"Men like him don't grow on trees", operetta performer Rise Stevens insists upon meeting a dashing Russian singer. "No", her companion Nigel Bruce retorts. "They swing on them." I'm not sure if Rasputin grew up on a tree or not, but that's who Nelson Eddy resembles in his over-the-top disguise, playing a jealous husband testing his wife's fidelity. They are the Lunt and Fontanne of European operetta, starring in a production of "The Chocolate Soldier", but they might as well be Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson of "Kiss Me Kate", two lovers who obviously need a break from each other but ultimately can't be apart.

The delightful Florence Bates is Stevens' portly dresser whom Eddy comments, "I never argue with women larger than myself". This film contains many such witty lines in spite of being rather high-brow and shrill in its musical sequences, which includes the popular "My Hero" (later sung by Vivian Vance on a memorable "I Love Lucy" episode). The operetta sequences take place on a stage the size of Yankee Stadium, stuffing every open space with dancer, flowers and unnecessary props. As a replacement for Jeanette MacDonald, Stevens is O.K. but considering the history of the play this is based upon ("The Guardsman"),a regular team seems more appropriate with Stevens and Eddy holding off for another pairing.

As for the plot, It doesn't take much to see through Eddy's disguise (especially since it appears that he is wearing a rubber mask) and it seems that Stevens would instantly recognize all the costumes he wears to disguise himself. Eddy does seem to take on a second personality (particularly in a knife-throwing dance number) as his character really gets into his alter-ego, taking away the sometimes wooden performance that frequented in most of his films. Perhaps a break from Jeanette was just what he needed...

After their seventh teaming in Bittersweet did not fare as well in the box office the previous year, MGM decided to split Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald for their next films. Nelson was given his choice of leading lady and he picked Rise Stevens of the Metropolitan Opera.

If nothing else, Louis B. Mayer prided himself on bringing class to the cinema and he never met a diva he didn't want to sign for MGM. Eddy, who didn't really get along with Mayer and was soon to leave MGM after a spat with him, I think knew just how much it would cost to sign someone from the outside and he made Mayer spend the dough.

Rise Stevens had appeared with him on radio so Nelson's motives weren't completely to hurt Mayer financially. They worked well together here and maybe they could have been a screen team themselves. Rise Stevens had a good gift for comedy, very much like that other singer/actress Irene Dunne. But after The Chocolate Soldier and an appearance in Going My Way with Bing Crosby, she left the silver screen.

Like the Eddy/MacDonald feature Sweethearts this utilizes the music, but not the plot. Like Sweethearts the leads are appearing on stage in The Chocolate Soldier, but it's a backstage story for the plot. And the plot used is The Guardsman which MGM owned the rights to, having filmed it in 1931 with Alfred Lunt and Lynne Fontanne.

Eddy and Stevens look so good and sing so beautifully on stage, but that doesn't account for Eddy's all consuming jealousy over his wife. His Othello act doesn't even need an Iago for a boost, he's creating all kinds of imaginary lovers for Stevens. Finally he decides to put her to the test, playing a phony Russian opera singer with beard and Cossack costume. Stevens however is up to the challenge and it's a pretty funny film that follows.

The two leads have some nice duets together, particularly the My Hero duet from Oscar Straus's Chocolate Soldier. But the big hits of this film are Moussorgsky's Song of the Flea and another song While My Lady Sleeps written by Bronislau Kaper and Gus Kahn. Both were standard items in Nelson Eddy concerts. Eddy recorded both, however the version I have of the Song of the Flea is in English and in The Chocolate Soldier, Nelson sings it in the original Russian.

It was a good teaming Eddy and Stevens and since right after this Jeanette and Nelson would be doing their last film together, I Married an Angel, it's unfortunate Stevens and Eddy did not do a few more films together themselves.

I heard so much about The Chocolate Soldier from watching clips of both Nelson Eddy and Rise Stevens on YouTube and people telling me how good it was, and desperately I wanted to see it. I finally saw it, and you know what, I wasn't disappointed.

I will agree that the story about a man suspecting his wife of infidelity is predictable and creaks with age, and the choreography at times was disappointingly unexciting and pedestrian. But putting these flaws aside, this is a truly beautiful and entertaining film. One thing for certain, the production values were simply fabulous. The lavish costumes and beautiful sets were really a wonder to look at. The score is phenomenal, featuring some Oscar Strauss hits like My Hero, Thank the Lord the War is Over, Sympathy and of course the Chocolate Soldier, and some well known opera gems like Mon Couer s'oeuvre a Ta voix from Saint Saens's Samson and Delilah and Evening Star from Wagner's Tannhauser. While my Lady Sleeps was stunning too, but the real highlight was the enormously entertaining Song of the Flea. The performances were sublime; while the beautiful Rise Stevens is probably at her loveliest and sings beautifully, it is the wonderful undervalued Nelson Eddy who steals the show with his beautiful resonant voice and flawless comic timing and stage presence. Nigel Bruce and Florence Bates are good too.

All in all, a beautiful film. Not perfect, but the production values, score and performances make it a treat. 8/10 Bethany Cox