The Firefly (1937 film)

The Firefly
The Firefly
Directed by	Robert Z. Leonard
Screenplay by	Frances Goodrich; Albert Hackett; Ogden Nash
Based on	The Firefly; 1912 operetta; by Otto A. Harbach
Produced by	Robert Z. Leonard; Hunt Stromberg
Starring	Jeanette MacDonald; Allan Jones ; Warren William
Cinematography	Oliver T. Marsh
Edited by	Robert Kern
Music by	Herbert Stothart; Rudolf Friml
Production; company	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributed by	Loew's Inc.
Release date	September 1, 1937;
Running time	131 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$1,495,000
Box office	$1,244,000 (Domestic earnings); $1,430,000 (Foreign earnings)

The Firefly is a 1937 American historical musical film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring Jeanette MacDonald, Allan Jones and Warren William. The film is an adaptation of the operetta of the same name by composer Rudolf Friml and librettist Otto A. Harbach that premiered on Broadway in 1912. The film used nearly all of the music from the operetta but jettisoned the plot in favor of a new storyline set in Spain during the time of the Emperor Napoleon I. It added a new song, "The Donkey Serenade" (a reworking by Herbert Stothart of Friml's 1918 orchestral piece 'Chanson'^[3]), which became extremely popular, as was one of the Friml songs, "Giannina Mia". The original release prints of the film were elaborately tinted with Sepia-Blue, Sepia-Orange and Sepia-Blue-Pink.^[4]

Plot

Secret agent Nina Maria Azara (Jeanette MacDonald) is working undercover for the King of Spain (Tom Rutherford) as a singer known as the "Mosca del Fuego" or "Firefly."^[5] Despite her love for Captain Andre (Allan Jones), she tricks him so that his general will change the French defensive positions, thus allowing the Duke of Wellington to win the Battle of Vitoria. In the end Nina and Andre leave together for a new life in peace.

Cast

Jeanette MacDonald as Nina Maria Azara
Allan Jones as Don Diego / Captain Andre
Warren William as Colonel de Rouchemont
Billy Gilbert as Inn Keeper
Douglass Dumbrille as Marquis de Melito
Henry Daniell as General Savary
Leonard Penn as Etienne DuBois
Tom Rutherford as King Ferdinard (as Tom Rutherfurd)
Belle Mitchell as Lola
George Zucco as St. Clair, Secret Service Chief
Corbet Morris as Duvall (as Corbett Morris)
Matthew Boulton as Duke of Wellington
Riley Hill (credited as Roy Harris) - Lieutenant
Frank Campeau as Beggar (uncredited)
Alan Curtis as Soldier (uncredited)
Brandon Hurst as General (uncredited)

Musical numbers

LOVE IS LIKE A FIREFLY
- Music by Rudolf Friml
- Lyrics by Otto A. Harbach, Bob Wright and Chet Forrest
- Sung by Jeanette MacDonald
DANSE JEANETTE
- Written by Herbert Stothart
- Danced by Jeanette MacDonald
- Sung by Jeanette MacDonald
THE DONKEY SERENADE
- Music by Bob Wright, Chet Forrest, and Herbert Stothart, adapted from "Chanson" by Rudolf Friml
- Lyrics by Bob Wright and Chet Forrest
- Sung by Allan Jones
SYMPATHY
- Music by Rudolf Friml
- Lyrics by Otto A. Harbach
- Sung by Jeanette MacDonald
A WOMAN'S KISS
- Music by Rudolf Friml
- Lyrics by Bob Wright and Chet Forrest
- Sung by Allan Jones
- Backgroung vocal by Jeanette MacDonald
GIANNINA MIA
- Music by Rudolf Friml
- Lyrics by Otto A. Harbach
- Sung by Allan Jones
HE WHO LOVES AND RUNS AWAY
- Music by Rudolf Friml
- Lyrics by Gus Kahn
- Sung by Jeanette MacDonald
WHEN A MAID COMES KNOCKING AT YOUR HEART
- Music by Rudolf Friml
- Lyrics by Otto A. Harbach, Bob Wright & Chet Forrest
- Sung by Jeanette MacDonald
I LOVE YOU DON DIEGO
- Music by Rudolf Friml
- Lyrics by Otto A. Harbach
- Sung by Jeanette MacDonald
OJOS ROJOS (uncredited)
- Argentine Folk Song
- Arranged by Manuel Alvarez Maciste
- Played by Manuel Alvarez Maciste
PARA LA SALUD
- Arranged by Herbert Stothart
- Danced by Jeanette MacDonald
THE DONKEY SERENADE
- Music by Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart
- Lyrics by Bob Wright and Chet Forrest
- Sung by Jeanette MacDonald and Allan Jones
FINALE: "GIANNINA MIA"
- Music by Rudolf Friml
- Lyrics by Otto A. Harbach
- Sung by Jeanette MacDonald and Allan Jones
ENGLISH MARCH
- Sung by Chorus

References

^ ^a ^b ^c The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
^ ^a ^b ^c Turk Edward Baron "Hollywood Diva: A Biography of Jeanette MacDonald (University of California Press, 1998)"
^ "Chanson 'In Love'". hyperion-records.co.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
^ Westphal, Kyle (September 3, 2013). "The True Story of Tinted Talkies: An Interview with Anthony L'Abbate". Chicago Film Society.
^ Erlewine, Iotis. "The Firefly (1937)". allmovie.com. Retrieved 5 November 2021.

Green, Stanley (1999) Hollywood Musicals Year by Year (2nd ed.), pub. Hal Leonard Corporation ISBN 0-634-00765-3 page 74

External links

The Firefly at IMDb
The Firefly at the TCM Movie Database
The Firefly at AllMovie
The Firefly at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films

[Mannix-1] The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.

[Turk-2] Turk Edward Baron "Hollywood Diva: A Biography of Jeanette MacDonald (University of California Press, 1998)"

[3] "Chanson 'In Love'". hyperion-records.co.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2021.

[4] Westphal, Kyle (September 3, 2013). "The True Story of Tinted Talkies: An Interview with Anthony L'Abbate". Chicago Film Society.

[5] Erlewine, Iotis. "The Firefly (1937)". allmovie.com. Retrieved 5 November 2021.

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