Ziegfeld Follies (1946)

MGM, 1946
Starring Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Fannie Brice, and Red Skelton, among others
Directed by Charles Walters, Vincent Minnelli, Roy Del Ruth, and George Sidney, among others
Music and Lyrics by various

After revues fell out of favor in 1930, no studio would attempt a musical film without a narrative - even the thinnest excuse for one. At least, not until the mid-40's. Producer Arthur Freed wanted to return to the days of the ongoing Ziegfeld Follies revues and create his own, with prime MGM talent. How well did he pull it off? Let's head up above with the now late impresario Florenz Ziegfeld (William Powell) himself as he recalls his beloved shows and find out...

The Story: This is a revue, so there really isn't one. Ziegfeld, looking down from the heavens, remembers his beloved Broadway shows of the early 20th century and wonders what they would loo like in the (then) present, with a galaxy of MGM stars.

The Song and Dance: And while song and dance are the operative words here, some of the comedy routines aren't bad, either. The solo skits come off best, with Keenan Wynn doing exasperated wonderfully well dealing with obtuse operators in "Number Please" and Red Skelton hilarious as the TV pitchman getting increasingly drunk on his own product in "When Television Comes." Fannie Brice, the only actor who actually appeared in the original Ziegfeld Follies, romps through "A Sweepstakes Ticket" with nervous Hume Cronyn and a suspicious William Frawley.

Favorite Number: Things kick off in lavish style with "Here's to the Beautiful Girls," as Fred Astaire salutes Lucile Ball and other lovelies in pink feathers and cat suits...which Virginia O'Brian immediately spoofs, claiming she wants to "Bring On the Wonderful Men." Judy Garland spoofs drama divas of the time like MGM actress Greer Garson in the very funny "The Great Lady Gives an Interview," as she twitters around adoring newspaper reporters. Lena Horne may have protested the dark tropical nightclub setting of "Love," but her burning hot performance still comes across as the sexiest moment in the film.

The movie may be best-known for three major dance numbers, all featuring Fred Astaire. "This Heart of Mine" is the glamorous mini-tale of a thief who falls for a heiress (Lucille Bremer) at a ball. The color is exquisite, the costumes are gorgeous, and the song (which became a standard) is the best in the film. "Limehouse Blues" is another Vincent Minnelli-directed segment. The more tragic tale of a Chinese man who loves a prostitute in London's Chinatown turns into a colorful abstract Asian fantasy ballet.

For my money, the number for the records is "The Babbitt and the Bromide," a Gershwin song originally from the Broadway show Funny Face. The only time good friends Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly danced together during their heyday is a charming competition as two men trade small talk while showing off their very different dancing styles.

Trivia: The movie began filming in 1944 and ran into problems galore. The original cut was almost three hours! Many, many numbers were dropped, some of which still exist as audio cuts. When the roadshow engagements in 1945 didn't work out, numbers were dropped and rearranged, forcing its wide release to 1946.

The big "There's Beauty Everywhere" finale was originally supposed to feature tenor James Melton singing the song, with Cyd Charisse and Fred Astaire dancing in a "bubble ballet." The bubble machine went haywire and broke down. The gas was so bad, it made at least one cameraman faint, and the bubbles got so bad, the fire brigade had to be called in to switch the machine off. Melton was eventually replaced by Kathryn Grayson, and the ballet segment was cut down to a few glimpses of Cyd Charisse and the chorus flitting around in the bubbles.

The only other time Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly danced together was in the documentary That's Entertainment II in 1976.

The movie cost so much with all the retakes and lavish sets and costumes, it did well in '46 and still just barely made back its money.

What I Don't Like: This is a mixed bag, especially in the comedy skits. Victor Moore and Edward Arnold's "Pay the Two Dollars" is more annoying than funny, with Moore's constant whining. "Beauty Everywhere," for all the trouble they had filming it, is a little too overdone for a simple and romantic song, and probably not the best note to end on. The comedy skits are also pretty simple, more like filmed mini-plays and come off as a bit static. The white people playing Asians in "Limehouse Blues" and a few stereotypes can take many folks out of the intended dramatic atmosphere.

And obviously, if you're actually expecting a story along with your musical numbers, this isn't the place for you. It's far better than most of the ricky-ticky early talkie revues, but it's still a revue.

The Big Finale: If you're a huge fan of the MGM musicals of the 1940's and 50's, this is worth seeing for the cast and dance numbers alone.

Home Media: The DVD was just re-released on the Warner Archives last year, and it's available on several streaming companies.

DVD
Amazon Prime