Let me start by saying LUISE RAINER, LUISE RAINER, LUISE RAINER. She made this film for me. She was the first actor to win back-to-back Best Acting awards (she won the next year for her portrayal of O-Lan in "The Good Earth." I've not seen that film, but I've read the novel, and the character is light-years away from what she portrayed here).
"The Great Ziegfeld" is a fictionalized account of the life of theater impresario Florenz Ziegfeld, of follies fame. The film roughly follows the events of his life, but was intended less as a biopic than as a tribute. Interestingly, Ziegfeld had died only four years before the film was released. It seems that his widow, famed actress Billie Burke (Glinda the Good in "The Wizard of Oz") was eager to pay off his debts, and was only all to happy to sell the rights to his life story.
The film begins at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. Florenz Ziegfeld (William Powell), the son of a well-known music professor, is attempting to draw audiences to his star attraction: Eugen Sandow, "The World's Strongest Man" (Nat Pendleton). Across the Midway, his chief rival Billings (Frank Morgan) is having considerably greater success getting audiences for his "hoochy-coochy" dancer Little Egypt. Eventually, Ziegfeld starts thinking outside the box and allows female audience members to caress the muscles of Sandow, increasing his show's profits.
When Ziegfeld takes his strongman to San Francisco, he is denounced as a fraud when the lion that was supposed to battle Sandow falls asleep as soon as it's released from its cage. Ziegfeld flees to Europe, encountering Billings on the ship. Once in Europe, Ziegfeld loses all his money in Monte Carlo, then proceeds to steal not only Billings' valet (Ernest Cossart), but his potential star, as well.
The star is French entertainer Anna Held (Luise Rainer), whom Ziegfeld eventually marries (in the film, not in reality), to keep her under contract.
The film begins at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. Florenz Ziegfeld (William Powell), the son of a well-known music professor, is attempting to draw audiences to his star attraction: Eugen Sandow, "The World's Strongest Man" (Nat Pendleton). Across the Midway, his chief rival Billings (Frank Morgan) is having considerably greater success getting audiences for his "hoochy-coochy" dancer Little Egypt. Eventually, Ziegfeld starts thinking outside the box and allows female audience members to caress the muscles of Sandow, increasing his show's profits.
When Ziegfeld takes his strongman to San Francisco, he is denounced as a fraud when the lion that was supposed to battle Sandow falls asleep as soon as it's released from its cage. Ziegfeld flees to Europe, encountering Billings on the ship. Once in Europe, Ziegfeld loses all his money in Monte Carlo, then proceeds to steal not only Billings' valet (Ernest Cossart), but his potential star, as well.
The star is French entertainer Anna Held (Luise Rainer), whom Ziegfeld eventually marries (in the film, not in reality), to keep her under contract.
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| William Powell and Luise Rainer |
Held eventually becomes a huge star, and spurred by his success, Ziegfeld decided to launch an over-the-top extravagant revue to be called "The Ziegfeld Follies." And the rest of the film pretty much chronicles his swings between success, squandering his fortunes, and rebounding. Eventually, he and Held divorce - though Held is still devoted to him - and he ultimately remarries the actress Billie Burke (Myrna Loy). By 1929, his successes are largely behind him, his stars are leaving Broadway for the burgeoning film industry in Hollywood, and he's generally derided as a "has been." Hoping to regain his past glory, he invests heavily in the stock market, just in time for the collapse of 1929 and the Great Depression. With one last look at the lights of Broadway, Ziegfeld dies in his chair at home, leaving his widow deeply in debt.
I've skipped over a lot of plot points here. The main thrust of the movie is a tribute first to the extravagance of Broadway during its "Golden Age," and secondarily to the charm and charisma of the man who drove it. As a result, the film has several lavish production numbers, some more entertaining than others. Of particular note is an amazing dance routine by Ray Bolger (portraying himself), and the only film footage of Fanny Brice I've ever seen (also portraying herself).
I neither loved nor hated "The Great Ziegfeld." It is was it is: an homage to a time and a place that was significant in its day but which no longer exists, and a tribute to the man who drove it. But I will say it again: it there's any reason to watch this film, it is for the performance of Luise Rainer. Her arc from comical diva to broken woman is just phenomenal. As with Clara Bow in "Wings," I can only assume that Myrna Loy received billing above Luise Rainer because she was the bigger star of the day. Loy doesn't make an appearance until the last 45 minutes of the 3-hour-plus film, and her total screen-time is probably about 20 minutes. Luise Rainer is the female lead of this movie!
I've skipped over a lot of plot points here. The main thrust of the movie is a tribute first to the extravagance of Broadway during its "Golden Age," and secondarily to the charm and charisma of the man who drove it. As a result, the film has several lavish production numbers, some more entertaining than others. Of particular note is an amazing dance routine by Ray Bolger (portraying himself), and the only film footage of Fanny Brice I've ever seen (also portraying herself).
I neither loved nor hated "The Great Ziegfeld." It is was it is: an homage to a time and a place that was significant in its day but which no longer exists, and a tribute to the man who drove it. But I will say it again: it there's any reason to watch this film, it is for the performance of Luise Rainer. Her arc from comical diva to broken woman is just phenomenal. As with Clara Bow in "Wings," I can only assume that Myrna Loy received billing above Luise Rainer because she was the bigger star of the day. Loy doesn't make an appearance until the last 45 minutes of the 3-hour-plus film, and her total screen-time is probably about 20 minutes. Luise Rainer is the female lead of this movie!
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