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Excellent but underrated film

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

What starts off as a Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy operetta in the mold of "Naughty Marietta" and "Rose Marie" ends up a Dorothy Lamour movie, and she's not even in it! Enemies of France are sent to New Orleans to be sold into slavery, and aboard their ship is a former French nobleman (Eddy) fighting against his own class who falls in love with noblewoman MacDonald. Eddy manages an escape, boards the same ship that MacDonald is on to head to Martinique, and what happens? The weather starts getting rough, the medium size ship is tossed, and the ship's aground on the shore of a tropic desert isle.Believe it or not, operetta like this was still popular in 1940, with several long-running hits being revived on Broadway in the 40's and MacDonald and Eddy continuing in spite of weaker reviews and box office returns. "Lover, Come Back to Me" is as camp today as "Ah Sweet Nystery of Life" and "Indian Love Call" were in their first two hits. (Of their duets, "Will You Remember?" from "Maytime" remains the only one to come off as a serious love duet without the camp effect, but I think you can blame Mel Brooks for utilizing "Ah Sweet Mystery of Life" in "Young Frankenstein" for the camp elements of their duets being enlarged), but "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" is a beautiful solo for Eddy who gives a livelier performance than usual, especially in "Stout-Hearted Men". This is filled with a lively supporting cast, most notably Mary Boland, H.B. Warner and George Zucco. It is also lovely to look at and certainly one of the least high brow of the MacDonald/Eddy pairings.

The New Moon and Naughty Marietta get understandably confused in the minds of some filmgoers. Both are set in New Orleans during the French colonial period, both star Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, both begin with a ship crossing from France.But New Moon is set during the last days of Louis XVI while Naughty Marietta takes place during Louis XV's reign. This time it is Nelson who is the fugitive. He's a member of the aristocracy who's believing and preaching the ideals of the Revolution. He's slipped away as a bond servant sailing to New Orleans. In Naughty Marietta it's Jeanette who's disguised as a bondservant to escape an arranged marriage.Also both films have Nelson singing a rousing fight song for his followers in Naughty Marietta, it's Tramp Tramp Tramp, while in this film he exhorts and rallies his troops with Stouthearted Men.MGM did this film before with Lawrence Tibbett and Grace Moore at the beginning of the sound era. They made the mistake of changing the story line to fit the Russian Revolution. Here they wisely opted for the traditional locale.Jeanette and Nelson are in their traditional roles in the romance game. She with her kittenish ways, him with his put downs of same.The plot here calls for the two of them after escaping from New Orleans on the ship the New Moon (hence the title), to drop anchor at an island where the former bondservants set about to create at Utopian society. A little bit like Pitcairn Island in Mutiny on the Bounty. It only lasts a short while until news of the revolution in France arrives.I've often wondered how portraying a Utopian socialist ideal must have sat with the very Republican Jeanette MacDonald. I'm guessing she would have been glad of rescue for more reasons than one would think.Of course it's the music and the voices that one sees this film and the Sigmund Romberg-Otto Harbach-Oscar Hammerstein, II score was never better sung. The obligatory duet of Wanting You is heard and Jeanette is in particularly good voice in One Kiss. She also sings Lover Come Back to Me first alone and later with Nelson. That was the big hit of the score, sung by artists that range from Rudy Vallee to Ella Fitzgerald.Personally speaking I'll listen to any kind of music as long as I can recognize the melody. This film will have melody lovers everywhere entranced.

One of the more risible romantic musicals, this effort teamed Nelson Eddy and Jeanette Macdonald for the fifth time and gave them the creaky score by Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II to sing. The good news is that this included songs such as ‘Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise', and ‘Lover, Come Back To Me', and the overblown 'Stout Hearted Men'. The bad news is that the story is absolute rubbish – Jeanette is a singer captured by mutineers (yes, Nelson as the ringleader and not exactly convincing), forced to settle with the other passengers and crew on a distant island.Departing somewhat from the original stage production in its story, ‘New Moon' is not quite camp enough to compare with the best of the Singing Sweethearts classics. Both of them too are looking their age and beginning to tire in their ever-innocent personas. However, they are in good voice, and this film is bearable if you are looking for undemanding musical fare.

This movie is lighthearted and a joy to be "lost in" for an evening. The music and singing perfectly complimented an intricate plot. The quality of Nelson Eddy's and Jeanette McDonald's is incredible, and they take you from the depths of sadness and loss to triumph and joyful reunion throughout the show. Nelson Eddy is as dashing and handsome as any leading man in the 21st century, and Jeanette McDonald's beauty is unrivaled. Both have central roles in a plot that twists and turns, and play them well, intelligently, believably. All the supporting cast is enthusiastic and funny, and add to the energy and drive of the story. The story is clean and innocent which was very refreshing. At the same time it is compelling, engaging and will remain in one's mind for days afterward. A wonderful surprise of a movie, one that I will keep in my movie library for years to come.