Where am I?: "San Francisco" Jeannette MacDonald (1936)
By John Roberts
@JohnRoberts (109857)
Los Angeles, California
April 19, 2018 7:57am CST
Few if any of you will be familiar with this song unless an old movie aficionado and viewer of Turner Classic Movies. “San Francisco” was hugely popular in its day and has endured to the point of point of sharing official city song status with “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” This is the title song to MGM’s 1936 blockbuster box office hit starring Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy and Jeannette MacDonald. Gable plays a saloon keeper in the rough and tumble Barbary Coast, MacDonald his star attraction and Tracy his priest best friend. The movie’s big moment is the 1906 earthquake which was state of the art special effects spectacle back then. “San Francisco” was nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture. Music was composed by Hollywood veterans Bronislaw Kaper and Walter Jurmann with lyrics by Tin Pan Alley legend Gus Kahn. MacDonald was a huge music star best known for light operetta teamings with Maurice Chevalier and Nelson Eddy. “San Francisco” is played after every 49ers score.
The lovely amd fondly remembered Jeanette MacDonald sings a great MGM standard from the 1936 film. Restored and sweetened soundtrack. They sure don't write '...
5 people like this
5 responses
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
19 Apr 18
But not at Nelson Eddy lol?
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62443)
• United States
20 Apr 18
@JohnRoberts -- poor old Nelson Eddy, just as bad as poor old Johnnie Ray at the beginning of "Come On Eileen," huh? 
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (170469)
• United States
19 Apr 18
One old flick! I usually avoid TCM but once in awhile they have something on there that captures my interest. I wouldn't mind watching GTW again. I think I saw West Side Story on there last summer..and it had been years since I had seen that. I had forgotten most of the story.
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
19 Apr 18
I remember the movie. I also read a book about the 1906 quake which was a really spectacular and terrible disaster
1 person likes this
