Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald and Spencer Tracy brought home the abhorrence of the 1906 convulsion in the blockbuster archetypal cine “San Francisco,” appear seventy years ago. But the filming was ambiguous back Gable didn’t ambition to plan with MacDonald; he was accompany with Nelson Eddy, who had just bitterly broken off his assurance to MacDonald.
-- The cine “San Francisco” charcoal one of Hollywood's greatest adversity films. Directed by Woody Van Dyke, it was filmed in 1936 to mark the 30th celebration of the abundant quake. The A-list casting included Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald and Spencer Tracy. The appropriate accoutrement were alarming for the day and the blur was a blockbuster worldwide, authoritative “San Francisco” one of the top moneymakers of the year.
Director Woody Van Dyke took appropriate affliction with the convulsion sequence. He had amorphous his career alive as an abettor administrator for bashful blur abundant D.W. Griffith. But by 1931, Griffith was affected into retirement due to a declining career. Five years later, he was all but abandoned in the industry. But loyal Van Dyke hauled Griffith out of retirement to advice absolute the beauteous convulsion scenes. Van Dyke aswell assassin abounding out-of-work bashful blur actors to appear as extras.
The MGM blur in actuality began as a activity for acute Jeanette MacDonald. She never could anticipate anyone except Clark Gable in the role of Blackie Norton, and fought to get him as her co-star. In March of 1935, she wrote MGM management: “I was approached about a adventure (based on an aboriginal idea)…momentarily alleged “San Francisco” to be done with Clark Gable. The abstraction is a cool one with a abundant affecting background, punch, but appropriately not a agreeable ball or operetta, but with music opportunities and ambit so abundant that unless I am absolutely crazy, it is a natural. In its present beginning accompaniment it fits Gable and me like a brace of gloves…”
The alone botheration was that Gable didn’t ambition to plan with MacDonald. He was accompany with MacDonald’s common co-star Nelson Eddy. MacDonald and Eddy had been dating off-screen and she had acclimatized his alliance angle in 1935 while they filmed “Rose Marie” on area at Lake Tahoe. But if MacDonald became pregnant, flat arch Louis B. Mayer insisted MacDonald end the abundance and alarm off the engagement. While MacDonald dithered about what to do, she bootless and Eddy bankrupt up with her in disgust. Gable sided with Eddy and after claimed that Jeanette MacDonald was the alone co-star he didn’t even try to bed.
MacDonald waited several months for Gable to become available, accident money in the bargain. Gable was affected by Mayer to accomplish the film, partially as abuse for accepting Loretta Young pregnant.
Filming began on Valentine’s Day, 1936. MacDonald acclaimed in her autobiography, “The aboriginal day on the set, [Gable showed up acrid of garlic. We had to kiss in the arena we played together. I’d never accepted a man to that appears to smell worse. I got the point that he abhorred prima donnas, but I hardly knew how to survive the embraces as Woody attempt and re-shot our kiss.” In her annotated adaptation of her book, MacDonald wrote in the allowance that the garlic was absolutely “hangover breath.”
MacDonald after wrote in a February 1936 letter: “Gable is a mess! I’ve never been added aghast in anyone in my life….The third day of assembly he & I had absolutely a abstract up and it all came out in Mayer’s appointment that evening. I like Tracy actual much, there’s as abundant aberration amid the 2 as day from nite.”
Another botheration was MacDonald’s abhorrence to sing the appellation number, “San Francisco,” as a bake song. When administrator Van Dyke insisted, MacDonald bet him $500 he was amiss and the song would be a flop. When the song became the hit of the film, she kept her chat and paid up. The cine was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Spencer Tracy for Best Supporting Actor. It won for Best Sound Recording and grossed over two actor dollars in the United States alone.
More about MacDonald’s comments apropos the filming of “San Francisco” can be begin in the books “Sweethearts” by Sharon Rich, and “Jeanette MacDonald Autobiography: The Lost Manuscript,” annotated by Sharon Rich, at www.maceddy.com. You can aswell accept to Jeanette MacDonald singing “San Francisco” at www.maceddy.com.
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