That is not to say at all that I Married an Angel is a complete catastrophe because it isn't. If the songs are good and Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald sing well then things are already raised up a few notches. And that is the case with I Married an Angel. Unfortunately it does have a lot of things that didn't come off well. The story was paper-thin, then again that was expected as the stories in Nelson and Jeanette's films are far from the strongest aspects, but doesn't come across very well despite that. The first half did come across as too sickly sweet, and the plotting does get very clumsy and difficult to follow(it really showed how censorship chopped the story to bits) complete with a surreal dream sequence that went on for too long and was weird even for a sequence that was intended to be surreal.
Some of the fantasy/romantic moments are charming though and heart-warming and there are a few witty quips from Jeanette MacDonald and Edward Everett Horton throughout the film. Scripting-wise, I Married an Angel could have benefited from a lighter and more satirical touch, it has its moments but if censorship hadn't reared its ugly head then the film would have felt less heavy and much sharper. Again like the story it has moments but they aren't enough. And as great as Nelson Eddy's singing is and his personal charm and handsome looks are, he did seem too stiff in his role, there are also a couple of unforgiving camera angles which suggests that he was also a little too old.
Things are definitely made up for though by the lavish costumes and sets as well as the crisp photography. The songs are just lovely, especially the title number, A Twinkle in Your Eye and Spring Is Here. The choreography has its charm and energy too, the Jitterbug number between MacDonald and Binnie Barnes is a lot of fun and they seemed to be having fun too, which is a pleasure to see. Edward Everett Horton(though his roles Fred and Ginger films serve his talents better), Reginald Owen and Binnie Barnes delight in supporting roles, making the most of their material despite it not being the best to work with. Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald's pairing and singing are the best thing about I Married an Angel.
While Eddy has been much better dramatically, he still has that wonderful baritone voice- the most beautiful of its type on film, those Howard Keel comes close- and he has the songs to show it off with, it sounds very rich, supple, beautiful and robust with a touch of sensitivity as well. MacDonald was always the superior actress and she is incredibly beautiful and sassy, and he sounds lovely too, singing delicately and with sweet understated tone in Spring is Here. Though maybe the Jitterbug number was not the right style for her and did seem like the sort of song that needed a bigger voice but she still sings the heck out of it. The two work really well together, and blend beautifully in their duets.
All in all, the weakest of Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald's collaborations, but from a personal perspective while flawed it was not as bad as heard. If it weren't for the censorship though, I Married an Angel might have been a different and better film. If you want to see a film more than worthy for this duo look to Maytime or New Moon. 6/10 Bethany Cox
