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The Birthday Cake for Nelson |
On the week of June 24-30, NEAS held it's annual Cambridge Springs gathering to celebrate Nelson's brithday. Diane has once again given us permission to post her account of the event, including this year photographs she took as well.
Cambridge Springs, 2004
Our Nelson’s Birthday Week began for me on June 23, when I went to Detroit’s Metro Airport to pick up a new member, Jael Barstow. She looked lovely in a 1940's light blue outfit she had created for herself. We had a great time that evening getting to know each other and pouring over Nelson memorabilia. We could not stay up too late, as we had to be on the road early on Thursday, June 24 for our drive to Cambridge Springs.
Jael and I were on the road by 9am and heading for Sylvania, OH to pick up Dorothy Coats. Soon the three of us were heading east to Cambridge Springs. The weather was good for driving and we had an uneventful drive until a truck lost its load in Cleveland, bringing all traffic to a halt. It took us 45 minutes to go about 2 miles, but when we broke free, it was clear sailing from there. There was a detour on 6N in PA, though due to a bridge being out, but we got to see some of the lush countryside and didn’t complain, too much.
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Nelson's Cousin George Hoge |
Upon arriving at the Inn, many of our friends were already there. It was such a thrill to see everyone again. We checked in, and had to hurry to be in time for dinner as we were running a bit late. After dinner, the first session was held in the upstairs ballroom where we all introduced ourselves and Dr. Marsh introduced the program for the entire week. We found that we were honored with the presence of Nelson’s 2nd cousin, George Hoge and his wife, Lillian. George is on the Kendrick side of the family and resembles Nelson in many ways. George’s mother was Kathryn Kirk Kendrick whose father was Clark Kendrick, first cousin to Isabel Kendrick Eddy, Nelson’s mom. We are happy to announce that both George and Lillian Hoge are now members of the NEAS.
We viewed the PBS special, American’s Singing Sweethearts. As most of us were tired after a day of traveling, we bid each other good night.
Friday morning came and the Inn’s breakfast buffet was its usual feast. We all gathered in the ballroom, our main meeting place since the Victoria Room was occupied with the shows being presented at the dinner theater. The day’s first viewing was a tape of John Miles, baritone from a former Cambridge Springs performance. What a talent he is and such a wonderful representation of scholarship money being well spent.
The weather was turning cool and rainy. This was a change as in prior years, it was always hot and humid at Cambridge Springs. We posed for the group photo on the veranda steps, and the rain couldn’t stop our enthusiasm. Back to the ballroom, we viewed a film called Blessed Event. It starred Lee Tracy, Mary Brian and of course Dick Powell. This film represented the pre-code “hero.” This type hero was brash and wise-cracking, in contrast to post code heros such as Nelson Eddy, who represented a strong, romantic saver of womankind.
Friday afternoon saw us watching Deep In My Heart, a bio-pic on Sigmund Romberg. The story was romantic and the music, divine!
After a grand Concord Room dinner, I spoke to the membership regarding all of the changes happening within the NEAS. Many rumors were floating about and it was time to set the record straight. I was hearing such terms as “the new regime” and hearing fears that philosophies were changing too quickly. I told the group that I came to The Riverside Inn this year with an open mind, ready for suggestions. I also advised that I had been informed via email by Dr. Marsh that it would be his last year to lecture for the NEAS. I spoke with him twice to see if this decision was “written in stone,” and much to everyone’s delight, he said he would come again next year. Mary Fox advised she would still be available for running movies, Lynnette Peffley confirmed she would continue as the musical director and others such as Bill Truesdell and Darv Reaume said they would be willing to step in at any time when asked. It was clear that those attending the week at Cambridge Springs wanted these yearly meetings to continue. Mike and Marie Halliday, owners of the Riverside Inn, also voiced their wish that we continue to visit as the staff looks forward to seeing old friends each June. With this consensus and with such a strong feeling of family, we decided that the yearly meeting at The Riverside Inn would continue. I am told that Dr. Marsh is already hard at work preparing for next year’s gathering, and it is none too soon as plans must be made nearly a year in advance in order to bring this event together .
I also discussed the idea of Regional Meetings. Many, especially online members, would like to have smaller, local meetings. We do not think that the yearly meeting at Cambridge Springs would interfere in any way with regional meetings taking place all over the world. There are several meetings already in the planning stages around the country. These meetings will be as casual or formal as the host decides. When and if these meetings come to fruition, we will announce them on the website and hope the hosts will share their stories with us as well. The Regional format will give members a chance to meet others who live in their area and learn about the artistic venues in the area. Ideas suggested were visiting revival movie houses, going to art museums, catching a local play or show. Hopefully with the combination of our yearly Riverside meeting and the Regional meetings, members will stay active and get to know one another more fully.
I also announced during my talk, that there is still hope for a Grammy Award for Nelson and/or Jeanette. I spoke with the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences before my trip to Cambridge, and learned that their May meeting did not allow time for the choosing of the Legendary Performer and this ballot was rescheduled for the November meeting. They said they would be announcing the winner near Christmas time. I hope to find out as soon as possible and let everyone know if our special performers will be honored at the February broadcast of the Grammy Awards.
I also relayed the request I recently received from a member. She lost a dear friend who was also a Nelson and Jeanette fan. Instead of sending flowers, she chose to make a donation to the NEAS in this woman’s name. I followed up with a letter to the family and will feature a tribute in the Fall journal. I feel this is a fitting and meaningful service that NEAS can provide.
After some “technical difficulties” that Bill Truesdell and Mary Fox soon straightened out, we viewed the 1955 version of The Desert Song, the version that will soon be available thanks to the kind permission of Earl William Sauvain and Gale Sherwood. Everyone commented on the visual quality and enjoyed being able to actually see the acting nuances presented by Nelson, Gale, Earl and the cast. The final DVD/VHS that will be available to the membership will also include Earl’s lecture at Cambridge Springs in 2000. All profits of the sale will benefit the Scholarship Fund. Both DVD and VHS will cost $30 each including shipping within the USA. I will advise when they are available and orders are presently being taken. I expect product any day now. This will make a wonderful addition to your memorabilia and help a wonderful cause.
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Saturday morning we had the treat of hearing Jeanne Pusch speak to us about Nelson. Jeanne knew Nelson and had wonderful reminiscences of his concert-touring days.
Next we viewed the first all-talking, all-singing musical from Hollywood, The Desert Song of 1929 starring John Boles. We are all spoiled by today’s technology and seeing how microphones and cameras were permanent fixtures, affecting the mobility of the actors seemed quite amusing. The singers also had to look offstage at the orchestra director’s instructions. We’ve come a long, long way in many respects in film-making.
After lunch, I dialed Perry and Lucy Pickering’s home. Perry and Lucy had sent a lovely bouquet of flowers for the group, pictured above in this newsletter if photos appear in the format you are using. We used a cell phone and were able to pass it from member to member to speak with Lucy. She was overwhelmed by the surprise and love shown that afternoon. Perry and Lucy were so missed and were obvious by their absence. Their spirits were with us always, especially during the singing of old Nelson favorite songs.
We continued our trek through the sand with the presentation of The Desert Song starring Dennis Morgan and Irene Manning. This 1946 version emphasized the battle with the Riffs and the music was used in unique ways, such as warning the Riffs. Romance was not in the fore. This was filmed during WWII when portraying the support of the war effort was paramount. The wonderfully romantic song, One Alone suddenly served as a patriotic song.
That evening, we were treated to dinner at the Victoria Room Dinner Theater. The show was by The Taffetas, a group of 4 women singers ala the Lennon Sisters of Lawrence Welk fame. They each wore a bright taffeta dress, hair bow and pumps and huge bouffant hairdos. They sang many wonderful old tunes from the late 50's and early 60's. Their repartee was delightful.
After the theater, many met in my suite for the Tokay PJ Party. The Hallidays’ were very generous in donating a cheese and cracker set up for the occasion, and the Tokay flowed. Not all showed up in their jammies, but many did. We enjoyed each other’s company, poured over scrapbooks and albums and raised money for the scholarship fund with the sale of photos and articles and various other memorabilia. The remaining bottles of Tokay were sold with all monies benefiting the Scholarship Fund.
Sunday morning was a delight with a presentation by Mary Truesdell. Mary is an avid researcher who visits Hollywood often. She discussed Nelson as the romantic hero and the effect that the code rules had on scripts of the day, referring to the “transient feminine adventures.” Mary also discussed the various Maytime script evolutions. Some of these script changes were a blessing. We agreed we are happy we have the final result, as Maytime is a favorite to many of us.
Dodona Kizaria then spoke of how seeing Maytime affected her life during the harsh days in Communist Russia. Dodona was a citizen of Georgia in the Soviet Union.
In the afternoon, I was proud to present A Perfect Day-The Dedication of Nelson Eddy Drive-September 27, 2003. The members enjoyed the heart-felt comments spoken by the attendees of the Dedication, especially from the new, young members who already have a deep, abiding appreciation for Nelson. The presentation ended with the Cemetery’s bio of Nelson. Anyone interested in obtaining a copy can contact me for information.
Dodona spoke again before the viewing of Balalaika. She spoke of the differences in reality of the Cossacks and the Hollywood versions. She also told us that Nelson’s Russian was excellent. She translated some of Nelson’s comments in The Chocolate Soldier while he was portraying Vassilly. We were told that The Volga Boatmen was the story of the men who dragged merchant boats up and down the Volga River. Also, the poetic license taken by depicting Cossacks fighting in trenches. Cossacks would only fight from horseback with sabers and a Prince would not ever be their leader.
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Lynnette Peffley’s son, Eric addressed the group. Eric is just back from his duty in Iraq. He was greeted with rousing applause from an appreciative audience. He spoke eloquently about the side of Iraq that the media seldom covers. Many citizens of Iraq are thankful for the US presence and many of the efforts to rebuild Iraq are not mentioned on our newscasts. Eric’s unit helped with supplying fresh water to troops and citizens alike. Then he went on as essentially military police to escort fuel trucks and other vital vehicles on their dangerous trips.
Eric answered questions from the group with grace and intelligence. He may be a reluctant hero, but we’re surely proud of him and all of our men and women in uniform.
Before the start of the concert by John Miles, we were informed by Bill Truesdell that Dr. Marsh had taken his wife, Charlotte to the hospital with painful kidney stones. A silence arose from the gathering as we offered prayers for her recovery.
A treat of all treats was had that evening when John Miles gave a live concert in the Victoria Room. He was dressed to the 9's in tuxedo. John is certainly the best “poster child” for the Scholarship Fund! He continues to grow and mature in voice and we were transported by his program. I noticed that Gloria Pollock, chairperson of the Scholarship Fund was a very proud “mom.” Wine and cheese followed the concert where we all got to visit with John Miles and his dear wife.
Monday we watched parts of the Lunt and Fountanne version of The Guardsman. As Lunt and Fountanne usually performed this on stage, the film version appeared to be a “filmed stage play.” Although much of the script was used in The Chocolate Soldier with Nelson and Rise Stevens, we all found Nelson’s version to be far superior in humor and filming technique.
The Raffle and Memorabilia Sale took place after dinner. Gloria informs me that once all of the accounting is finished, we may top even last year’s all-time high in donations. The most sought-after piece was a photo album donated by Betty Lotz which she obtained from the Jeanne Murphy Estate. The cover was hand-crocheted by Jeanne and contained many lovely photos of Nelson. The lucky winner was Claire Schwartz’s mom, Loraine Froheip of MI.
Claire Schwartz was offering her newly published book, Rosalie. Copies of Rosalie may be obtained through the NEAS website at http://www.2.xlibris.com/bookstore/ or by contacting me for further details.
The movie Sweethearts was shown to everyone’s delight. Always a winner on the big screen! We then learned that Charlotte Marsh required laser surgery to break up the kidney stones. Dr. Marsh informed us that she came through and was getting the much-needed rest she required. Our thoughts and prayers were with both of them.
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A call was placed to Perry Pickering, who is presently under home hospice care. He complimented me on my efforts and organizational skills used in my new position as president of NEAS. I passed the phone to Alan Atkinson as Perry wished to sing once more with Alan. Perry was too weak to sing, so the phone was passed to Janet Dreyer who sang With a Rose in her Hair to Perry. It was such a special moment for the three of us to share with the Pickerings.
Later that evening, Dr. Marsh was able to return to the group as we explored the grim reality of the Middle East situation. We soon saw that the Riffs were not the romantics portrayed in earlier films, but brutal bands of fighters. Bill Truesdell spoke about the Great White Fleet with his expertise as a Naval Captain. We then viewed parts of Wind and the Lion starring Sean Connery and Candice Bergen.
We then split into two groups, the “singers” and the lovers of Naughty Marietta. This was a tough choice! Many of us sang Nelson’s great songs to the accompaniment of Lynnette Peffley in the back Parlor, while others chose to watch Naughty Marietta in the ballroom.
Tuesday, June 29, Nelson’s Birthday! We were happy to know that TCM was broadcasting Nelson and Jeanette movies all day long. Must admit that the TV in the front lobby was always in use that day!
To break the tension of the Riffs from the night before, we were treated to Willie the Whale. Several members had never seen it before. What talent our hero has! We then watched Jeanne Murphy’s tape with excerpts from New Moon. Many were so taken with the short version that they stayed for the full showing. We also saw bits of New Moon starring Lawrence Tibbitt and Grace Moore. We all preferred the Nelson and Jeanette version, or post-code version that returned to romance and decency.
We enjoyed the play, Never Too Old at a matinee lunch performance.
The Annual Nelson Eddy Golf Open was sponsored by Darv and Pat Reaume. We finally had a lovely day to sit on the Inn grounds and enjoy the tournament. Darv and Pat supplied many prizes and a grand time was had by all.
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Dinner was now at hand for Nelson’s Birthday celebration. We all sang a song to the tune of Rose Marie with words especially written for the occasion by Carolyn Griffin. This song was followed by the traditional birthday song. The cake was cut and we all enjoyed! Speaking of the cake, it was a beauty. A huge sheet cake of vanilla and chocolate iced in white frosting and decorated in red flowers and birthday wishes. Beside the candle lit cake was a lovely floral tribute sent by Nevella Kiter and a small portrait of Nelson that was won in auction by Charlotte Thompson.
The air was electric with excitement as we gathered in the back parlor for the much-anticipated Talent Show. It was sensational and we are now all anxiously awaiting the videotape recorded by Mary Fox. We were thrilled to romantic duets by Marlene Vrscak and Allen Atkinson as well as lovely solos by many other members including Janet Dreyer, Bill Truesdell, who was also host for the evening, Glenn Pusch, Lynnette Peffley, Jean Bordelon, and Marsha Bonta . We certainly have a talented group. We enjoyed another wine and cheese social that evening.
Wednesday had arrived all too soon. We had our final farewell session where Marlene Vrscak’s husband, Bill, a watercolor artist announced his plan to create a Nelson keepsake to be made available to the NEAS members. I will have further information as this work of art progresses.
Faye Wheatley announced the winners of her famous Nelson Eddy quiz. All entrants won a prize. Now you can’t beat that!
Dr. Marsh assured us he would return next year and gave us our homework assignment. He listed various books that might be of interest like Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto. Dr. Marsh also showed us bits of the filmed stage play, Oklahoma, starring Hugh Jackman. We learned how the original film version of Oklahoma marked the end of operetta, a medium based on romance, and the beginning of the American Musical Theater which now included dark influences beyond love, making romance incidental to the plot. In summation, Dr. Marsh told us that since Nelson and Jeanette had attained the heights of stardom in their field and were the irresistible romantic couple, no one could hope to equal them, so no attempt was made to copy them, but instead, musicals took a turn in another direction i.e. The “buddy movies” with the likes of Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra.
On closing, Dr. Marsh announced that next year the dates would be the same, June 24-30, 2005. Hope to see you all there!
Diane