Word: ziegfeld
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...Great Ziegfeld (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer). According to the curious credo of the U. S. theatre, the late Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. was an amalgamation of P. T. Barnum, Lucullus and St. Francis of Assisi. combining the advantageous features of all three, while the musical shows he produced were prodigies of good taste, imagination and romantic ingenuity. The Great Ziegfeld perpetuates this questionable legend with characteristic Hollywood insistence...
History has been in the making at University Hall for the past few days ever since John Simoneau, New Hampshire soft drink tycoon whose personality may be described as a combination of Florenz Ziegfeld, Jacob Ruppert, Jack Benny, Paul Harris, and Tex Rickard, has been making his presence felt in no uncertain manner...
From the opening blare of trumpets (8.20) to the final tear-laden fadeout (11.29) the picture maintains a level of fabulous lavishness which bears aureate witness to the accepted rumor that the Goldwyn boys spent $500,000 an hour on this supreme effort. The saga of Ziegfeld commences at the Chicago World's Fair, where the master is offering the muscles of the mighty Sandow. Even at this early stage in his development "Ziggie" realizes that his main theme is a rhapsody on the theatrical potentialities of the female form. He brings Anna Held to America and makes...
...would be impossible to recapitulate in detail the composite parts of this amazing movie. Space permits only brief mention of the outstanding performers. As Ziegfeld, William Powell is excellent; he doesn't look like the great man, but he disports himself in convincing and charming fashion. Myrna Loy does well with he small role of Billie Burke; Frank Morgan is superb as Billings, Ziggle's rival and boon companion; Ray Bolger has a small spot which he fills deliciously with his incomparably madcap dancing; Harriet Hoctor does a very charmingly graceful ballet and as we said before Luise Rainer seizes...
...Great Ziegfeld" is unquestionably the most ambitious musical film to date. It's a bit long, but on such a tremendous scale and so well integrated that it commands attention throughout. The thing has to be seen to be believed...