Ziegfeld Follies (1945)

Directors:

Lemuel Ayers
Roy Del Ruth

Writers:

John Murray Anderson (writer)
Lemuel Ayers (story)

Release Date:

8 April 1946 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical

Tagline:

Flashing...smashing SCREEN ENTERTAINMENT! DAZZLING IN ITS BEAUTY...PACKED WITH GLORIOUS Melodies! (original print media ad - many caps)

Plot:

The late, great impresario Florenz Ziegfeld looks down from heaven and ordains a new revue in his grand old style. |

Plot Keywords:

Florenz Ziegfeld | Heaven | Revue | Dance | Puppetry

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Fred Astaire	...	Himself (in "Here's to the Ladies") / Raffles (in "This Heart of Mine") / Tai Long (in "Limehouse Blues") / Gentleman (in "The Babbit and the Bromide")
Lucille Ball	...	Herself in 'Here's to the Ladies'
Lucille Bremer	...	Princess in 'This Heart of Mine' / Moy Ling in 'Limehouse Blues'
Fanny Brice	...	Norma in 'A Sweepstakes Ticket'
Judy Garland	...	The Star in 'A Great Lady Has An Interview'
Kathryn Grayson	...	Herself in 'Beauty'
Lena Horne	...	Herself in 'Love'
Gene Kelly	...	Gentleman in 'The Babbit and the Bromide'
James Melton	...	Alfredo in scene from 'La Traviata'
Victor Moore	...	Lawyer's Client in 'Pay the Two Dollars'
Red Skelton	...	J. Newton Numbskull in 'When Television Comes'
Esther Williams	...	Herself in 'A Water Ballet'
William Powell	...	Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.
Edward Arnold	...	Lawyer in 'Pay the Two Dollars'
Marion Bell	...	Violetta in scene from 'La Traviata'

Also Known As:

Ziegfeld Follies of 1944 (USA: Spanish title) (working title)
Ziegfeld Follies of 1946 (USA) (poster title)

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Among the ideas planned in the film, but not used, included: - A spoof of the musical "Lady in the Dark" with Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney and Fred Astaire. - A minstrel number with Garland, Rooney, Astaire, Lou Holtz and Nancy Walker. - An "Album of Familiar Songs" medley with Garland, Marilyn Maxwell, Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, Lena Horne, and Kathryn Grayson. - A "Firehouse Chat," a sketch with Garland, Lucille Ball and Ann Sothern. - "Reading of the Play," a sketch with Garland and Frank Morgan. - "It's Getting Hot in Tahiti" (music and lyrics by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane) with Garland. - A "Fairy Tale" sketch with Katharine Hepburn, Margaret O'Brien and Jackie 'Butch' Jenkins. - "I've Got Those Rooney/Pidgeon/Skelton Blues" with Garland, Ball and Greer Garson (in a number they'd concocted on a war bond train) moaning about their frequent co-stars. - "Pass That Peace Pipe" (music and lyrics by Martin, Blane and Roger Edens) with Garland, Rooney, Ball, Walker, June Allyson, Gene Kelly and Charles Walters (The song was later given to Joan McCracken by Walters when he directed Good News (1947).) - "Sand," a sketch with Garland and Astaire in blackface. - "Children's Park" with various MGM stars (including Hepburn, Garland, Walter Pidgeon, Basil Rathbone, Tom Drake and Esther Williams) riding on swings. - "I Love You More In Technicolor Than I Do In Black and White" (music and lyrics by Martin and Blane) with Garland turning down dates from John Hodiak, Van Johnson and James Craig to rekindle with Rooney. (This routine had to be dropped when Rooney entered the Army.) - James Melton suggested he should do a number with either Garland or Grayson.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Towards the end of the "This Heart of Mine" number, as Astaire and Bremer begin to dance back to the palace, dancers in the background (screen left) are clearly struggling to stabilize some of the antler-tree props.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.: Ah... Saturday, September twenty fifth. Another heavenly day. Ah, yes. Always a heavenly day.

Movie Connections:

Featured in That's Entertainment, Part II (1976)

Soundtrack:

Limehouse Blues

1/2 Grandeur, 1/2 Glamour

If you get easily bored with those old movies that seem to roll and roll forever, this is for you. It really has no plot, but you really don't need one. You could call this movie the Grand Ball, because it really is a set of dances. (Except for a few comedy scenes) Overall, I strongly believe that it is a really good movie, especially in those Fred Astaire numbers (Here's to the Girls, This Heart of Mine, and the Limehouse Blues) This movie is a real MUST for classic movie and Ziegfeld lovers alike.