The Great Ziegfeld (1936) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Director: Robert Z. Leonard Producer: Hunt Stromberg Cast: William Powell, Myrna Loy, Luise Rainer, Frank Morgan, Fanny Brice. Awards ceremony: -9th Academy Awards: March 4, 1937. Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, California. Other films nominated for Outstanding Production this year: -Anthony Adverse. -Dodsworth. -Libeled Lady. -Mr. Deeds Goes To Town. -Romeo And Juliet. -San Francisco. -The Story Of Louis Pasteur. -A Tale Of Two Cities. -Three Smart Girls. Plot summary: Beginning in 1893, Florenz Ziegfeld (WILLIAM POWELL) is into showbusiness, firstly with operating a 'World's Strongest Man' feature at the Chicago World's Fair and then later moving into the theatre where he enlists the talents of French star Anna Held (LUISE RAINER) despite competition from friend/rival Jack Billings (FRANK MORGAN), who wants to sign her for his own. Over the years Ziegfeld and Anna marry but then later divorce when Ziegfeld wants to move in a new direction and create a new show called Ziegfeld Follies and feature beautiful women. The lead new star of the show is Billie Burke (MYRNA LOY) and she and Ziegfeld marry and their popularity grows stronger until the Stock Market Crash of 1929 wipes out their finances. Standout scene: The stage show sequences either side of the Intermission are absolutely phenomenal. Make no doubt about it. The set design, the co-ordination and directing is just fantastic. It's one of those 'how did they film all that?' kind of moments! Facts: -The 9th Academy Awards. -Luise Rainer won the Academy Award for Best Actress. -Frank Morgan and Ray Bolger would later appear together in iconic roles in The Wizard Of Oz. It's also worth mentioning that the real Ziegfeld was married to actress Billie Burke who played the Good Witch in The Wizard Of Oz. -Several regular Hal Roach stars appear in the film, including (click link for screenshot): Rosina Lawrence, Mickey Daniels, Gertrude Astor. Personal opinion: After some flashy opening titles where the names of the cast and crew are shown in neon lights on a billboard (very clever), we are treated to something that ranges between boring to mediocre for the story part. The film picks up just before the Intermission with a prolonged sequence on a rotating stage featuring a very complex routine filled with singers and performers on a raised set which resembles a big wedding cake. Unfortunately these short-lived periods soon give way to the standard mediocrity that led up to them. Ray Bolger doing a tap-dancing number and performing the splits was impressive. Once again the members of the Academy must have been smoking something illegal when they put Luise Rainer up for the Best Actress award for her performance in this film. She cannot act, and is painful to both watch and listen to. There are gaps in the story that we don't get to see, such as Ziegfeld's two weddings, and the year-long gap between the scene in the barber's shop and then Ziegfeld confronting the men who told him he wouldn't amount to anything. It's one of those films tailored to a specific dynamic of movie fans who are probably all dead by now. It's worth seeing for the stage sequences and nothing more. Did it deserve the Oscar? YES. 5/10

Review date: 10 February 2025