The Great Ziegfeld
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| The Great Ziegfeld | |
|---|---|
 original movie poster |
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| Directed by | Robert Z. Leonard |
| Produced by | Hunt Stromberg |
| Written by | William Anthony McGuire |
| Starring | William Powell Myrna Loy Luise Rainer |
| Music by | Walter Donaldson |
| Distributed by | MGM |
| Release date(s) | April 8, 1936 (USA) |
| Running time | 176 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Great Ziegfeld (1936) is a musical film produced by MGM. Although Florenz Ziegfeld provides the connecting thread for the movie, it's really meant to showcase a series of spectacular musical productions. The film includes original music by Walter Donaldson and Irving Berlin. Berlin's work was featured in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1918, 1919, and 1920.
Featured in the film are William Powell (as Ziegfeld), Myrna Loy (as Billie Burke), Luise Rainer (as Anna Held), Nat Pendleton (as Eugen Sandow), Frank Morgan and Virginia Bruce. Ziegfeld performers Fanny Brice and Ray Bolger play themselves. Dennis Morgan, in an uncredited role, performed "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody" (dubbed by Allan Jones).
The Great Ziegfeld takes many key liberties with Ziegfeld's life and with the history of the Follies. For instance, George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue was never featured in the Follies, and the number "Pretty Girl" was written for the 1919 Follies, not the first edition of the revue, as shown in the film.
[edit] Cast
- William Powell as Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr.
- Myrna Loy as Billie Burke
- Luise Rainer as Anna Held
- Frank Morgan as Jack Billings
- Fanny Brice as Herself
- Virginia Bruce as Audrey Dane
- Ray Bolger as Himself
- Nat Pendleton as Eugen Sandow
- Also appearing uncredited is future First Lady Pat Nixon (as a Ziegfeld Girl).
[edit] Awards
The movie won three Oscars:
- Academy Award for Best Picture - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (Hunt Stromberg, producer)
- Academy Award for Best Actress - Luise Rainer
- Academy Award for Best Dance Direction - Seymour Felix - For "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody".
It was nominated for an additional four:
- Academy Award for Best Art Direction - Cedric Gibbons, Eddie Imazu and Edwin B. Willis
- Academy Award for Directing - Robert Z. Leonard
- Academy Award for Film Editing - William S. Gray
- Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay - William Anthony McGuire
[edit] External links
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mutiny on the Bounty |
Academy Award for Best Picture 1936 |
Succeeded by The Life of Emile Zola |
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