The pairing of Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald in a series of eight operetta-style films vividly caught the imagination of 1930s audiences. MGM brought Eddy and MacDonald together for the first time in 1931 for NAUGHTY MARIETTA, and its follow-up, ROSE MARIE, was even more successful, aided by the evergreen "Rose Marie" and "Indian Love Call." The 1940 film NEW MOON, one of their biggest box-office hits, included the enduring Hammerstein tune "Lover, Come Back To Me." The onset of World War II changed moviegoers’ tastes, and both Eddy and McDonald moved on to other projects. McDonald began to train seriously for an operatic career, and her efforts were met with both critical and popular acclaim. She continued to give concerts and record until her death in 1965.