Year of Release: 1936Country of Origin: USA
Director: Robert Z. Leonard
Cast: William Powell, Myrna Loy, Luise Rainer
Plot outline: A lavish biography of Florenz Ziegfeld, the producer who became Broadway's biggest starmaker (IMDb).
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. Luise Rainer gives a heartrending performance as the dithering, childlike French stage performer Anna Held. Meanwhile, Myrna Loy appears to be miscast to play Billie Burke. 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 movies, 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. 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 movie drags during the show depictions, and picks up again when Powell and the narrative resume. (BK)
My judgement: *** out of 4 stars
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