

In 1948, MacDonald returned to MGM to make her last two films, Three Daring Daughters (1948), with 'Jane Powell' and The Sun Comes Up (1949). In 1944, she began working in theatre and on stage, starring in such musicals as The King and I, and gave numerous sold out concerts. In 1943, she made her operatic debut in Montreal, Canada. After making Cairo 'City of Contrast' (1938), Jeanette left MGM to pursue other interests. The marriage lasted 28 years till her death in 1965. On June 17, 1937, Jeanette married actor Gene Raymond, in a spectacular Hollywood fashion - it was the best attended wedding of the decade. The pair made eight pictures together, from then on forever known as America's Singing Sweethearts. In 1935, MacDonald was paired with, Nelson Eddy in Naughty Marietta (1935).

Jeanette was a striking red-head, with big blue eyes and this made her an interest to many men at the studio. Jeanette soon became known as The Iron Butterfly, for she was one of the most lady-like and beautiful women on the MGM lot, but when it came to her contracts, she was tough and could strike a deal quickly that suited her. After making several films at Paramount, Fox and UA, Irving Thalberg convinced her to come to MGM in 1933. Her talent soon was spotted by Ernst Lubitsch, and she signed with Paramount early in 1929 to star in the Lubitsch-Chevalier film, The Love Parade (1929). Jeanette was a very talented operatic singer/lyrical soprano, with a wide vocal range, E above high C, close to 3 octaves. By age 13, she was winning singing contests along the eastern United States. Jeanette MacDonald began her career at age 6, where she had small roles in theaters and operas.

Emotionally tearful, but polite crowds listened to a recording of "Ah, Sweet Mystery" at her Forest Lawn funeral, which was attended by Hollywood celebrities ranging from Mary Pickford and Charles (Buddy) Rogers to Nelson Eddy, Irene Dunne, and Ronald Reagan. She suffered heart ailments and, after an arterial transplant in 1963, died of a heart attack in Houston in 1965. Her last public appearance, singing "Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life", was at the funeral of Louis B. She hoped to enter grand opera she did take lessons and gave concert recitals. During World War II she often did USO shows. None of that stuff for me." - the movie, of course, was San Francisco (1936). He at first refused - "I just sit there while she sings. For her next project she insisted Clark Gable should co-star. She got the lead in Thalberg's property The Merry Widow (1934), and her next MGM vehicle, Naughty Marietta (1935) brought her together with Nelson Eddy. She went to Europe where she met Irving Thalberg and his wife Norma Shearer (whom she loaned both her hairdresser and chauffeur). Musicals went into decline and Paramount dropped her in 1931 her next pictures with Chevalier went nowhere. In 1928 Paramount tested and rejected her, but a year later Ernst Lubitsch saw her test and picked her to play opposite Maurice Chevalier in The Love Parade (1929). She was busy in a string of musical productions. She was the third daughter of Daniel and Anne MacDonald, younger sister to Blossom (MGM's character actress Marie Blake), whom she followed to New York and a chorus job in 1920.
