The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

My Review

The Best Picture of 1936 is…..”The Great Ziegfeld.” The story of Broadway producer Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. (1867-1932) got the full MGM treatment with extravagant, full-blown musical numbers as well as top-rate dramatic performances. Director Robert Z. Leonard, screenwriter William Anthony McGuire, and producer Hunt Stromberg all ensured the highest of production values throughout the entire 177 minute running time.

William Powell was born to play the great impresario and delivered a strong yet subtle performance. Myrna Loy, his future partner in the “Thin Man” movie series, was equally adept as actress Billie Burke, Ziegfeld’s wife. Burke was a technical consultant for the film. Interestingly, three years later Burke was further cemented into cinematic immortality as Glenda in “The Wizard of Oz” (1939). Co-stars include Luise Rainer, Frank Morgan and Ray Bolger (both also in “The Wizard of Oz”), Fannie Brice, Reginald Owen, William Demarest, Virginia Grey, Herman Bing, and Pat Ryan as one of the Ziegfeld girls. Ryan would become Pat Nixon, the future First Lady of the United States (1969-1974), wife of President Richard Nixon.

The watchable “The Great Ziegfeld” was the highest grossing film of 1936 for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was filmed at MGM Studios in Culver City, California. “The Great Ziegfeld” was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning three – Best Picture, Best Actress (Rainer), and Best Dance Direction (Seymour Felix). Non-winners include Best Director, Best Writing, Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing.