New Moon is a 1940 American musical film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Robert Z. Leonard, with uncredited direction by W. S. Van Dyke.
It is the second film adaptation of the operetta The New Moon, which premiered on Broadway in 1928. The stage version featured music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and others. The first film adaptation, also titled New Moon, which premiered in 1930, was less faithful to the stage version.
Plot
During the 18th century in New Orleans, Louisiana, a French nobleman in disguise as a bondsman, Charles (Nelson Eddy) leads his fellow bondsman in revolt against his ship's captain, commandeering the ship and heading out to sea.
Cast
Jeanette MacDonald as Marianne de Beaumanoir
Nelson Eddy as Charles (Henri), Duc de Villiers
Mary Boland as Valerie de Rossac
George Zucco as Vicomte Ribaud
H. B. Warner as Father Michel
Grant Mitchell as Governor of New Orleans
Stanley Fields as Tambour
Dick Purcell as Alexander
John Miljan as Pierre Brugnon
Ivan F. Simpson as Guizot
William Tannen as Pierre
Cecil Cunningham as Governor's Wife
Joe Yule as Maurice
Ray Walker as Coco
George Irving as Ship's Captain
Edwin Maxwell as Captain de Jean
Robert Warwick as Commissar
Claude King as Monsieur Dubois
Buster Keaton as Prisoner Lulu (uncredited)
Reception
The film was included in the 1978 book, The Fifty Worst Films of All Time (and How They Got That Way), by Harry Medved, Randy Dreyfuss, and Michael Medved.