Ziegfeld Follies (1946)

This 1946 film celebrates the life, career, and showmanship of the late Florenz Ziegfeld, perhaps the most famous and influential Broadway producer in the early decades of the 20th century. The film, ostensibly directed by Vincente Minnelli, takes an unusual form. We open in Heaven, at the home of the late Ziegfeld (played by William Powell, who also played him in The Great Ziegfeld), who thinks back on his life and wonders what kind of show he would put on with the talent of today (meaning 1946). What follows is an elaborately staged revue, similar to the blend of cheesecake, music, and comedy that made up the Ziegfeld Follies--but with the stars of that moment (plus actual Ziegfeld veteran Fanny Brice). The most welcome presence is Fred Astaire, who appears in three numbers--including the only dance number ever filmed that paired Astaire with Gene Kelly at the height of their powers. The contrast is fascinating. Otherwise, you get a number of musical scenes, the best of which features Lena Horne (singing "Love"), the worst Judy Garland (in "An Interview"). And there's plenty of other stuff: everything from an Esther Williams water ballet to an excerpt of La Traviata to a variety of broadly acted vaudeville skits featuring actors Keenan Wynn, Edward Arnold, Fanny Brice, and Hume Cronyn. --Marshall Fine Amazon.com

Big names,big revue Hollywood style!

Ziegfeld Follies was a movie fraught with so many delays,shooting schedule work arounds,cancellations,scene deletions,etc.,that this picture is one of very few to finally be released so long after its' original production had stopped.A few pre-release screenings were done in 1944 and 1945 but the film got such a tepid response it was returned to have more work done on it.The studio got the jitters and finally shelved it.
Fred Astaire personally wrote the production chief Arthur Freed wondering when the film would be released;he was very anxious to say the least.He told him it was the first time he had made a film that would be seemingly released so long a time afterwards or at all.Freed assured Fred that Ziegfeld Follies would be released in 1946 and not to worry.The film was copyrighted in 1946 but wasn't released nationwide until January 11,1948!
One of the other reasons Astaire was worried was that he felt his routines might get dated.He needn't have worried for the routines Fred appears in(there are three;technically four if you count his brief opener)are the highlights of this film.In fact after William Powell opens the movie reprising his /36 role as the show master himself,Florence Ziegfeld,Fred Astaire opens the movies' first number(in his trademark top hat and white tails!)with "Bring on the Beautiful Girls".We find a very young Cyd Charisse here along with then screen veteran Lucille Ball.Next we have swim star Esther Williams doing the "Water Ballet" sequence; it is amazing how graceful and poised she could be underwater.Next we have vaudeville star Ed Wynn's son,Keenan,doing a funny turn with "Number Please".Next famous tenor James Melton and Marion Bell do a fine number pulled from the opera La Traviata.We then go back to comedy with Victor Moore playing the plaintive plaintiff and Edward Arnold doing the wise-guy/lawyer bit in "Just pay the two dollars".Next we are treated to Fred Astaire and Lucille Bremer in a wonderful dance/story sequence called "This Heart of Mine".Comedy makes its' comeback again with veteran stage star Fanny Brice,Hume Cronyn and William Frawley in "Sweeepstakes Ticket".Frawley plays a disgruntled apartment landlord and it is very easy to think that since Ball appeared in the picture also,that when she was casting for just such a landlord for her "I Love Lucy" show that she would remember Frawley!
The next vignette stars singing sensation Lena Horne doing a sultry song called "Love".Red Skelton next reprises his wonderful Guzzlers Gin sketch in a more modern fashion in "When Television Comes".Astaire and Bremer come back again to dance in arguably the best musical/fantasy sequence of the film,"Limehouse Blues".If you doubt for a single second Astaire's peerless dancing technique watch any of his routines here but don't miss this one!Judy Garland comes on next for what I feel is the weakest vignette of the movie "An Interview".It's played to the edge by Garland but the song and lyrics push the entire production right over the cliff.Next in their only dancing partnership on film Gene Kelly and Astaire sing "The Babbitt and the Bromide"(the smug businessman and the bore!).This is a number which Fred had great success with when performed in the 1927 stage production of "Funny Face" with his wonderful and talented sister Adele.Kelly apparently had reservations about doing the number at all but acquiesced in the end.To end the picture we have the lovely Kathryn Grayson singing "Beauty".
This film is viewed like a book,with each different numbers' title and star's name(s) highlighted for us to see on a page as it is flipped over.However unlike a book,there is nothing structured or anything with a plot to tie it all together with.All are distinctive and stand alone vignettes of music,dance and comedy.Some sketches thrive because of it or fall for the same reason.
MGM has brought this to DVD with a just above-average print transfer.It is very nice to watch but much could have been done to really make this print shine.Along with the film itself we have in the special features section a featurette on the film"An Embarrassment of Riches","The Luckiest Guy in the World",starring a young Barry Nelson,two cartoons and some nice audio only outtakes from the film.
All in all this movie is highly recommended.It is best watched and savoured as each vignette plays out before you.Each sequence will either fly or fall on its' own merit as there is no common thread to be found. This film is definitely the sum of all its' parts.There are relatively few weak spots in this picture and there are many that are must sees,and most of them belong to the legendary Fred Astaire. November 7, 2008

Ziegfeld Follies

If Florenz Ziegfeld had made movies, he could not have made a better job than this fabulous M.G.M. musical. Great stars, fantastic production numbers make this a classic. You might have guessed, I loved every magical second. Pete Johnson March 31, 2008

Ziegfeld Follies

I am a huge musical fan and some of my favorite stars ever are in this movie, but it wasn't what I thought it was going to be. Ziegfeld Follies is just a conglomeration of musical numbers, comedies and anything else they wanted to put in. I did like Judy Garland's number (I give her 5 stars) and Cyd Charisse's ballet. That was the best part of the whole movie. But if you want to see the stars at their best - just rent one of their movies. They shine far better! March 21, 2008

Ziegfeld Follies - a big disappointment

While I love musicals, old time Broadway Shows and movies like That's Entertainment I, II, III all of which are a joy to watch and have them in my collection this one was a big disappointment for me.
This is a very poorly directed and the most boring movie I have ever seen. October 22, 2007

Glorious Technicolor Musical Numbers and Comedy Skits

Director Vincente Minnelli (one of the most artistic directors of the 40's/50's/60's) pulls out all the stops with an all star cast in this sparkling package of glamour and fun. Fans of classic musicals, comedy, and vaudeville will eat this up.
Every sequence is not great, but the ones that are truly shine. And thanks to DVD you can hit the Skip/Next button on your remote if Red Skelton isn't your cup of tea. This film is a wide spectrum, from the sublime and gorgeous to the weird and garish.

The rich, vibrant colors pop out and gleam, but not in a phony way. Technicolor is great stuff.

It always amazes me, when watching movies like this, at how long some of the takes last. Nowadays the cameras roll briefly and there's plenty of post production work, but back in the 1940's you had long and complicated sequences where there weren't many edits or cuts. Things had to be perfect. It's astonishing. I kept wondering how many rehearsals Lucille Ball had to endure, as well as Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse. Probably not as many as I'd expect; these were professional, talented stars in their element. This was a golden age, and seeing a movie like this makes me wish I could have been there to witness all the glitz and wonder.

Judy Garland's funny number ("Interview", or as I call it, The Safety Pin number) is a real hoot. A star is hamming it up to the hilt for a bunch of male reporters and interviewers. Whether her comedic timing is her own gift here or Minnelli's directing of her, it really works. (I wonder if there was one particular starlet they were spoofing here, or just all of them at that time.)

And you get Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly dancing and singing together... it doesn't get much better.

I love the fact that you get two vintage MGM cartoons in the bonus features: Tom and Jerry in "Solid Serenade", and the great Tex Avery's manic "The Hick Chick". A nice touch! June 22, 2007

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