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Ziegfeld Follies (1945) More at IMDbPro »

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15 out of 20 people found the following comment useful :-
No Plot, Lame Comedy, Fair Music & Dancing, 18 June 2007

Author: ccthemovieman-1 from Lockport, NY, United States

I wasn't disappointed because there was no plot to this story. I didn't expect one, or care - I just wanted to see Fred Astire and Gene Kelly dance in the same film, and I wanted to enjoy the humor of Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, William Powell, Fanny Brice and others. It didn't hurt that Lena Horne, Kathryn Grayson, Esther Williams and more also were in this motion picture.

However to be honest and get to the point quickly: 1 - the comedy scenes were not funny and went on way too long (10 minutes and more in some skits); 2 - the song and dance numbers weren't much. I am a big fan of tap dancing and was very disappointed there was very little of it, although seeing Astaire and Kelly together in one number made me glad I watched this movie at least this once; 3 - The songs, in general, were not to my liking.

Now, to others who like those kind of ballads or that kind of dancing that was in here, this will good stuff to watch. It also offers some wild, almost garish color at times, and some pretty extravagant costumes. The musical numbers are far better than the weak comedy. Overall, it just didn't measure up to my expectations. My VHS picture wasn't the best, either. Perhaps I would change my mind with a good DVD transfer.

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11 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Sparkly and fun but with next to no substance... Astaire shines though!, 31 December 2002

Author: gaityr from United Kingdom

If you're watching ZIEGFELD FOLLIES expecting a plot of any kind, or even an attempt at one, you'd probably be quite horrifically let down by this film. It's best to approach and accept it for what it is--a crazy filmic patchwork of song and dance and sketches, with some that undoubtedly work better than others, and some that are best left forgotten in the annals of film history. If you *do* bear this in mind, ZIEGFELD FOLLIES is an amusing way to spend a couple of hours as you watch these famous stars, including Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Gene Kelly, Judy Garland and many many more trying their utmost best to entertain you. (Admittedly, some with better success than others!)

The film opens with William Powell as Florenz Ziegfeld (reprising his role in THE GREAT ZIEGFELD for what really amounts to a cameo), looking down from heaven as he plans to put up one last, great Ziegfeld follies using the best stars of the day. What immediately follows is the trademark very very pink number, with girls galore floating by on merry-go-round horses, that segues into a rather surreal bit with Lucille Ball (properly attired in a pink fluffy concoction) brandishing a whip (oh dear) against several girls in very sexily-cut black leather body suits. It's an... interesting way to kick the film off, let's leave it at that.

There's no real way to summarise ZIEGFELD FOLLIES except by singling out one's own favourite numbers. And in the forest of boring (Keenan Wynn wastes his talents in a grating and predictable phone sketch), over-the-top (feast your eyes on Esther Williams' water ballet or Kathryn Grayson's operatic warbling as Cyd Charisse dances through bubble mountains) and just plain weird (Judy Garland performing what could well be the first rap in Classic Hollywood--it's not an altogether pretty picture), all of Astaire's contributions to the film stand out.

Astaire is the ostensible star of the film, appearing no less than four times with three gorgeous dance sequences that could certainly count among his personal best. In two of them he's partnered with Lucille Bremer to pleasing effect. "This Heart Of Mine" features Astaire in his rogue persona as he romances Bremer with dance (doesn't he always?) only to steal her jewelry... and for her to steal his heart. The better of their collaborations is the odd but intriguing "Limehouse Blues" with the two of them made up like Chinese (Astaire almost--*almost*--carries it off but ends up looking a little silly). Leaving aside stereotypes, the ballet in Tai Long's fevered dreams is quite stunning, and impeccably staged. I'm still trying to figure out how Astaire and Bremer managed to remember the exact way in which to flip their fans... I hate to think how many times they must have reshot that just to get it all perfectly synchronised!

My favourite number in ZIEGFELD FOLLIES, small surprise, is the one I was looking out for: the penultimate number, "The Babbitt & The Bromide", featuring Astaire and Kelly together on screen, performing the same routine for once in their long illustrious careers. It's a funny little number, with the two fellows they play meeting each other at every stage of their lives, only to have the same inane, mundane conversation. Then follows a small bout of onemanupship as they try to out-dance the other, right into the gates of Heaven. Watching them together is a real treat, because you know these are probably the two best dancer/singer/actors ever committed to film. It's a bit of a shame that their styles don't quite gel: Astaire floats his way through the routine as Kelly pounds the ground as only he can, so their dancing is polished, in perfect time (the timing is absolutely amazing!), but just a little bit off-kilter. It's still the best number in ZIEGFELD FOLLIES though, with Kelly's irrepressible mischief playing against Astaire's ruffled charm.

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES is really just a big, sparkly candy box of a movie--if you bear in mind that a plot was never particularly high on the mind of writers, producers, or directors, and you have a good book by your side to tide you through the (fortunately not too numerous) stretches of boredom, you're set for the evening. Keep the video ready for whenever Astaire breaks onto the screen; that's always a sign of quality. 7/10

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9 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
1/2 Grandeur, 1/2 Glamour, 16 June 1999
Author: Dreamer-36 from W. Hollywood, CA

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.

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Great entertainment, 29 November 1999

Author: Petri Pelkonen (petri_pelkonen@hotmail.com) from Finland

Ziegfeld Follies is a musical comedy from 1946, from the time when they made lots of musical movies.There really isn't a plot in this movie, but who needs one anyway.As long the musical numbers are working, you really don't need a plot in a movie like this.And then there are also some really funny sketches in the movie.Especially I liked Red Skelton's and Keenan Wynn's acts.They really make you laugh.And then it is great fun to watch Fred Astaire's and Gene Kelly's musical number.This was their only musical act together.Ziegfeld Follies has many great musical numbers.The younger generation doesn't care so much about musical movies, but I'm a teen ager and I like these old musical movies.These kind of movies make me miss those times, and I wasn't even born back then!

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7 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
A Drop-Dead Gorgeous Show For The Serious Musical Fan, 20 August 2005

Author: gftbiloxi (gftbiloxi@yahoo.com) from Biloxi, Mississippi

The Ziegfeld Follies were legendary stage shows that consisted entirely of musical numbers and comedy routines performed by some of the greatest stars of the day. When sound began to roar in the late 1920s, the movie studios followed the Ziegfeld form and quickly produced a series of films that were variety-show in nature. But the musical review is a form that really works best on stage before a live audience: in short order the movie-going public turned its back on the style in favor of musicals that offered increasingly complex, sophisticated, and sometimes unexpectedly dark stories.

In the 1940s MGM, famous for its musicals, unexpectedly decided to revive the form--and to do so in the style of producer Florenz Ziegfeld. The result was an outrageous budget that would have made Ziegfeld himself blanch, a wave of imaginative visuals that could have never been crammed onto even the biggest Broadway stage, a host of legendary performers, and the occasional comedy routine for relief from the sheer spectacle of it all.

The big hurdle for modern audiences is the fact that we have become accustomed to variety shows through television; they no longer have a unique appeal and it is difficult for us to sit through two hours of it. Even so, most musical fans will probably find ZIEGFELD FOLLIES worth the effort; although it has a few weak spots, it is easily one of the most visually stunning flights of fancy ever put on the screen.

The weakest links in the chain are the comedy routines, all of which seem insubstantial at best, slightly clunky at worst; still, they are amusing in an old-fashioned sort of way and it is always a pleasure to see the legendary Fannie Brice, no matter how inconsequential the script may be. Fortunately, the film weighs in heavily on the musical side, and while the actual material may be a bit weak at times the look of the thing is absolutely eye-popping.

The opening number is nothing short of stunning: Fred Astaire introduces a riot in pink and black that includes a spinning Cyd Charisse, a turning merry-go-round with real white horses, and a formidable Lucille Ball keeping a host of leopard-like women in check with a whip! Truly, musicals are the most surreal of all performing arts genres, but this seems to stretch the boundaries quite a bit.

The film is filled with notable performers. Virginia O'Brien, the great comic singer, dismisses the ladies in favor of the men--indeed, it seems, almost any man will do. Esther Williams swirls elegantly in front of lavish underwater sets. James Melton and Marion Bell offer memorable performances of the most famous duet from LA TRAVIATA in a memorably designed setting. Katherine Grayson is surrounded by some truly unexpected sets, walls of bubbles, and gold-clad bathing beauties. Certainly no one can complain that there is nothing to see on the screen! Along the way we also have some truly legendary moments, chief among them two amazingly beautiful dance numbers performed by Fred Astaire and Lucille Bremer. The first, "This Heart of Mine," finds Astaire playing a jewel thief bent upon seducing Bremer at a ball: red and white with elaborate costumes, hidden treadmills, and decoratively turning platforms, it is both clever and very elegant. Even so, "Limehouse Blues" is finer still, introducing a mysterious Chinatown--and then suddenly bursting into a fantasia of white and blue and red as Astaire and Bremer dance out a love story that never was and never could ever be.

The film also offers two of MGM's most celebrated singing stars. During her MGM career Lena Horne was typically saddled with excessive movement and frequently peculiar costumes--but both actually work to her advantage here, and her performance of "Love" has tremendous tropical sizzle, to say the least. It may be a bit more difficult for modern viewers to know how to react to Judy Garland's "The Interview," for its references are lost; not only is it very much an industry insider joke, it is very much a take-off on "serious" actresses of the time who specialized in playing biographical roles, with Greer Garson a very specific target. Still, Garland nails it as only Garland can, and that says a great deal indeed.

The film also contains a true rarity: the only serious pairing of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, who lightly send up rumors of their rivalry--and then proceed to demonstrate just how truly competitive they could be in some of the finest choreography ever put on the screen. "The Babbit and the Bromide" is truly a remarkable thing to behold; you are constantly torn in your attention between the two men, each with very different styles and yet each truly incomparable.

In spite of its array of stars and remarkable visuals, ZIEGFELD FOLLIES was not among MGM's box-office knockouts of the 1940s and it was rarely seen after its original theatrical release. It is presently available only in VHS, and although the print is good it isn't the best possible--and since the visual spectacle is a prime reason for seeing the show you may want to hold out (and cross your fingers) for a full restoration on DVD. On the other hand, the out-of-print but still available VHS package does include the soundtrack on CD, which is a very strong plus.

Final thought on the film: unless you are a serious fan of MGM musicals you may want to skip this one, but if you are willing to make the act of acceptance the film requires you'll find ZIEGFELD FOLLIES a drop-dead gorgeous show.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
a review which sits comedy, music and parody together, 11 May 2007

Author: didi-5 from United Kingdom

This film is just what it says on the tin, a collection of pieces and sketches similar to those you would have seen in a real Ziegfeld show.

Introduced from Heaven by Ziegfeld himself (William Powell reprising his role of ten years earlier), the acts are rolled out one by one for our appreciation and enjoyment.

High points which spring to mind are Fred Astaire as a jewel thief, charming Lucille Bremer; and as a Chinese n'er do well wishing he could get Bremer the fan she wants. Cyd Charisse and others dancing through bubbles as Kathryn Grayson warbles 'Beauty'. Judy Garland as 'the great lady' mocking Greer Garson. And of course 'The Babbitt and the Bromide' which teams Astaire and Gene Kelly for the first time.

The comedy segments sit less well today and all are too long, however, they're not bad. Keenan Wynn struggles with a dumb telephone operator; Victor Moore has a tightwad lawyer who gets him into jail; Fanny Brice wins the Irish sweepstake; and Red Skelton advertises Guzzler's Gin.

Add Lucille Ball and her cat girls, a touch of La Traviata, and a bevy of lovelies to open and close the show, and you can see why this film was a hit on its first release.

Good for historical interest and the frequent highs, but you might find your attention wandering now and then.

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6 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
Don't bother (and don't judge) unless you can see a good Technicolor print, 2 October 2000
Author: Kevin Rayburn (kprayb01@homer.louisville.edu) from Louisville, KY USA

No doubt the jaded postmodern cynical viewer will find plenty to pick apart in this fluff (facile metaphysics, etc.). That is their loss.

This is not one of the great MGM musicals, but at its best it does what great musicals do: it sweeps you along in a kaleidoscope of color, movement and sound. And because of these qualities this trifle IS art as surely as Citizen Kane or La Promesse are. Cinema is not just an art of--or forum for-- philosophy; it is an art of the color palette, and with The Ziegfeld Follies the technical forces of a great studio created a sometimes exquisite canvas to behold. Unfortunately, like many old films, the canvas is fading.

I first saw this film 20 years ago projected from an exceptional 16 millimeter print that brought out the full richness of the Technicolor cinematography. None of the video versions I've seen since have come close. The same is true for the 1949 John Ford western, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, which I saw many years ago in an unbelievably painterly 16mm Technicolor print. Prints of that film shown on the AMC network don't even come close to the richness of that print.

Its color alone is enough to make The Ziegfeld Follies visually entertaining for me, and that print I saw long ago convinces me that is one of the 10 or 20 most beautiful color films ever made. The merry go round scene (with Lucille Ball as I recall) in hot garish pink was particularly striking visually.

I contend that any film, even marginal or bad ones, made in the extinct and impossible to resurrect Technicolor process is worthy of seeing, because its very usage constitutes a lost art form in and of itself.

Like Ziegfeld Follies, middling films such as Kid Millions (1934), Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1936), Jesse James (1939), Down Argentine Way (1940), The Gang's All Here (1943) and The Captain from Castile (1947) are worth seeing almost exclusively because of their amazing color schemes.

The biggest crack about "Tech," as cine buffs call it, is that it was not "realistic" color. Bogus line of reasoning, as no cinematic color process can ever be realistic in the sense of replicating human sight. OK maybe Roger Deakins came close in "Sid and Nancy." Admiring Ziegfeld Follies solely for its color may not be enough for you, but it's enough for me in our era of dreary cinematic color.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Surreal collage of Technicolor moments, 5 December 2006

Author: Bryce David

They sure don't make movies like this anymore.

ZIEGFELD FOLIES starts off a little badly, with an embarrassing bit with William Powell has Ziegfeld himself. This moment is creaky and sorta creepy. Then we see a brief history of Ziegfeld and his stars represented in puppets, which is, hmm, intriguing.

When the film finally starts, Fred Astaire introduces the first musical moment. Interesting tidbit, Fred Astaire was 45 years old when he made this! We then see Lucille Ball surrounded by a bunch of beauties. Lucille sure was a statuesque beauty when she was young. Not very graceful though. And she doesn't sing or even speak. Thank god. The aura would have been destroyed with her raspy voice. This moment also includes one of the most surreal bits in this very surreal film: we see Lucille whipping a bunch of slinky cat-girls into a frenzy. It's very kinky but tasteful nonetheless. This moment is beautiful but not overwhelmingly so.

This is followed by Virginia O'Brien, who sings/deadpans "Bring on the Wonderful Men." Personally speaking, this is best moment in the film. It captures the true spirit of a Vaudeville show.

Next, Esther Williams plays a goldfish in a bowl.

Then it's the first of several comedy sketches, this one with Keenan Wynn. It's the best comedy sketch in the film.

The "La Traviata" moment is OK but it's way too short.

Next, "This Heart of Mine,", the second of 4 moments with Fred Astaire, the first of two co-starring with Lucille Bremer...Lucille who? (she looks like Bette Davis). This is the most colorful moment in the whole film. It's death by Technicolor. The story doesn't make any sense but who cares.

This is followed by a comedy sketch with Fanny Brice...hmmm. I now know why she wasn't a movie star.

Lena Horne in a very brief musical moment. Good but way too short.

The second musical moment with Fred and Lucille Bremer. Limewhouse Blues. It's beautiful, in its old Hollywood kinda way.

Judy Garland plays an affected movie star surrounded by a bunch of men in "An Interview". One of the best moments in the film. Almost perfect.

Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire dance together cheek to cheek...why? Dunno. They make a cute couple though! Arf.

In the finale, Kathryn Grayson sings while Cyd Charisse dances AND takes a bubble bath.

All in all, it's a very good film. Not a classic but definitely worth watching for fans of Technicolor musicals.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Ziegfeld Puts On A Posthumous Follies, 1 March 2008

Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York

Ziegfeld Follies, seeing it again takes me back to the first time I did see it. At the old Ziegfeld Theater now converted to a movie house where for $2.00 I could spend the day with Ziegfeld. A triple feature ran that day. The Great Ziegfeld, Ziegfeld Girl, and Ziegfeld Follies ran back to back. Things started around 10:30 am. and I didn't leave the theater until 7:30 pm.

This film was MGM's attempt to create the Ziegfeld Follies and what it was like to see it on stage. At a time when every studio was creating all star musical films as morale boosters for the war, Ziegfeld Follies is the only one of the whole bunch that has absolutely no mention of the war. In fact it's a one and only throwback to the all star musical films that sprouted out at the beginning of the sound era. It more properly belongs with films like Paramount on Parade, Fox's Movietone Follies, and The King of Jazz.

MGM had more musical talent at its studio than any other and in Ziegfeld Follies they used it all and then some. The introduction is provided by William Powell reprising his role as Florenz Ziegfeld. He's in his heavenly digs now, reminiscing about the great times on earth and the great shows he put on. If he were doing a show today, he'd first begin it with a great star like Fred Astaire. Then Fred takes over and the show begins.

Arthur Freed who also contributed some lyrics here as well, produced Ziegfeld Follies and under his banner various directors and writers and performers all got to do their thing. Two performers Fanny Brice and Victor Moore got to do some of the comedy they did back on the stage and for Ziegfeld. It's a pity Eddie Cantor who was still alive and very much active couldn't be brought in. He's only seen at the beginning in an animated version. W.C. Fields who also starred in the Follies as well on stage probably was in bad health, bad temper or both.

I'm sure that Ziegfeld would have loved the talent assembled here. It ranges from the Metropolitan Opera's James Melton to vaudeville's Red Skelton. In fact my favorite comedy number from the film is Red Skelton doing the Guzzler's Gin Program and lamenting the fact that next time he gets oatmeal for a sponsor.

My favorite musical number is Lena Horne singing the song Love in a Caribbean setting. One of Ziegfeld's famous headliners was the famous black comedian Bert Williams. To not have a black performer in this cast would have been an insult to Ziegfeld's memory as well as a whole race of people. Lena Horne's act isn't exactly the same as Bert Williams's, but her singing of Love is the musical highlight of the film.

Until That's Entertainment II, Ziegfeld Follies was the only film in which Fred Astaire got to dance with Gene Kelly. Although Astaire has a few numbers here, this is Kelly's only appearance. They do George and Ira Gershwin's The Babbitt and the Bromide which Astaire did with his sister Adele back in the Twenties. It's not the best work for either of them, still it's a twice in a lifetime treat.

Films like Ziegfeld Follies can never be done again because the studios that had all that talent under contract are gone. But Arthur Freed shot almost double the amount of numbers and many things were cut. I think it would be great if we could get the footage restored if MGM bothered to save it.

A director's cut Ziegfeld Follies. To really fill your day with the magic of a Ziegfeld show.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Cast As Parts Are Better Than The Whole Musical, 27 February 2007

Author: DKOSTY from United States

When I first heard about this movie, & saw that the real Fanny Brice, Red Skelton, Judy Garland, & all the other greats from this era were in this, I knew I had to see it. I only wish the whole film lived up to the sum of its parts. The star power in this movie would blow anything over.

I think the fault here is that the film comes off as a lot of dis-jointed performances which while well-staged & good, have nothing to tie you to the film & stay interested in it. The great musicals such as 2006's DreamGirls have that kind of thing. As a result, the main interest for someone watching this is to take a DVD of it with a scene menu & go to you favorite performers part in it.

After seeing Streisand play Fanny Brice, it is interesting to see the real woman as she was versus Bab's portrayal of her. This film is lavish & MGM's Technicolor is great as usual. The film just doesn't flow very well which is a shame. It looks like no one wanted to hire good writers for a script.

MGM made this on the presumption that just the stars would put people in the theater seats. I bet it did in it's time, but I only wish it had been done better now.

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