A total piece of fiction deals with the legendary Peter Stuyvescent and his reign as governor of the colony, his love for a young maiden (Constance Dowling) and his manipulation of a young journalist (Nelson Eddy) whom Dowling loves, getting him out of the way by sending him to prison.
Coburn is a delightful old codger, crafty and manipulative and as young inside as Eddy is outside. That is covered in his big solo, "September Song", which humanizes him, although where there's politics and power, there's doubt of integrity. Coburn's presence was acceptable to the public because of his lovable quotient at the time, considering the popularity of Walter Huston who originated this part and had a hit single with "September Song".
Eddy and Dowling lack the chemistry he had with Jeanette Macdonald; she's just average as a leading lady. A very thin Shelley Winters (no s, though listed in her last name) is noticeable in a shocking small cameo. Percy Kilbride (looking like Stan Laurel while playing one of the Schemerhorn's) and Ernest Cossart are also recognizable underneath their heavy Puritan costumes.
There's a delightful opening explaining why it's New Amsterdam, not New York. It's played as a farce, obviously a parody at the times. Something tells me that's not how the original on Broadway was written. So it's a nice entertaining musical, one I can call the best ever set in New Amsterdam, well probably the only one.
Coburn is a delightful old codger, crafty and manipulative and as young inside as Eddy is outside. That is covered in his big solo, "September Song", which humanizes him, although where there's politics and power, there's doubt of integrity. Coburn's presence was acceptable to the public because of his lovable quotient at the time, considering the popularity of Walter Huston who originated this part and had a hit single with "September Song".
Eddy and Dowling lack the chemistry he had with Jeanette Macdonald; she's just average as a leading lady. A very thin Shelley Winters (no s, though listed in her last name) is noticeable in a shocking small cameo. Percy Kilbride (looking like Stan Laurel while playing one of the Schemerhorn's) and Ernest Cossart are also recognizable underneath their heavy Puritan costumes.
There's a delightful opening explaining why it's New Amsterdam, not New York. It's played as a farce, obviously a parody at the times. Something tells me that's not how the original on Broadway was written. So it's a nice entertaining musical, one I can call the best ever set in New Amsterdam, well probably the only one.