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The Firefly
MGM Pictures
Released: November 5, 1937
Runtime: 131 minutes
In probably his most well known and successful film, Allan Jones plays a French spy during the Napoleonic Wars and gets to costar with his faithful horse, Smokey.
The civilians of Madrid are preparing a wonderful day of festivities for the arrival of their new leader, King Ferdinand. However, a French general soon comes to a deliver an important message from Emperor Napoleon. He asks King Ferdinand to meet Napoleon in hopes of settling a dispute over what seems to be a forced abdication of Ferdinand’s predecessors. While Ferdinand gladly accepts to the conference, his advisor, the Marquis de Melito, fears that it is a trap…
Nina Maria Azara is “La Mosca de Fuego” (the firefly) and entertains civilians and French soldiers in a café with her mesmerizing singing and dancing. She performs, “Love is Like a Firefly” while flirting with some of the men in the audience, including a man named Don Diego. A French officer who is one of her suitors demands to see her after the show, but she already has plans to meet with the Marquis de Melito. Seeing that the officer will not leave without threatening the other man she meets that night, she returns to the stage and plans to make the officer believe she is meeting someone else. Don Diego has begun to sing “A Woman’s Kiss,” so Nina Maria takes the opportunity to join and kiss him in front of the officer. Nina Maria’s plan works and the officer leaves in a huff, but she then has the trouble of getting rid of her new admirer, Don Diego. He asks to see her again, but she only lets him walk her to her carriage where the Marquis is waiting.
At their meeting, we learn that Nina Maria is a Spanish spy and the Marquis gives her instructions for her next mission. She must obtain any information that will help to stop the King from going to the conference in France with Napoleon. He is already on his way and she must leave immediately for France. She travels the next day in a mule drawn carriage and is surprised to find that Diego has been following her the whole time. He insists on entertaining her along the way, so she agrees to a song. He sings, “The Donkey Serenade,” which she thoroughly enjoys. Once at her first stop in Victoria, he pleads to see her again, but she wishes to be alone. Nina Maria meets with a secret messenger who tells her that the King has already left Madrid and will be stopping in Victoria. He tells her to purchase a pair of messenger birds in France to send back if she learns of anything about the conference. Diego surprises her again that evening while she is dining at the tavern. He has already prepared dinner and one of his specialties, a flaming omelet. He and a male chorus serve it to her with a short song, “Para La Salud.” They enjoy the rest of the evening and take a romantic walk through town. They settle on a bed of hay in a wagon, and he serenades her again with “Giannina Mia” She is taken aback but not ready to be swooning in his arms. She tells him she will resume her travels and that she cannot see him again.
Nina Maria leaves for France where she hopes to find more information about the conference. She makes a lavish appearance for a gathering of the French military and sings, “He Who Loves and Runs Away.” She spots Diego who has again managed to follow her. She also spots Colonel de Rouchemont who works closely with Napoleon. She flirts with him during her performance and takes his hat to lure him backstage. Rouchemont, who is completely seduced, arranges to meet her at his home for lunch the next day.
Before meeting Rouchemont, Nina Maria goes to the market to buy her messenger birds. Once again, Diego just happens to be there and treats her with flowers and fresh foods. He convinces her to sit with him at the river. They sing the duet, “Sympathy,” embrace, and kiss. They profess their love for each other and she gifts him a medallion of her parents as a sign of her love before she leaves for her lunch date. She learns that Rouchemont will not be able to make the date but she goes to his house anyways to snoop around. He returns while she is there and tells her that he will be leaving for Victoria to meet the King and escort him into France. He lets her stay while he gets ready and she sings “When a Maid Comes Knocking at Your Heart” on the piano. Rouchemont is again taken by her beauty and talent. He embraces her while she sneaks the chance to glance at his papers. One of them is an order of arrest for the King, which confirms that the conference is indeed a trap.
She returns to her hotel to send the message to Victoria but finds that her birds have been replaced with different ones. She fears that Diego did this and goes to his apartment to find out. He is there talking with French officials and we learn that he is really Captain Andre, a spy for the French Military Intelligence. The officials hide while he meets with Nina Maria. She gives him a fake message to send for her and the officials come out and snatch it out of her hands. This confirms that Diego did switch her birds and that he cannot be trusted. Before Nina Maria leaves the next day to report back to the Marquis, Diego stops to return her medallion and explain that while he was following orders, he also fell in love with her unintentionally. He confesses his love again but she turns him away.
Back in Spain, the King was unable to be stopped and fell victim to Napoleon’s trap. The French have replaced King Ferdinand with Joseph Bonaparte. Soon after, the Spanish rebellion starts and the war begins once the British come to their aid. Meanwhile, Nina Maria is working undercover as a gypsy behind French lines. Rouchemont finds her during one of her performances and takes her back to headquarters. He catches her with a note that has an exact copy of the French lines and an encoded message. He is furious and has Captain Andre/Diego decode the message. Since this means that the British must know their plan of attack, Rouchemont has Diego send a message to the military with a new formation. Nina Maria is sent to prison to be tried and possibly executed.
Diego comes to her cell and tells her of how many times he wished that he could be with her after the war and how much he loves her. The battle starts but the British seem to be rapidly forcing their way into France. Diego is confused and Nina Maria tells him that it was planned for her to be caught with the note and for the French to send a message for a new formation. That way, the British would know what their original plans were and could thus plan their attack. Diego rushes out to battle but the explosions are coming too near. He tries to go back to the cell to save Nina Maria but collapses as a building crumbles around him. Nina Maria screams in horror and sings a reprise of “Giannina Mia” while she watches in agony.
After the battle ceases and the war is over, Nina Maria searches for Diego in a hospital. She finds him and they run away together in a mule drawn carriage singing a reprise of “The Donkey Serenade” and “Giannina Mia.”
Credits
Director…Robert Z. Leonard
Producer…Hunt Stromberg
Screenplay…Frances Goodrich
Book/Lyrics…Otto A. Harbach
Adapted By…Ogden Nash
Music…Rudolph Friml
Music Direction…Herbert Stothart
Additional Lyrics…Gus Kahn
Special Lyrics…Bob Wright and Chet Forrest
Dances…Albertina Rasch
Recording Director…Douglas Shearer
Art Director…Cedric Gibbons
Associates…Paul Groesse, Edwin B. Willis, Elmer Sheeley
Gowns…Adrian
Cinematography…Oliver T. Marsh
Montage Effects…Slavko Vorkapich
Technical Advisor…George Richelavie
Film Editor…Robert J. Kern
Cast
Jeanette Macdonald…Nina Maria Azara
Allan Jones…Don Diego/Captain Andre
Warren William…Colonel de Rouchemont
Billy Gilbert…Inn Keeper
Douglass Dumbrille…Marquis de Melito
Henry Daniell…General Savary
Leonard Penn…Etienne DuBois
Tom Rutherford…King Ferdinand
Belle Mitchell…Lola
George Zucco…St. Clair, Secret Sevice Chief
Corbet Morris…Duvall
Matthew Boulton…Duke of Wellington
Soundtrack
• “Love is Like a Firefly”
o Sung by Jeanette Macdonald
o Music: Rudolf Friml
o Lyrics: Otto A. Harbach, Bob Wright, Chet Forret
• “A Woman’s Kiss”
o Sung by Allan Jones, background vocal by Jeanette Macdonald
o Music: Rudolf Friml
o Lyrics: Bob Wright, Chet Forrest
• “The Donkey Serenade”
o Sung by Allan Jones, reprised by Allan Jones and Jeanette Macdonald
o Music: Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart
o Lyrics: Bob Wright and Chet Forrest
• “Para La Salud”
o Sung by Allan Jones and male chorus
o Arranged by Herbert Stothart
• “Giannina Mia”
o Sung by Allan Jones, reprised by Jeanette Macdonad, reprised by Allan Jones and Jeanette Macdonald
o Music: Rudolf Friml
o Lyrics: Otto A. Harbach
• “He Who Loves and Runs Away”
o Sung by Jeanette Macdonald
o Music: Rudolf Friml
o Lyrics: Gus Kahn
• “Sympathy
o Sung by Jeanette Macdonald and Allan Jones
o Music: Rudolf Friml
o Lyrics: Otto A. Harbach
• “When a Maid Comes Knocking at Your Heart”
o Sung by Jeanette Macdonald
o Music: Rudolf Friml
o Lyrisc: Otto A. Harbach, Bob Wright, Chet Forrest