Hollywood had a history of making bloated, boring extravaganzas in the past and this could have been just one more, but this time everything fell into place. It deserved its four Academy Award wins, including Best Picture and the enormous success it had with the public. Its three hour running time only drags a bit near the end, But then wraps itself up quickly. Because it was about Florenz Ziegfeld, a man who took living large to new extremes, it simply had to be a big and lavish film. It was directed by Robert z. Leonard, who had directed many of the MacDonald-Eddy musicals.
The cast is one of the film's greatest assets. William Powell is in one of his his best roles here, his natural warmth and charm energizing the entire production and carrying the film which was no mean feat. Luise Rainer's Anna Held is charming, vulnerable and sympathetic. Old pro Frank Morgan is fine as Ziegfeld's competitor and friend Jack Billings, the one imaginary character among the principals. Myrna Loy wisely chose just to be her charming self as Ziegfeld's second wife, Billie Burke instead of imitating her unique mannerisms. Burke was going to play herself in the original conception of the film at Universal, but when MGM took it over (it was too expensive for Universal) they wanted a better known star. Besides, Ziegfeld met Miss Burke when she was 26 and by this time she was 51, while Myrna Loy was 30. Nat Pendleton, the former Olympic medal-winning wrestler, played Sandow and would later play lieutenant Guild in two of the Thin Man pictures. Reginald Owen, as usual is the perfect English butler and Herman Bing makes the most as Ziegfeld's eternally flustered costumer.
The script is what you would expect of a Thirties film, with many saccharine moments, but it never overdoes it too much, not even in the famous "telephone scene". For a Hollywood biopic is actually stays fairly close to many events in Ziegfeld's life, and certainly to his extravagant spirit. His father really did found a music conservatory in Chicago, and he really did get his start with strongman Sandow at the 1896 Chicago World's Fair. He did find Anna held in London and did promote her in New York with shameless publicity stunts. His ceaseless womanizing was sanitized for the film but did have a long affair with Follies star Lillian Lorraine, an erratic, irresponsible woman thinly disguised here as Audrey Dane (played by Virginia Bruce). It was actually Anna who suggested doing a follies show similar to the Folies Bergere in Paris, somehow not realizing she was putting a kid in a candy store. He did marry Billie Burke, His habit of giving extravagant gifts and sending telegrams to people who were nearby are well documented.The script had a few nice touches that could almost go unnoticed: men, like those from the barber shop incident mispronounce his name as Mr. "Ziegfield" (a common error) when he presents them with tickets, but those who actually know him call him Ziegfeld.
The musical numbers were wisely kept to just a few, preventing the film from becoming a vaudeville show. The two main numbers, the extraordinary "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody" number and the Midnight Frolic on the roof of the New Amsterdam are back to back, seeming to overstuff the film's middle, but were separated by an intermission in theaters. The only misstep was cutting Fanny Brice off just as she begins her signature song, My Man. What were they thinking? I'd have much rather had that number in instead of the dog and pony show that occurs later in the film. The film rightfully won the best Dance Direction Oscar for the Pretty Girl production, one of the most famous musical scenes in Thirties film, with its elaborate costumes and staging and its mix of Dvorak, Liszt, Johann Strauss, Mascagni and Gershwin.
If you want to give it a try, set some time aside and enjoy this great epic musical of the Thirties.
Trivia fact: One of the Ziegfeld girls in the film was played by Patricia Ryan, the future Pat Nixon.
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Great Ziegfeld VHS
William Powell
(Actor),
Myrna Loy
(Actor),
Robert Z. Leonard
(Director)
&
0
more Rated: Format: VHS Tape
Unrated
IMDb6.7/10.0
$10.99$10.99
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January 1, 2002 "Please retry" | — | 2 | $3.95 | $2.56 |
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Product details
- Package Dimensions : 7.6 x 4 x 1.6 inches; 1.2 Pounds
- Director : Robert Z. Leonard
- Run time : 3 hours and 6 minutes
- Release date : October 5, 1999
- Date First Available : October 26, 2006
- Actors : William Powell, Myrna Loy, Luise Rainer, Frank Morgan, Fanny Brice
- Studio : Warner Home Video
- ASIN : B00000JQUG
- Customer Reviews:
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517 global ratings
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 18, 2017
18 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 1, 2022
I loved this movie!
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 17, 2020
At three hours in length, this 1936 biopic about Florenz Ziegfeld is true to form for a Ziegfeld related production. It’s extravagant and over the top. It now plays like a historical document of famous entertainers from another time. Included were dancer Harriet Hocter, comedian Franny Brice, an Eddie Cantor look-a-like, a Roy Rogers look-a-like, dancer Roy Bolger (the Scarecrow from Wizard of Oz), Frank Morgan (the Wizard from Wizard of Oz), Myrna Loy (Glinda the Good Witch from the Wizard of Oz), German born actress Luise Rainer who won an Oscar for this film, and mention of Bert Williams and Lillian Russel.
This film needed the right actor to portray Ziegfeld and William Powell was a good mixture of charm and huckster. Powell is given much screen time and he carries his scenes with much aplomb. Production numbers abound, and considering this was long before computer generated effects, the physical effects in many of the scenes is impressive. The numbers are so well presented you would think you were there. They demonstrate what it must have been like to attend one Ziegfeld’s shows. Too bad the film is not in color.
The movie does require a time commitment. It starts with overture music and even has an intermission – with Entr’acte music. Eventually exit music will conclude the film. Many of the scenes in the first half are melodramatic. The second half of the movie moves at a brisk pace as more time is given to complete performances, including the famous “wedding cake” sequence for “A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody.”
Even though this is a movie, it chronicles a time when stage personalities were celebrities. Movies had yet to eclipse live productions. Fans of stage and theater will want to see this film. Make sure you have an extra large bucket of popcorn!
This film needed the right actor to portray Ziegfeld and William Powell was a good mixture of charm and huckster. Powell is given much screen time and he carries his scenes with much aplomb. Production numbers abound, and considering this was long before computer generated effects, the physical effects in many of the scenes is impressive. The numbers are so well presented you would think you were there. They demonstrate what it must have been like to attend one Ziegfeld’s shows. Too bad the film is not in color.
The movie does require a time commitment. It starts with overture music and even has an intermission – with Entr’acte music. Eventually exit music will conclude the film. Many of the scenes in the first half are melodramatic. The second half of the movie moves at a brisk pace as more time is given to complete performances, including the famous “wedding cake” sequence for “A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody.”
Even though this is a movie, it chronicles a time when stage personalities were celebrities. Movies had yet to eclipse live productions. Fans of stage and theater will want to see this film. Make sure you have an extra large bucket of popcorn!
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john wright
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable old-fashioned Hollywood biopic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 23, 2015
Dated and overlong at nearly three hours but still fascinating biopic of the famous showbiz impresario from his humble start as a sideshow barker for strongman Sandow to his famed Follies on Broadway. William Powell is charismatic in the lead and Luise Rainer delivers the first of her Oscar winning turns as first wife Anna Held with Myrna Loy as second wife Billie Burke. Ray Bolger and Fanny Brice play themselves and its a great shame that the latter is cut off just as she begins her famous rendition of 'My Man' but 'The Pretty Girl is Like a Melody' number featuring Dennis Morgan has to be seen to be believed. Pity it wasn't in colour but very enjoyable and well worth seeking out.
2 people found this helpful
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Mr. David Titley
3.0 out of 5 stars
A watered down Ziegfled
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 20, 2018
This could & should have been a great script had it not been supervised by the great man's wife. As it is the film is bland and even Powell cannot rescue this tepid telling of the tale. Surely this man must have been an exciting adventurer, instead we have a mild man always asking for money. I enjoyed Rainer's Oscar wining performance & seeing her interviewed at some superannuated age - still full of life.
And of course it contains one of the most lavish expensive and stunning of sequences: "A pretty girl..."
And of course it contains one of the most lavish expensive and stunning of sequences: "A pretty girl..."
Mr Y.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Were the dresses ever paid for?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 20, 2018
Lavish designs for the big musical number and some not so successful ones for the later shows. The Circus is gobsmackingly awful by today’s expectations. Lovely performances from all the actors makes this film very entertaining as well as a textbook reference to the pre war look of Hollywood in the wake of Busby Berkley... “must have more steps “ muses The Great Ziegfeld at the end.
Marie 2010
5.0 out of 5 stars
From the golden years of musicals
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 23, 2017
Great old B & W film I missed the first,second and third times around! Great to see the famous Fanny Brice performing - but she wasn't on long enough for my liking. Can't wait to catch up with other musicals from this era - Busby Berkeley etc.and lose myself in other extravaganzas of feathers and sparkle. Films like this help one forget all the bad news around today. Great stuff.
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B. Gilbert
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great piece of entertainment from a golden age
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 7, 2017
This was made when movies were made to both entertain, dazzle and astound their audience, and this one certainly does all three
This is the film that contains one of the only other musical numbers ever filmed ..apart from Busby Berkley at Warners to take your breath away in its sheer scale and production, and that works so well, being designed for filming in B&W
This is the film that contains one of the only other musical numbers ever filmed ..apart from Busby Berkley at Warners to take your breath away in its sheer scale and production, and that works so well, being designed for filming in B&W
One person found this helpful
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