EARLY YEARS (1903-1929)

Jeanette MacDonald was born on June 18, 1903 in West Philadelphia. Her father was Daniel MacDonald, of Scottish ancestry, and a salesman for a small lumber company. Her mother was Anna Wright, of English and Dutch descent. Both were Presbyterian. Jeanette had two older sisters, Elsie MacDonald and Blossom MacDonald. During her childhood and teenage years, Jeanette took dancing and singing lessons. In 1912 she appeared in a Kiddie Revue in Philadelphia. Her father took her to New York City in 1920 to visit her sister Blossom Rock, who was now married. It was here that Jeanette landed a job as a chorus girl in "The Demi-Tasse Revue" at the Capitol Theatre on 50th Street and Broadway. Jeanette was a born flirt and an extrovert. In no time at all, with her talent and good looks , she made her way up in show business. She made her Broadway debut at the Liberty Theatre in 1922 and by 1923 she was very successful in "The Magic Ring" which she toured in for one year. Back on Broadway in 1925, Jeanette was cast in George and Ira Gershwin's "Tip Top." Then stardom followed in such productions as "Bubbling Over," "Yes, Yes, Yvette," and "Sunny Days." In 1929 Jeanette worked for the Schuberts in "Boom Boom," a musical comedy with a young actor named Archibald Leach (Cary Grant). The show was a huge success in Chicago. At this point she took a screen test for the movies. When German film director Ernst Lubitsch saw and heard her screen test, he knew that he had the right lady for his upcoming new sound movie, "The Love Parade."