A Scandalous Affair April 19, 2009

Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy were the most successful crossover stars from opera to Hollywood. They had one smash hit after the next, including 'Naughty Marietta' (1935), 'Rose Marie' (1936) and the top grossing film internationally of 1937, 'Maytime.' However, in one of Hollywood's greatest cover-ups of all time, they were lovers off-screen but because of MGM studio boss Louis B. Mayer, never married each other. In fact, the couple carried on a 30-year affair while supposedly happily married to other people. Ultimately, MacDonald died in 1965 of a heart attack and Eddy, supposedly heartbroken by her passing, soon followed two years later. Their epic love story seemed lost forever, until 2001, when the book 'Sweethearts' by Sharon Rich was published.