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.
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.
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.[2]
