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The Great Ziegfeld Overview:

The Great Ziegfeld (1936) was a Biographical - Drama Film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and produced by Hunt Stromberg and Sidney Algier.

SYNOPSIS

The Best Picture of 1936 still sets a high standard for grand musicals. The larger-than-life career of stage genius Florenz Ziegfeld (Powell, in a winning performance) is aptly celebrated in this marvelous musical biography. The colorful story and all-star cast are bolstered by a catalog of nostalgic hit songs, including "If You Knew Susie," "Shine On, Harvest Moon," and "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody."

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

Academy Awards 1936 --- Ceremony Number 9 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best ActressLuise RainerWon
Best Art DirectionCedric Gibbons, Eddie Imazu, Edwin B. WillisNominated
Best DirectorRobert Z. LeonardNominated
Best Film EditingWilliam S. GrayNominated
Best PictureMetro-Goldwyn-MayerWon
Best WritingWilliam Anthony McGuireNominated
See More Oscar Winners

The Great Ziegfeld BlogHub Articles:

THE GREAT ZIEGFELD BLOGATHON: Flo, Irving, and the Follies

on May 14, 2020 From Caftan Woman

Zoe at Hollywood Genes is hosting The Great Ziegfeld Blogathon on May 15 - 17. Follies star Fanny Brice Legendary impresario Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. (1867-1932) was brought up with an appreciation of culture from his Belgium and German immigrant parents. Flo's American roots gave him the energet... Read full article

Musical Monday: The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

on Dec 2, 2019 From Comet Over Hollywood

It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals. In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals. This week’s musical: The Great Ziegfeld (1936... Read full article

The Great Ziegfeld (1936) (2)

By Beatrice on Aug 27, 2013 From Flickers in Time

The Great Ziegfeld Directed by Robert Z. Leonard Written by William Anthony McGuire 1936/USA Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Repeat viewing This extravagant musical biopic won Oscars for Best Production, Best Actress (Louise Ranier), and Best Dance Direction (“A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody”) and ... Read full article

Classic Films in Focus: THE GREAT ZIEGFELD (1936)

By Jennifer Garlen on Aug 5, 2013 From Virtual Virago

Directed by Robert Z. Leonard, The Great Ziegfeld (1936) is a lavish musical tribute to the legendary Broadway producer, with all the whistles, bells, and gorgeous girls that Ziegfeld himself could want, even if it does takes certain liberties with the facts of Ziegfeld’s life. Hollywood had a... Read full article

Classic Films in Focus: THE GREAT ZIEGFELD (1936)

By Jennifer Garlen on Aug 5, 2013 From Virtual Virago

Directed by Robert Z. Leonard, The Great Ziegfeld (1936) is a lavish musical tribute to the legendary Broadway producer, with all the whistles, bells, and gorgeous girls that Ziegfeld himself could want, even if it does takes certain liberties with the facts of Ziegfeld’s life. Hollywood had a... Read full article

See More The Great Ziegfeld Articles

The Great Ziegfeld Quotes:

Anna Held: [on the phone with Ziegfeld after learning of his marriage to Billie Burke] Hello, Flo... Yes. Here's Anna... I'm so happy for you today, I could not help calling you and congratulate you... Wonderful, Flo! Never better in my whole life!... I'm so excited about my new plans! I'm going to Paris... Yes, for a few weeks, and then I can get back, and then I'm doing a new show, and... Oh, it's all so wonderful! I'm so happy!... Yes... And I hope you are happy, too... Yes?... Oh, I'm so glad for you, Flo... Sounds funny for ex-husband and ex-wife to tell how happy they are, oui?... Yes, Flo... Goodbye, Flo... Goodbye...
[She hangs up]
Anna Held: Darling...
[she falls to her bed, sobbing]
Marie: My poor, petite! If you love him so, why did you divorce him?
Anna Held: Because I thought it would bring him back to me. I was sure that it would bring him back to me.
[she cries]
Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.: [after he has hired Jack Billings' valet away from him] Gentlemen never argue about gentlemen's gentlemen.
Hotel doorman: Do you realize you gave me five pounds?
Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.: Yes, I'm trying to lose weight.
Sampson: This is about talent.
Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.: Something good and cheap no doubt?
Sampson: Exactly! It's a young girl named Brice... Fanny... Fanny Brice. She;s working in burlesque.
Gene Buck: Say, I've seen that girl, Flo!
Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.: Pretty?
Gene Buck: Well, yes and no. Shut your eyes and listen - yes! Open 'em and look - no, but a great performer!
Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.: We shall have a look at her at once - tonight!
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The Great Ziegfeld Facts
The fourth of fourteen films pairing William Powell and Myrna Loy.
Nat Pendleton was a former champion weightlifter and easily duplicates some of Eugen Sandow's feats in this film; at the time, Nat was the only man to have ever played a strongman from this time period.
William Powell was loaned by MGM to Universal for the film, but Universal sold the film to MGM when costs mounted. Powell made My Man Godfrey for Universal instead.
Myrna Loy, who received second billing for this film, does not actually appear on screen until 2 hours and 15 minutes into the movie.
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.
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