The Basics – The Great Ziegfeld (1936) – Director, Robert Z. Leonard; starring William Powell, Myrna Loy, Louise Rainer; Run Time – 176 mins. – Biography, Drama, Musical -“This biography follows the ups and downs of Florenz Ziegfeld, famed producer of extravagant stage revues.”
Prior Knowledge
Kristy – I know of Ziegfled as a legend on Broadway, however, I know nothing about the actual film itself but I’m expecting large musical numbers with fancy, feathered ladies.
Koob – I have heard of the Ziegfled Follies and know that Ziegfeld was a legendary producer on Broadway but know nothing about the actual film.
Fun Facts from IMDB
-The sequence “A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody” was filmed in two lengthy takes after several weeks of rehearsals and filming (a definite cut is made when moving to a close-up on the singer dressed as Pagliacci, presumably to effect a change of camera position, necessary to start the inexorable move up the huge staircase). It features 180 performers and cost $220,000; 4,300 yards of rayon silk were used for the curtains in the scene.
-Myrna Loy, who received second billing for this film, does not actually appear on screen until 2 hours and 15 minutes into the movie.
-Pat Nixon (then Patricia Ryan), the future wife of Richard Nixon and the First Lady of the United States from 1969 to 1974, makes an uncredited appearance as a Ziegfeld girl.
-A.A. Trimble, who portrays Will Rogers in the film, was actually a Cleveland map salesman who frequently impersonated Rogers at Rotarian lunches.
Viewing Source – Amazon Instant Video ($2.00 rental)
Post Viewing Responses
Ratings (with 1 star = the worst and 5 stars = the best)
Koob: 3 stars
Kristy: 2 stars
Double Gobble Score: 2.5 stars
The Takeaway: Watch for the elaborate recreation of Ziegfeld’s Follies, but make sure you clear your schedule (it’s a long one!).
