"I was lucky. I had ideals and philosophies and the strength of a good home life as weapons."

"You have to sense changes in public taste... and if you don't anticipate the changes, well, you're just sunk."

"I'm sure that people must say about me, on the screen, 'Good gracious, is Jeanette MacDonald going to take off her clothes - again?'"

"Halfway ambition can be a dangerous thing. If you've a burning desire to be something, do something."

"A MacDonald home without dogs is like ham without eggs."

"I believe a man and woman should stand on the same level.  One should not be looked down upon as though she were inferior; the other should not be looked up to fearfully or conciliated as if he were a human devil."

"Given a voice, the girl who wants to become a singer must ... be possessed of a determination to succeed that consumes her every other thought."

"I sing for Democrats and Republicans, black and white, everyone, and I just can't talk politics."

"Whether you sing in an auditorium, a saloon,a dive, or an air-raid shelter, good music will appeal."

"I find nothing sustaining or beautiful in much of the so-called pop music of today."