The Great Ziegfeld is a lengthy but surprisingly effective biography of Broadway producer Florenz Ziegfeld. William Powell gives an entertaining performance as the title character, and the script is both witty and compelling.
The story begins at the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. Florenz Ziegfeld (William Powell) is a promoter of strongman Sandow (Nat Pendleton). His show is failing, in comparison with the wild success of his rival, flesh peddling Billings (Frank Morgan). Ziegfeld decides to emphasize Sandow's sex appeal, and finally becomes a success.
Ziegfeld next conquers the heart of dithering, childlike French stage performer Anna Held (Luise Rainer), making her a Broadway star. Their marriage is defined by his extravagance and her jealousy, as Ziegfeld surrounds himself with showgirls. One of them is Audrey Lane (Virginia Bruce), a spoiled, drunken performer who stars in one of his shows. Ziegfeld later falls for Billie Burke (Myrna Loy), who like Held is a successful stage actress.
Loy would appear to be miscast to play Burke, who today is best known as the good witch in The Wizard of Oz. Loy's attempted vocal imitation of Burke comes and goes, and seems half-hearted at best. Loy, a striking beauty, was probably cast due to box office considerations. Powell and Loy had already been teamed up together in several successful films, including Manhattan Melodrama and The Thin Man. She was a talented actress, but wasn't the right personality for playing vivacious Burke.
Whether his shows become smash hits or disappointments, Ziegfeld always seems to be broke. This is due to his characteristic excessive generosity and gambling. Ziegfeld's frequent encounters with creditors and bankers provides much comic relief.
Ray Bolger, made famous as the scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, plays himself and has a wonderful song and dance routine. Other Ziegfeld follies regulars playing themselves include Fanny Brice and Ann Pennington. Humorist Will Rogers got his start in the follies, but is played by Andrew Trimble (making his only film role). Rogers had died in a plane crash the year before, 1935. W.C. Fields was a follies star, but doesn't appear and is hardly mentioned in the script.
The Great Ziegfeld is three hours in length. This is due to the addition of many elaborate production numbers, featuring a bevy of showgirls in outlandish costumes. These stage productions are visually impressive and have undeniable historical and cultural importance. But they are also dead in the water, their very scale making them turgid and bloated. The film drags during the show depictions, and picks up again when Powell and the narrative resume.
The Great Ziegfeld was only the first of three big budget Hollywood musicals to feature Ziegfeld's Broadway shows. The other two were Ziegfeld Girl and Ziegfeld Follies, the latter also having William Powell playing Ziegfeld.
The Great Ziegfeld was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Director (Robert Z. Leonard) and Best Original Story (William Anthony McGuire). The film won the Oscar for Best Picture, and Luise Rainer won the first of her two consecutive Best Actress Awards (she would win again the next year for The Good Earth). Powell was nominated for Best Actor, but for a different movie, My Man Godfrey. (74/100)
This movie still sets the standard for what musicals should be. The larger-than-life career of stage genius Florenz Ziegfeld is aptly celebrated in th...More at Family Video
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