Jeanette MacDonald, a renowned actress, took notice of the dashing baritone, who was merely nineteen years old at the time, when he performed in the chorus of the 1936 film San Francisco. She was so impressed that she took an early interest in his career, and the studio subsequently signed him on as the backup for Nelson Eddy in the 1938 film The Girl of the Golden West.
Although McPhail did not receive any screen time in his debut film, his career began to gain momentum in 1939 and 1940, when he appeared alongside MacDonald, Judy Garland, Eleanor Powell, and his future wife, Betty Jaynes, in a series of musical films. The studio had high hopes for him, grooming him as the next Nelson Eddy, but unfortunately, they failed to recognize the changing tastes of the movie-going public, who had grown tired of his style of singing.
As his career began to decline, McPhail's personal life also suffered. His marriage failed, and he turned to drinking to cope with his struggles. Roles became scarce, and after a previous suicide attempt, McPhail ultimately succeeded in taking his own life on December 6, 1944, by poisoning himself.
