“The Great Ziegfeld” A Musical Extravaganza

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 34, 10 February 1937, Page 11 (Supplement)

“The Great Ziegfeld” A Musical Extravaganza

WILLIAM POWELL, MYRNA LOY HEAD STELLAR CAST (Regent: Screening Saturday Week). Challenging all competition, “The Great Ziegteid” has more first-rate entertainment values crowded within Its sixteen reels than any other picture labelled “musical” or otherwise. I Aside from being a musical extravaganza this story of America’s greatest showman and tho glorification of the 1 modern girl also possesses a line dramatic quality. It has a triple-star treat —William Powell, Myrna Loy and Luise Rainer—to tell a story suggested by the career of Floreriz Ziegfeld, with Powell as Ziegfeld, Miss Loy as Billie Burke and Miss Rainer as Anna Held.

Supporting the star triumvirate arc such players as Virginia Bruce, Frank Morgan, Nat Pendleton, Reginald Owen, Jean Chat burn, Ernest Cossart, Herman Bing. The entertainment value becomes a parade of Ziegfeld, lor the cast also features such world-famous entertainers as Fanny Brice, the ruling American comedienne; Harriet Iloctor, whom Ziegfeld acclaimed the Pavlova of America; and Ray ‘‘Rubber Legs” Bolger, Broadway dancing star. Also through tho story much impersonations of such memorable characters as Will Rogers, Eddie Cantor, W. G. Fields, Bert Williams, Nat Wills, Lew Dockstader, Lee Shubert, Joseph Urban, I rving Berlin, George White and Charles Frohman.

The film story covers every phase of Zicgfeld’s eur.eer from the time he first exploited Sandow, “Strongest Alan in the World,” at the 1393 World's Fair, up to tho timo of his death. The musical numbers are possibly tho most dazzling ever conceived either for stage or screen. Staged by Seymour Felix, formerly Ziegfeld's dance director, they include the beautiful ‘‘American Girl Circus” number featuring Harriet Hoctor in a daring originrl ballet with unleashed lions; the “Girl Bouquet” number, featuring ihe Glorified American Girls and Ray Bolger. Also, tho ‘‘.You” number, featuring the Glorified Dancing Girls on the Ziegfeld Roof; the ‘‘Honeymoon Cottage” number, again featuring the Glorified Girls; the ‘‘Pretty Girl is Like a Melody’* number, featuring Virginia Bruce and a parade of the most gorgeous Adrian costumes ever designed; and the “Finale,” a breathtaking panorama of music, song, beauty and spectacular stage settings. Lavish sets, designed by Cedric Gibbous, include many olaborate stage scenes, the interiors of numerous theatres and hotels and many famous other edifices that became milestones in Ziegfeld’s career.