The Firefly (1937 film)

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The Firefly
Poster - Firefly, The 01.jpg
Directed by Robert Z. Leonard
Screenplay by Frances Goodrich
Albert Hackett
Ogden Nash
Based on The Firefly
1912 operetta
by Otto A. Harbach
Produced byRobert 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
Distributed by Loew's Inc.
Release date
  • September 1, 1937 (1937-09-01)
Running time
131 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1,495,000 [1] [2]
Box office$1,244,000 (Domestic earnings) [1] [2]
$1,430,000 (Foreign earnings) [1] [2]
Jeanette MacDonald in the film's trailer Jeanette MacDonald in The Firefly trailer.jpg
Jeanette MacDonald in the film's trailer

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]

Contents

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

Musical numbers

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References

  1. 1 2 3 The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  2. 1 2 3 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.