Watch Maytime

Maytime is a romantic musical drama film released in 1937, starring Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, and John Barrymore. It tells the story of a legendary singer, Marcia Mornay (Jeanette MacDonald), who is now an old woman reminiscing about her past love affair with a young opera singer, Paul Allison (Nelson Eddy). The film begins with Marcia Mornay attending a performance of a new opera by Paul Allison, who she discovers to her amazement is the spitting image of her former lover. The performance triggers a series of flashbacks, as Marcia recalls how she and Allison first met, fell in love, and ultimately parted ways.

Their meeting takes place in a Paris flower shop, where Marcia works. The young singers fall head over heels in love with each other, but their relationship is disrupted due to an unfortunate set of circumstances. Paul is already involved with another singer, while Marcia is being courted by a wealthy prince. Despite their undeniable attraction, Paul and Marcia would have gone their separate ways if it wasn't for the intervention of Marcia's music teacher, Nicolai Nazaroff (John Barrymore).

Nazaroff convinces Paul to give up his opera career and become a Broadway performer, thereby breaking up his engagement with his fellow singer. Meanwhile, Nazaroff pairs Marcia with the wealthy prince, who offers to sponsor her singing career. While Marcia and the prince become engaged, she and Paul continue to meet in secret. However, their happiness is short-lived when they are discovered by the prince, leading to a violent confrontation outside the Paris Opera House. This marked the end of their relationship and left Marcia heartbroken.

In the present day, Marcia's memories are interrupted by her young and charming grandson, whom she takes under her wing. She introduces him to a world of beauty and love, sharing her memories of lost romance and weaving song and dance into the tale of her former lover, Paul. Together they attend a performance of Paul's new opera at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, where she relives the past with a mix of joy and sorrow.

Maytime is full of gorgeous and memorable musical numbers, including "Will You Remember?" and "Sweetheart." The chemistry between MacDonald and Eddy is palpable, and their voices blend beautifully in the duets "Merry Widow Waltz" and "The Student Prince (Drinking Song)." Eddy delivers a powerful performance as Paul Allison and provides a perfect counterpoint to MacDonald's emotionally charged portrayal of Marcia.

Overall, Maytime is a timeless movie about memory, love, and the beauty of life, all brought together with stunning operatic performances and an engrossing storyline. It is a must-see for any music or romance aficionado and remains a classic of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Maytime is a 1937 drama with a runtime of 2 hours and 11 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.3.