Antonius Block As this film clocks in at three full hours, one reviewer likened it to a "huge, lumbering, Paleozoic beast with a heart", and it's a great analogy. It's a chronicle of the career of showman and theater producer Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr, and the highlights are the musical numbers and showy costumes by Adrian in the middle third of the movie which are truly over-the-top. They're also apparently true to the extravagance of his Ziegfeld Follies, which ran on Broadway from 1907 to 1931. The number ""A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody" is particularly stunning, with the camera going up a lavish, revolving spiral staircase adorned with beautiful men and women, dancers, and performances of classical music along the way. Google it and be suitably impressed for eight minutes. I also liked seeing the tap dance routine from Ray Bolger (the scarecrow from 'The Wizard of Oz'), featuring a few splits that would undoubtedly be quite painful to the average man.Of the cast, William Powell delivers a nice performance in the title role, capturing both the taste and generosity of Ziegfeld, and his relationship with his rival (played by Frank Morgan) is touching. The two of them imbue this biography with class, and through sheer force of will in the production, one can see why the film won the Academy Award for Best Picture. I have to say though, it had too much detail, and for me the first and third hours were too long. Myrna Loy doesn't even make her appearance as Billie Burke until the 2:10 point or so, and her part is rather modest. Luise Rainer plays his first wife, the performer Anna Held, and turns in a mediocre performance, so it's harder to understand her Oscar. Lastly, the film lacks an edge. Ziegfeld was a notorious womanizer, and while that's alluded to, it's all pretty innocent, lacking a certain zest, authenticity, or both. Emotions in general are all muted and glossed over, making us aware of the movie being a theatrical production of its own. You can certainly do worse, but I would only recommend the film with reservations.

utgard14 MGM's epic biopic of theatrical producer Florenz Ziegfeld, starring William Powell in the title role. As with most Hollywood biopics, liberties are taken with the facts. Since this was made in the Golden Age of Hollywood, the intention is to portray Mr. Ziegfeld in the best possible light. If it were made today, the opposite would be true and all his faults would be emphasized (probably to the point of slander). I'll leave it to you to decide which is the better approach. Anyway, the movie covers Ziegfeld's rise as a Barnum-esque showman to becoming one of Broadway's most successful producers with his Ziegfeld Follies show. Along the way he attracts many women and marries two of them (Luise Rainer, Myrna Loy).It's a spectacle made in the grand Old Hollywood fashion, heavy on melodrama and lavish musical numbers. Powell is fine in the lead. I have no idea how closely he "gets" Ziegfeld here, as he seems very much like William Powell's usual screen persona to me. He would reprise his role as Ziegfeld a decade later in 1946's Ziegfeld Follies (also from MGM). Luise Rainer is terrific in her Oscar-winning role as Ziegfeld's first wife, Anna. Myrna Loy is a little miscast as Billie Burke but it's hard to argue against any opportunity to see Powell and Loy on screen together. The rest of the cast includes solid supporting players Frank Morgan, Virginia Bruce, Ray Bolger, Reginald Owen, and Nat Pendleton. A. A. Trimble does a spot-on impersonation of Will Rogers.It is a bit overlong. The first half could have done with some trimming. Still, a fine cast keeps things interesting and those musical numbers are dynamite. Dennis Morgan's "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody" number is one of the highlights. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards with three wins, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Rainer. Its award wins are the subject of debate for some today, who argue it is one of the least-deserving Best Picture winners. That's kind of laughable when you think about it, as the Best Picture Oscar rarely goes to the most deserving film. That was true then and is even more true today, in my opinion. It's definitely something you'll want to try out if you are a fan of classic Hollywood and all its glitz and glamour. They don't make 'em like this anymore.

SnoopyStyle During the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, sideshow barker Flo Ziegfeld Jr. (William Powell) struggles to promote strong man Eugen Sandow. He beats his rival Billings by smart marketing on Sandow. It's the start of his long career of promoting vaudeville acts as he gains success and loses big over and over again. His first wife is French star Anna Held (Luise Rainer) who he signed stealing away from Billings. She gains publicity with Flo sending 20 gallons of milk for a fictional beauty treatment everyday. His next star is the alcoholic Audrey Dane who breaks up his marriage. Borrowing from Billings again, he produces a new show with Broadway star Billie Burke (Myrna Loy) and later marrying her and having daughter Patricia.This is a long giant Hollywood extravaganza to proclaim its love of Ziegfeld. It has all the lavish production that such a thing entails. It can get long-winded at 3 hours but it's not a small life. In fact, it fits the man to have a long big production. It does bring out the up and down life of a vaudeville hustler and the old idea that bigger is always better. It's the perfect big production for the producer who loves big production. William Powell does a fine impresario of hucksterism and imagine making.

John T. Ryan AS WE CHOSE to make this our next, lucky victim to be vetted before America and the World, we first did our homework. Consulting such esoteric sources of knowledge as the World Book Encyclopaedia and our own personal favourite, Wikipedia, we stockpiled a treasure trove of background information about the famous Mr. Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr.BORN IN CHICAGO (coincidently our home town!), he was the product of a German Lutheran Immigrant and a Belgian Roman Catholic Mother. Father ran the CHICAGO MUSICAL COLLEGE and opened a nightclub, the Trocadero, in time to ca$h in on the glut of business in the Windy City during the WORLD'S COMUMBIAN EXPOSITION of 1893.IT WAS AT this point when Ziegfeld the Younger contracted with European Stage Strongman, Eugen Sandow and proceeded to employ his act at the Trocadero, as well as at the Midway* of the Fair; which was being held at the Jackson Park Lakefront sight.HERE IS WHERE our story begins in the film, THE GREAT ZIEGFELD (MGM, 1936).THE STORY OPENS with Sandow's feats of strength bringing only modest receipts at the gate. Ziegfeld (William Powell) suggests that Sandow** (Nat Pendelton) should put the Barbell lifting and Horse Shoe bending on the back burner in favor of physique display. Striking various poses, from all angles, Sandow would animate the presentation with routines employing "muscle control"; which is the contraction and relaxation of the various muscular groups, without actually moving anything.ZIEGFELD QUICKLY MOVES on to the vaudeville stages and to Broadway, producing musicals, discovering lovely female performers and culminating with his greatest triumph, the ZIEGFELD FOLLIES.TAKING THE NAME from the famous Parisian FOLLIES BERGERE, they were the most widely popular musical extravaganzas in America or even the World. The story traces their development and chronicles their year by whomever kit is that Flo is featuring as his headliner. Will Rogers, Fanny Brice, W.C. Fields and Eddy Cantor were among his finds.A VERY HUGE AND outstanding cast was assembled in order to give the film the importance that such a biography deserves. In addition to William Powell, we have: Myrna Loy (Billie Burke-wife # 2)), Louise Rainer-Wife # 1), Frank Morgan, Fanny Brice (playing herself), Virginia Bruce, Reginald Owen, Ray Bolger (as Eddie Cantor) and a cast of hundreds (at least).THE NEARLY THREE hour film traces a career that was built on manic energy and confidence. It has highs and lows with romance and heart break, family and solitude, reverence and vulgarity. It covers his life respectfully, right up to his death bed in 1932.WE HAVE TO address on point before waving bye-bye. As to the notion that Ziggy launched the career of Sandow, many feel that it was really the other way around; for, without Sandow, we'd have never known Mr. Ziegfeld.THIS MARATHON OF a movie gets a highest mark from us, just be in the mood to invest the time.***NOTE * The term "Midway" originated at the 1893 Fair; being the roadway leading to the Fair Grounds, which was lines with all of those "Side Show Attractions." In this case, Sandow and Fan Dancer, Sally Rand were among them.NOTE ** Nat Pendelton's characterization of Sandow makes him sound more like a Hollywood Indian, rather than the German, which he was. He was born in Prussia, April 2, 18967 as Frederick Mueller. He is considered to be the Father of Modern Bodybuilding, Physical Culture and Physique Display (Those "Mr." Contests). The Trophy for the Mr. Olympia contest is called the 'Sandow' Trophy.NOTE *** The popularity of the movie spawned a sort of Musical/Fantasy follow-up with ZIEGFELD FOLLIES (MGM, 1945); again featuring William Powell as a now resident of Heaven, scanning how things are on Planet Earth through telescope and making commentary directly to the audience!