MovieChat Forums > Can't Help Singing (1944) Discussion > Jeanette MacDonald Shirley Jones

Jeanette MacDonald Shirley Jones

posted 12 years ago by skiddoo
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Deanna Durbin, born in 1921, reminded me, especially in the final scenes of this movie, of both Jeanette MacDonald, born in 1903, and Shirley Jones, born in 1934. It was as if we needed a certain type of singer-actor for several generations of historical musicals.

[–] cclowell 12 years ago

It was as if we needed a certain type of singer-actor for several generations of historical musicals.

All three ladies were talented and attractive lyric sopranos. That was the "go to" voice type for leading lady roles in many operettas and film and stage musicals (.e.g. SHOW BOAT, LOVE ME TONIGHT, most of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals, BRIGADOON, KISS ME KATE, MY FAIR LADY, WEST SIDE STORY, etc.)