The great Ziegfeld

Directed by: Robert Z. Leonard, USA, 1936

USA, 1936
Plakatmotiv The great Ziegfeld, © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)


Cast and Credits

Production Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Producer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Director Robert Z. Leonard
Scenario William Anthony McGuire
Director of Photography George J. Folsey
Karl Freund
Merritt B. Gerstad
Ray June
Oliver T. Marsh
Composer Walter Donaldson
Editor William S. Gray
Art Director Cedric Gibbons
Costume Design Adrian
Cast Virginia Bruce [Audrey Dane]
Herman Bing [Schutz]
Ray Bolger [Ray Bolger]
Fanny Brice [Fanny Brice]
Joseph Cawthorn [Dr. Ziegfeld]
Jean Chatburn [Mary Lou]
Ernest Cossart [Sidney]
Harriet Hoctor [Harriet Hoctor]
Paul Irving [Erlanger]
Myrna Loy
Frank Morgan [Jack Billings]
Reginald Owen [Sampston]
Nat Pendleton [Sandow]
William Powell
Luise Rainer

Technical specifications
Technical Details: Format: 35 mm - Black and White,Length: 120 minutes
Sound System: mono

Reviews in German: " Dr. Johnson had his Boswell and Florenz Ziegfeld has his ì
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; the difference is that between biography and ì
autobiography. So thoroughly Ziegfeldian is The Great Ziegfeld, which had its ì
premiere at the Astor Theatre last night, that it would be easy to pretend it ì
had been produced by the Great Glorifier himself rather than by Hunt ì
Stromberg. For the picture has the opulence, the lavishness, the ì
expansiveness, and the color of the old Follies; it has the general ì
indifference to humor which was one of Ziegfeld's characteristics; and it has ì
the reverential approach with which, we suspect, Mr. Ziegfeld might have ì
handled his own life story.

That story is a full three hours in the telling and, if you have an interest ì
in the sordid financial details, it is reported to have cost Metro about ì
$500,000 an hour. The budget shows on the screen. It is there in the cast, ì
with William Powell, Myrna Loy, Luise Rainer, Virginia Bruce, Frank Morgan, ì
Fannie Brice, Ray Bolger, Reginald Owen, Ernest Cossart, Harriet Hoctor, and ì
the many others who prompted the studio's weaker students of astronomy to ì
advertise their wares with a "more stars than there are in the heavens" ì
slogan. It is there, too, in the glittering sets, the exuberantly extravagant ì
song and dance numbers, the brilliant costumes, the whole sweeping panoply of ì
a Ziegfeld show produced with a princely disregard for the cost accountant.

What William Anthony McGuire has attempted in his screenplay, and with ì
general success, is to encompass not merely the fantastic personal history of ì
Ziegfeld but the cross-sectional story of the development of the Follies, ì
the Midnight Frolic on the New Amsterdam Roof, and the other theatrical ì
enterprises floated under the Glorifier's aegis during a span of about forty ì
years. The two biographies-of the man and of his creations-are, naturally, ì
inseparable; but both have been told with such wealth of detail and ì
circumstance (real and imaginative) that even the three-hour film narrative ì
is fragmentary and, in some places, confused.

The picture begins with Ziegfeld (portrayed by Mr. Powell) exhibiting Sandow, ì
the strong man, on the Chicago midway, and it follows him as he progresses ì
from sideshow entrepreneur to head of his vast theatrical enterprises. The ì
history devotes ample footage to his meeting with Anna Held (Luise Rainer), ì
their romance and parting; to his launching of the Follies in 1907; his ì
alternate rise and fall on the tides of fortune; his marriage to Billie Burke ì
(here Miss Loy); his bankruptcy; and his death almost four years ago after ì
staging a successful comeback.

Although it has been screened with a chromatic eye for detail and setting and ì
has been enlivened by the performances of its players, this phase of the film ì
might-it seemed to me-have been abridged by producer Stromberg and Robert Z. ì
Leonard, its director, to admit more such incidents as the briefly narrated ì
but rousingly comic hiring of Fannie Brice, the dancing of Ray Bolger, and ì
the presentation of some other well-known alumnae and alumni of the Ziegfeld ì
shows. It was unfortunate that Eddie Cantor had to be represented by a proxy ì
(Buddy Doyle) and we would have been better pleased without A. A. Trimble's ì
impersonation of Will Rogers. A glimpse of W. C. Fields would have been ì
perfect, but Metro probably couldn't arrange everything.

Adhering to its Ziegfeldian tenets, however, the picture achieves its best ì
moments in the larger sequences devoted to the Girls-ballet, chorus, and ì
show. At least one of these spectacular numbers, filmed to the music of ì
Irving Berlin's "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody," with overtones of "Rhapsody ì
in Blue," never has been equaled on the musical comedy stage or screen. And ì
some of the others, notably the circus ballet led by Harriet Hoctor, are ì
scarcely less effective. The score generally was plucked from the catalogue ì
of hits in the old Ziegfeld shows and contains, as well, "Yiddle on Your ì
Fiddle" and "My Man," sung by Fannie Brice, and "I Wish You'd Come and Play ì
with Me" and "It's Delightful to Be Married," sung rather pleasantly by Miss ì
Rainer.

Confronted with a film of this size-not merely in volume, but in its ì
Croesus-like treatment-it is almost impossible to remain critically detached. ì
If the picture overcrowds its screen, at least we must admit it is an ì
impressive kaleidoscope; and probably nothing short of that could reflect the ì
gaudy career of America's foremost showman.

Mr. Powell's portrayal is no less attractive than it is flattering to the ì
original. Miss Loy is a stately Billie Burke, and somewhat lacking, we fear, ì
in Miss Burke's effervescence and gaiety. Miss Rainer continues to justify ì
the epithet winsome, but is inclined to emotional excesses which are not ì
entirely justified and frequently were extremely trying. Frank Morgan is ì
splendid, as usual, as Billings, a composite of several Broadway theatrical ì
producers, and there is valuable assistance from Virginia Bruce, as an ì
equally composite showgirl; from Reginald Owen as Ziegfeld's business ì
manager; and Ernest Cossart as his valet." (Frank S. Nugent, New York Times, ì
April 9, 1936)

General Information

The great Ziegfeld is a motion picture produced in the year 1936 as a USA production. The Film was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, with Virginia Bruce, Herman Bing, Ray Bolger, Fanny Brice, Joseph Cawthorn, in the leading parts. We have currently no synopsis of this picture on file;

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