The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

Director:

Robert Z. Leonard

Writer:

William Anthony McGuire (screenplay)

Release Date:

8 April 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

10 Big Shows In 1

Plot:

This biography follows the ups and downs of Florenz Ziegfeld, famed producer of extravagant stage revues.

Plot Keywords:

Accountant | Jersey Palisades | Dance | Composer | Buying On Margin

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

William Powell	...	Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.
Myrna Loy	...	Billie Burke
Luise Rainer	...	Anna Held
Frank Morgan	...	Billings
Fanny Brice	...	Herself (as Fannie Brice)
Virginia Bruce	...	Audrey Dane
Reginald Owen	...	Sampston
Ray Bolger	...	Himself
Ernest Cossart	...	Sidney
Joseph Cawthorn	...	Dr. Ziegfeld (as Joseph Cawthorne)
Nat Pendleton	...	Sandow
Harriet Hoctor	...	Herself
Jean Chatburn	...	Mary Lou
Paul Irving	...	Erlanger
Herman Bing	...	Costumer

Runtime:

176 min | USA:185 min (roadshow version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (video rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #2000) | Argentina:Atp | Finland:S | UK:U

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Myrna Loy, who received second billing for this film, does not actually appear on screen until 2 hours and 15 minutes into the movie.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody" number incorporates snippets of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue", which was premiered circa 1924, but after its performance Anna Held, who died in 1918, is still portrayed as alive and married to Ziegfeld.

Quotes:

Anna Held: [on the phone with Ziegfeld after learning of his marriage to Billie Burke] Hello, Flo... Yes. Here's Anna... I'm so happy for you today, I could not help calling you and congratulate you... Wonderful, Flo! Never better in my whole life!... I'm so excited about my new plans! I'm going to Paris... Yes, for a few weeks, and then I can get back, and then I'm doing a new show, and...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ziegfeld on Film (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

MARCH OF THE MUSKETEERS

I loved it

This is one of the best Hollywood bios I've ever seen. The pacing is fast for a movie from 1936 and William Powell and especially Louise Rainer are fantastic. Filmed in one take, the "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody" musical number is incredible. One also gets to see Fanny Brice in a rare film appearance, and if you remember Barbara Streisand in Funny Girl you'll see how close Streisand got to perfectly imitating Brice. Also, Ray Bolger does an incredible dance routine which shows off his talent to greater effect then his performance as the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. He's unbelievable. My only complaint, and this is about the DVD, is that Warner should have made the effort of restoring this amazing picture. Most of it looks pretty good but there are many sections with scratches and speckles.