The Great Ziegfeld Best Picture at the 1936 Oscars
Quick Plot
This 1936 MGM musical starts at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, where Flo Ziegfeld promotes Eugen Sandow (the worlds then strongest man) and latter usurps his more successful rival Jack Billings by snatching his intended protegie French singer Anna Held. They soon marry however this does not stop Flo from moving on to bigger things and eventually Anna Leaves him. Next is starlet Billie Burke who he marries and the plot lurches from his success to failure cumulating with him getting wiped out in the 1929 stock market crash. Sadly there is no happy ending as Flo dies still dreaming of recapturing his earlier successes.
Another Trailer Clip
The Great Ziegfeld Cast
William Powell as Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr.
Myrna Loy as Billie Burke
Luise Rainer as Anna Held
Frank Morgan as Jack Billings
Fanny Brice as Herself
Virginia Bruce as Audrey Dane
Reginald Owen as Sampson, Flo’s frequently-nervous bookkeeper
Ray Bolger as Himself
Ernest Cossart as Sidney, Billing’s valet, who is hired away by Flo
Joseph Cawthorn as Dr. Ziegfeld (as Joseph Cawthorne)
Nat Pendleton as Eugen Sandow
Harriet Hoctor as Herself
Jean Chatburn as Mary Lou
Paul Irving as Erlanger, Billing’s later partner
Herman Bing as Costumer
Buddy Doyle as Eddie Cantor
@VTMCompany Hi. I’ m not sure we can apply todays standards to80 years ago. Actors/ actresses then were personalities or stars rather than realistic – except fer Bette Davis+ some of the men+ even Davis was over the top+ larger than life. Luise was a great beauty+ still in films until recently+ as she was voted for by her peers+ I think we can accept that…
I’ m constantly amazed that such films are uploaded here to enjoy! I know of this by checking it in a book I have titled : ‘HISTORY OF THE MOVIES’. Thanks!
Luise Rainer won the Best Actress Oscar over Greta Garbo and Carole Lombard (both favs) for her oohing and ahhing…a travesty in today’s acting annuals!