The ups and downs of Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., famed producer of extravagant stage revues, are portrayed.The ups and downs of Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., famed producer of extravagant stage revues, are portrayed.The ups and downs of Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., famed producer of extravagant stage revues, are portrayed.
- Won 3 Oscars
- 4 wins & 5 nominations total
- Fannie Brice
- (as Fannie Brice)
- Dr. Ziegfeld
- (as Joseph Cawthorne)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Best Picture Winners by Year
Best Picture Winners by Year
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaA.A. Trimble, who portrays Will Rogers in the film, was a Cleveland map salesman who frequently impersonated Rogers at Rotarian lunches.
- GoofsIn the "Rhapsody in Blue" portion of the mammoth "Pretty Girl" number, one of the silver-fringe-and-antlers quartet of dancers gets visibly disoriented when her group does its final moves. She's the second one from the left, and her movements are completely out of sync with the other three until, with a thump, she sits down on the stairs. Since the incredibly complex number was shot in very long takes, the error was allowed to remain in the film.
- Quotes
Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.: [after catching Ray Bolger doing a little softshoe backstage] Buddy, you're better with your feet than you are with your broom.
Ray Bolger: Mr. Ziegfeld, you think so? Gee, I wish you'd give me a chance. I've got talent, and I'd like to get away from shifting scenery and moving props.
Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.: How long have you been a property boy?
Ray Bolger: Five years, but my heart hasn't been in it.
Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.: You've been working a long time without your heart, buddy.
- Crazy creditsThe opening credits display the title of the film and the names of the stars in marquee lights, as they would be on Broadway.
- Alternate versionsThere is an Italian edition of this film, as Bonus Extra, on DVD "FOLLIE DI ZIEGFELD", re-edited with the contribution of film historian Riccardo Cusin. This version is also available for streaming on some platforms.
- ConnectionsEdited into Ziegfeld Girl (1941)
- SoundtracksHarriet Hoctor Ballet
(1936) (uncredited)
(also called "A Circus Must Be Different in a Ziegfield Show")
Music by Con Conrad
Lyrics by Herb Magidson
Sung and danced by male and female choruses
Danced by Harriet Hoctor
William Powell was a pretty good choice to play Ziegfeld, since he has the knack of making a character eccentric and distinctive without having it come across as too forced or unnatural. And Myrna Loy is always a charming co-star, for Powell or anyone else. Yet it is Luise Rainer who delivers by far the most memorable performance - she makes her character temperamental but endearing, unpredictable but completely sympathetic. The best parts of the movie come when she is a big part of the action, and when her character slips into the background in the second half, the movie loses something. The rest of the large cast does get some good moments, and it's fun to see a couple of performers playing themselves, although some of them don't get nearly enough to do. The many production numbers contain some very good ones, but there are others that aren't worth the amount of time they were given, and that could have been cut down considerably without losing anything.
You can see why this impressed a lot of viewers in its time, and it's still pretty good entertainment. It could have been better, though, with a little more restraint. But then, its excesses are rather in keeping with its subject, and at any rate they don't keep it from being worth seeing.
- Snow Leopard
- Jan 14, 2003
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Der große Ziegfeld
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime2 hours 56 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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