Classic Movie Musicals: Films Z

Ziegfeld Follies
(aka Ziegfeld Follies of 1946)
MGM, 1946, Color, 115 minutes, ***½
Released April 1946

A revue in the tradition of the Ziegfeld Follies on Broadway, composed of a number of musical and comedy numbers. Highlights include Lena Horne's "Love," Judy Garland's "An Interview" (aka "Madame Crematante"), Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire in "The Babbitt and the Bromide" (the only time they ever danced together on screen), and Fred Astaire and Lucille Bremer in "Limehouse Blues."

This film was in the making for about three years or more. Each segment was filmed by a different director, and the entire film was assembled and released in 1945 for preview, but it was over three hours long and had to be trimmed. It was then pulled back and reworked, and finally released in April 1946.

Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory, Vol. 1 DVD Box Set (shown right) includes this film and Till the Clouds Roll By, Three Little Words, Summer Stock, It's Always Fair Weather.

Produced by: Arthur Freed
Directed by: Vincente Minnelli
Screenplay: Robert Alton, John Murray Anderson, Lemuel Ayers, Ralph Blane, Guy Bolton, Allen Boretz, Irving Brecher, Eddie Cantor, Erik Charell, Harry Crane, Roger Edens, Joseph Erons, David Freedman, Devery Freeman, Everett Freeman, E.Y. Harburg, Lou Holtz, Cal Howard, Al Lewis, Robert Lewis, Max Liebman, Don Loper, Eugene Loring, Wilkie Mahoney, Hugh Martin, Jack McGowan, William Noble, James O'Hanlon, Samson Raphaelson, Philip Rapp, Bill Schorr, Joseph Schrank, Frank Sullivan, Kay Thompson, Charles Walters and Edgar Allan Woolf
Music Director: Lennie Hayton
Songs by: Harry Warren and Arthur Freed; George and Ira Gershwin; Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin; Kay Thompson and Roger Edens
Musical Adaptation: Roger Edens
Orchestration: Conrad Salinger, Wally Heglin
Vocal Arrangements: Kay Thompson
Dance Direction: Robert Alton
Puppet Sequence: William Ferrari
Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons, Merrill Pye, Jack Martin Smith
Set Decorations: Edwin B. Willis
Associate: Marc Alper
Costume Supervision: Irene
Costumes Designed by:Helen Rose
Make-Up Created by: Jack Dawn
Hair Styles Created by: Sydney Guilaroff
Recording Director: Douglas Shearer
Directors of Photography: George Folsey, Charles Rosher
Photographed in Technicolor
Technicolor Color Director: Natalie Kalmus
Associate: Henri Jaffa
Film Editor: Albert Akst

Cast: William Powell, Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Cyd Charisse, Esther Williams, Keenan Wynn, James Melton, Marion Bell, Victor Moore, Edward Arnold, Ray Teal, Joseph Crehan, William B. Davidson, Harry Hayden, Eddie Dunn, Garry Owen, Lucille Bremer, Count Stefenelli, Naomi Childers, Helen Boice, Robert Wayne, Charles Coleman, Feodor Chaliapin, Sam Flint, Shirlee Howard, Natalie Draper, Katherine Booth, Lucille Casey, Eve Whitney, Elaine Shepard, Frances Donelan, Aileen Haley, Aina Constant, Helen O'Hara, Fanny Brice, Hume Cronyn, William Frawley, Arthur Walsh, Lena Horne, Red Skelton, Robert Lewis, Eugene Loring, Harriet Lee, Dante Dipaolo, Robert Chetwood, Jack Purcell, Herb Luri, Walter Stane, Edward Brown, Milton Chisholm, Jack Regas, Bert May, Richard D'Archy, Alex Romero, Don Hulbert, Ricky Ricardi, Robert Trout, Bill Hawley, Rita Dunn, Charlotte Hunter, Patricia Lynn, Ruth Merman, Melba Snowden, Patricia Jackson, Marilyn Christine, Wanda Stevenson, Judi Blacque, Virginia Hunter, Sean Francis, Dorothy Gilmore, Doreen Hayward, Judy Garland, Rex Evans, Gene Kelly, Kathryn Grayson, The Ziegfeld Girls

Program:
[0:00] Overture (played by Orchestra before film)
[0:05] Main Title (played by Orchestra behind titles)
[0:07] "The Great Ziegfeld" Sequence (spoken by William Powell reprising his role from the film The Great Ziegfeld (though now in Heaven, he is seen to be planning a new show), puppet sequence by Bunin's Puppets)

[0:15] Here's to the Girls (production number sung by Fred Astaire and the MGM Studio Chrous, danced by Cyd Charisse, Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball and The MGM Ziegfeld Girls)

[0:20] Bring on Those Wonderful Men (performed by Virginia O'Brien)

[0:22] "A Water Ballet" (instrumental swum by Esther Williams)

[0:26] "Number Please" (comedy skit by Keenan Wynn with Grady Sutton and Kay Williams, Directed by Robert Lewis)

[0:34] "Traviata" Libiamo, Libiamo (from the opera LA TRAVIATA; Costumes designed by Sharaff; Dance Direction by Eugene Loring; sung and danced by James Melton, Marion Bell and Chorus)

[0:37] "Pay the Two Dollars" (comedy skit: Victor Moore and Edward Arnold with Joseph Crehan, William B. Daniels, Harry Hayden, Garry Owen, George Hill, Eddie Dunn)

[0:45] This Heart of Mine ("A Dance Story" Music by Harry Warren, Words by Arthur Freed; sung by Fred Astaire and Chorus, danced by Fred Astaire, Lucille Bremer and Chorus)

[0:57] "A Sweepstakes Ticket" (Written by David Freedman; Directed by Roy Del Ruth; comedy skit with Fanny Brice, Hume Cronyn and William Frawley)

[1:09] Love (Written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane; Directed by Lemuel Ayers; sung by Lena Horne, danced by Lena Horne and Chorus)

[1:12] "When Television Comes" (comedy skit by Red Skelton; Directed by George Sidney)

[1:18] Limehouse Blues ("Dramatic Pantomime" Lyrics by Douglas Furber, Music by Philip Braham; Costumes designed by Sharaff; sung by unidentified female soloist, instrumental ballet portion danced by Fred Astaire and Lucille Bremer. Includes interlude of Wot' Cher (Knocked 'Em in the Old Kent Road) by unidentified sextet)

[1:31] An Interview (aka "A Great Lady Has an Interview" or "Madame Crematante", Words and Music by Kay Thompson and Roger Edens; Dance Direction (by) Charles Walters; sung and danced by Judy Garland and Men's Chorus)

[1:42] The Babbitt and the Bromide (by George and Ira Gershwin, sung and danced by Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly)

[1:49] There's Beauty Everywhere (Words and Music by Harry Warren and Arthur Freed; sung by Kathryn Grayson, danced by the Ziegfeld Girls)

[1:54] Exit Music

See the Ziegfeld Follies of 1946 page on JGDB for more details.

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