Directed by Robert Z. Leonard
Written by William Anthony McGuire
1936/USA
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Repeat viewing
Fanny Brice: Tell Mr Ziegfeld, I’m not in and if I was in, I wouldn’t see him and if I did see him, tell him, I wouldn’t buy a thing.
This extravagant musical biopic won Oscars for Best Production, Best Actress (Louise Ranier), and Best Dance Direction (“A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody”) and was nominated for four more. While it is over-long and it’s luster has faded with time, it is worth seeing for a glimpse at the stage acts of Fannie Brice and Ray Bolger and for its cast.
Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. (William Powell) is a young man with a dream. Early on, he shows his genius by figuring out how to take business from friendly rival Billings’ (Frank Morgan) Little Egypt act at the Chicago World’s fair. He then proceeds to steal French actress/singer Anna Held (Louise Ranier) from Billings although he has no money. It helps that he steals Anna’s heart in the process and marries her.
Flo has a couple of signature vices: he cannot resist a pretty woman and he spends money like water. His picadillos end up in heartbreak for adoring Anna. Still, Ziegfield goes from strength to strength on Broadway with his Follies and musical comedies. Finally he finds contentment and stability in his marriage to Billie Burke (Myrna Loy). Just as Ziegfeld has made his greatest triumph by having four hits on Broadway at once, he is felled by the crash of 1929 and ill health.
MGM evidently couldn’t decide whether to focus on the plot or the musical numbers so went for both – resulting in a movie that is almost three hours long. The numbers are lavish, so much so that they now look a bit like camp. (I was astounded at the closing “circus” routine where about 20 chorus girls dance their hearts out around 5 Russian Wolfhounds that stand stock still while legs kick inches from their faces.) The costumes put a Vegas review to shame in magnificence and in ludicrousness. Ziegfeld’s taste is repeatedly vaunted in the movie but I couldn’t see it myself.
I can remember being shown Louise Ranier’s telephone scene in drama class in high school as an example of good acting. I thought her performance held up well. The win for Best Actress was controversial as she appears only in the first half of the picture and probably would be considered a supporting actress today. Ranier was the first thespian ever to win two back-to-back Oscars, receiving her next for her more substantial work in The Good Earth the following year. Her star fell rapidly thereafter.
Powell and Loy are fun to watch as usual.
Trailer
Clip – “A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody”
I really liked this film but have to say that it just didn’t know what it wanted to be…a biopic or a musical. It certainly is a sanitized version of Ziefeld’s life but it catches his love of showmanship. I have one HUGE complaint. When Fanny Brice is told to sing a torch song, she begins with the iconic “My Man” and then is cut off in mid-warble as the scene changes and we only hear a few bars. Unforgivable!!!! It is one of the great songs and was her trademark torch song……I never understood that editing mistake. Otherwise, it is a great movie to watch but it is long, really long.
Yes, it seems like that they had a wealth of stuff that could be cut without touching “My Man”! I wonder if she ever sang that on film.
Can’t find it anywhere……..lots of recordings but no film. I’m sure it is somewhere but not on Youtube which is where I searched. You need to go listen to it………it was dedicated to the gangster (I can’t remember his name) that she was either married to or dating…….heartbreaking.
I agree that this film is a little long and could probably have used some trimming. This is the one with the scene where this enormously tall curtain keeps pulling back and back and back on a circular, spinning, stories high setup, right? If so, I was quite impressed by that.
This is the one! I agree that number is fantastic.