1937: Screen Actors Guild awarded Jeanette the Best Performance Award, for Maytime (1937).
1939: She was crowned Queen of the Movies by 22 million filmgoers in a New York Daily News survey.
1941: Her salary was $300,000.
4/12/34: She was immortalized in cement at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Hollywood.
5/30/53: She was given a honorary degree, Doctor of Music from Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY.
Always considered her older sister, Marie Blake, to be the more talented of the two, and was happy for her when she finally attained some measure of recognition, late in life, as Grandmama Addams (under her married name, Blossom Rock) on the popular "The Addams Family" (1964) TV show. According to biographer Sharon Rich, Ms. MacDonald never missed watching the show each week for that reason.
Born at 6:58am-EST.
Favorite film was Maytime (1937).
Has blue-green eyes.
Her duets with Nelson Eddy are lampooned in the musical "A Day In Hollywood/A Night In The Ukraine." In the show, a movie star named Jeanette sings the song, "Oh, Nelson, What You're Putting Me Through" -- an operatic lament about her boring co-star -- while standing with a mannequin dressed in a Canadian Mounties uniform.
Her wedding gown was designed by costume designer Adrian. It was a gown of flesh-pink organza over matching taffeta with leg-of-mutton sleeves and a high-neck collar trimmed with lace and a tiny spray of roses. As she walked down the candlelit aisle alone, she carried a single rose and a pink satin prayer book.
In 1939 Jeanette was crowned "Queen of Hollywood" by a nationwide poll while the reigning King that year was Tyrone Power.
In many of Judy Garland's concerts, she featured "San Francisco," a song that MacDonald sang in San Francisco (1936) with Clark Gable. When Garland sang it, she sometimes added to the beginning, "I never will forget Jeanette MacDonald. Just to think of her, it gives my heart a pang. I never will forget just how that brave Jeanette just stood there, in the ruins, and sang. And sang." And then Judy would sing it. Jeanette was approached about it, and she said, "Oh, I don't mind... As long as it's Judy!".
In May 1943 she made her Grand Opera Debut at His Majesty's Theater in Montreal, Canada singing the role of Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet.".
Interred at Forest Lawn, Glendale, California, USA, in the Freedom Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Heritage.
Made one movie with husband Gene Raymond - Smilin' Through (1941).
Measurements: 35-27 1/4-33 (MGM designer Adrian), (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine).
Originally wanted to marry Gene Raymond on the 17th as it was the anniversary of their first date, but the church was unavailable and so they opted for the 16th.
She was a staunch Republican and conservative.
She was awarded 2 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Pictures at 6157 Hollywood Boulevard and for Recording at 1628 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.