Those two angels are now in heaven. I love the first song Jeanette sings in her palace in 18th century France. She seemed to be pretty happy and in her element there. All except that she was not in love with her groom to be, and he was too controlling. I like how Jeanette has an independent streak and choses not to give in to a situation that would make her unhappy. She hops onto a ship set sail to America along with a group of women all going there to seek husbands. Jeanette must disguise her identity so she isn't found out, since she is sneaking away. I love the old time 1400s - 1700s sailing ships. It's what people traveled on in the days before steam ships. Sailing ships took 3 to 4 times longer than steam ships to cross the Atlantic too. Progress has been gradual. Before the first steamships and trains in the 1800s, people traveled land on horse and carraige/covered wagon and ocean by sailing ships. Both slower and less convenient than trains and steamships. I loved the slow way the ship started moving alongside the dock while Jeanette and the others sang the next beautiful opera song. That slow and smooth kind of movement along with opera music certainly creates a beautiful picture. I love the girl that Janette befriends on the ship, another sweet innocent type of woman from long ago. She finds true love soon after their arrival in America. Around the same time Janette meets Sergent Nelson Eddie, except their love doesn't hit it off as quickly. Whether it does happen between them in the long run or not I will limit my answers to here so not to be a spoiler. However, due to the style of film this is, it's not too hard to predict This film is not a mystery though and whether or not they end up together is not the main question of the film. The style and how things are done is what gives this film its meaning. It's what kind of ride this film is and it's what Janette, Nelson, and the other characters experience along the way. And of course it's the beautiful opera singing.I like the scene with Jeanette and Nelson in the restaurant where two men that Nelson knows are slurping their soup really loud, I like the dialogue that then develops between them all there. I also love the scene by the window when Nelson hears how good Janette's opera singing really is, and a group of other singers present also hear her, and love her. Anyway, there are a bunch more great scenes in this film but I don't have room to write them all. Overall, this film was fantastic.

There was a time when films were made in a different way, where every detail counted and the performances, the direction, the hairstyles, the costumes, the art direction, every part of the picture was important in order to create a part of the history that gave its name to the 7th. art. It was a time when in the screen dreams could come true and Hollywood really knew how to show it. The best craft men, art directors, electricians, sound engineers, musicians, dressmakers... a whole crew was put on service of this productions to make them bigger than life no matter their cost...this is the way some great movies were made. And Naughty Marietta was one of those. The screen play combines perfectly drama, comedy and adventure with songs and romance. And both Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy fit like a glove in their movie characters' personality. They are simply splendid in their roles and have great chemistry in this their first screen appearance together and he is specially good as the rude frontier man who, without even noticing it, experiences a change since the moment he meets her. The rest of the cast is perfect: Frank Morgan is excellent as the governor and his clear diction is perfect ; Elsa Lanchester is also great as his up-nose wife. Even the minor roles as the maid are nicely played. The sets are simply marvelous and all the details carefully placed. *Spoiler* Delightful moment when we see while Marietta (Jeanette MacDonald) sings Ah, sweet mystery of life Warrington (Nelson Eddy) expression changes subtly from delight to gloomy when he realizes she is letting him know she won't be able to see him again and saying goodbye. *End of the spoiler* I believe it was J. MacDonald preferred film and it is fully understandable. The sequence where she takes the ship to the new land disguised as an ordinary maid is funny and brilliant and probably she had a great time filming it. The film is based on a Broadway operetta and although there are minor songs in it delicious Chansonette, powerful Neath the southern moon, charming I'm falling in love with someone and, of course beautiful Ah, sweet mystery of life confers a special shine to this movie. So this is Hollywood at its best: the stuff that dreams are made of.

Only a few of the other comments mention the dialogue of this movie, which I think is superb! The verbal sparring between Marietta and Captain Warrington is a delightful contrast to their soul-mated singing and elevates this film above other musicals of the era. One always suspends disbelief when viewing any film, of any era (come on, you don't think modern films are really "real", do you?), and it may be difficult for some to enter into the mindset of a '30s moviegoer, but with not too much effort even those who say they don't like this type of film, or these actors, or whatever, can find something to enjoy in this film. (Just call it a fantasy, without special effects.) Some of the opening scenes are almost embarrassingly silly, but quite soon the movie hits its stride and the music, humor, and sweep of the story carry you along. As an untrained actor in his first real role (singing cameos don't count), Nelson Eddy does quite well, thank you; I am inclined to think that the oft-repeated comment about his "wooden" acting style may owe more to L. B. Mayer's jealousy (remember what he did to John Gilbert?) than to a true assessment of his skill (which, admittedly, did improve over time). Mayer wanted MacDonald for himself and the obvious attraction between Eddy and MacDonald, coupled with her stinging rebuffs of Mayer's advances, made him no good friend of "the baritone". (Bear in mind, too, that Eddy was not interested in being an actor; he used film to advance his concert career.) I think this is a grand film, almost my favorite of the duos' work. "Maytime" has an edge because I had the good fortune to see it on the big screen when it was re-released in 1962, and I've only seen the others on television. The music in "New Moon" is glorious, and Nelson and Jeanette seem to be having such fun together in "Sweethearts".... All I can say is, if you have the opportunity to see MacDonald/Eddy films on the big screen at a film festival or revival theatre, don't pass it by!

This is one of the toughest films to review, as those who LIKE operetta-style Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy films will no doubt love the film and watch it. The rest of us, however, probably have little interest in this film style of a by-gone era. So, this is a "self-selecting" film and it's not surprising the ratings are so high for this film---those who DON'T like this style just won't watch it.Well, I forced myself to try and sit through one--mostly because I adore Hollywood's Golden Age and the films of MacDonald and Eddy are about the only ones I have NOT watched from the 1930s and 40s. While not a huge fan of musicals in general, I have seen quite a few nevertheless--I just dreaded the thought of an operetta musical. After seeing it, I was NOT converted--I still think these films only appeal to a very select group. While TECHNICALLY a good film--with good acting and very high production values--I just can't see this film interesting much of anyone other than the die-hard fans. A great example of this is the ever-present song "At Last Sweet Mystery of Life". This cornball song is HORRIBLE by modern standards and can start the neighborhood dogs howling, but lovers of the genre find it magical. I just can't figure it, but to each his own--you don't have to love EVERY style of film and it certainly isn't hurting me that others find them appealing.So, if you LOVE this style it will not disappoint and if you don't, try ANY other movie from this era!