ZIEGFELD FOLLIES [1946 / 2021] [Warner Archive Collection] [Blu-ray] [USA Release] The Greatest Production Since The Birth of Motion Pictures!
Heaven’s harps and wings are nice, but what showman extraordinaire Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. wants most now that he is no longer on Earth is to put on another extravaganza spectacular. It would have the brightest stars and creative talents and the most in glamour, gals and optimism. In short, it would be like the original “Ziegfeld Follies.”
With a who’s who of credited and uncredited Hollywood talents, this all-star revue is heaven to fans of musicals. Fred Astaire dazzles once, twice…four numbers in all. Red Skelton reprises his Guzzler’s Gin skit. Esther Williams swims, Lena Horne sings, and Judy Garland spoofs snobbery. There’s Verdi opera and Fanny Brice vaudeville. Patter and pantomime. And “The Babbitt and the Bromide,” with Gene Kelly joining Fred Astaire in their first-ever screen pairing. What a show! The man called Flo must be proud.
FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 1938 Venice Film Festival: Nominated: Mussolini Cup for Best Foreign Film for Charles Walters, George Sidney, Lemuel Ayers, Merrill Pye, Robert Lewis, Roy Del Ruth and Vincente Minnelli. 1947 Cannes Film Festival: Win: Best Musical Comedy for Vincente Minnelli [Original award name: 'Prix du meilleure comédie musicale']
FILM FACT No.2: An early concept was to have the film introduced by a stop motion animated puppet of Leo the Lion. Although cut before release, this outtake footage survives today. The film ‘ZIEGFELD FOLLIES’ was entered into the 1947 Cannes Film Festival.
Cast: William Powell, Bunin's Puppets [Animated Puppets], Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Lucille Bremer, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Lena Horne Gene Kelly, James Melton, Victor Moore, Red Skelton, Esther Williams, Edward Arnold, Marion Bell, Cyd Charisse, Fanny Brice, Hume Cronyn, William Frawley, Robert Lewis, Virginia O'Brien, Keenan Wynn, Robert Ames, William Bailey, Juliette Ball, James Barron Eleanor Bayley, Helen Boyce, Marie Bryant, Feodor Chaliapin Jr., Naomi Childers, Charles Coleman, Joseph Crehan, William B. Davidson, Garry Owen, Ray Teal, George Hill, Eddie Dunn, Mary Jo Ellis, Rex Evans, Sam Flintas, Sean Francis, Sidney Gordon, Charles Lunard, Jack Regas, Suzette Harbin, Avanelle Harris, Charles Hawkins, Harry Hayden, James King, Peter Lawford, Harriet Lee, Eugene Loring, Patricia Lynn, Ruth Merman, Wanda Stevenson, Wilbur Mack, Ellen Ray,Billy Shead, Ronald Stanton, Larry Steers, Count Stefenelli, Grady Sutton, Audrey Totter, Arthur Walsh, Robert Wayne, Kay Williams, Silver [Horse], Elise Cavanna, Tall Woman (uncredited), Jack Deery (uncredited), Sam Garrett (uncredited), Rod Alexander (uncredited), Milton Chisholm (uncredited), (uncredited), Dante DiPaolo (uncredited), Don Hulbert (uncredited), Herb Lurie (uncredited), Matt Mattox (uncredited), Bert May (uncredited), Jack Purcell (uncredited), Tommy Rall (uncredited), Ricky Ricardi (uncredited), Alex Romero (uncredited), Gloria Joy Arden (uncredited), Jean Ashton (uncredited), Irene Austin (uncredited), Bonnie Barlowe (uncredited), Judi Blacque (uncredited), Lennie Bluett (uncredited), Norman Borine (uncredited), Hazel Brooks (uncredited), Ed Brown (uncredited), Kathleen Cartmill (uncredited), Jack Cavan (uncredited), Marilyn Christine (uncredited), Laura Corbay (uncredited), Rita Dunn (uncredited), Meredyth Durrell (uncredited), Shawn Ferguson (uncredited), Jeanne Francis (uncredited), Jean French (uncredited), Mary Jane French (uncredited), David Gray (uncredited), Maggie Hathaway (uncredited), Bill Hawley (uncredited), Doreen Hayward (uncredited), Cleo Herndon (uncredited), Charlotte Hunter (uncredited), Virginia Hunter (uncredited), Patricia Jackson (uncredited), Margaret Kays (uncredited), Laura Knight (uncredited), Laura Lane (uncredited), Dale Lefler (uncredited), Melvin Martin (uncredited), Diane Meredith (uncredited), Lorraine Miller (uncredited), Joyce Murray (uncredited), Janet Nevis (uncredited), Ray Nyles (uncredited), Billy O'Shay (uncredited), Jane Ray (uncredited), Dorothy Raye (uncredited), Beth Renner (uncredited), Melba Snowden (uncredited), Walter Stane (uncredited), Ivon Starr (uncredited), Robert Trout (uncredited), Karin Booth [Ziegfeld Girl] (uncredited), Lucille Casey [Ziegfeld Girl] (uncredited), Aina Constant [Ziegfeld Girl] (uncredited), Elizabeth Dailey [Ziegfeld Girl] (uncredited), Frances Donelan [Ziegfeld Girl] (uncredited), Natalie Draper [Ziegfeld Girl] (uncredited), Karen X. Gaylord [Ziegfeld Girl] (uncredited), Aileen Haley [Ziegfeld Girl] (uncredited), Carol Haney [Ziegfeld Girl] (uncredited), Shirlee Howard [Ziegfeld Girl] (uncredited), Margaret Laurence [Ziegfeld Girl] (uncredited), Helen O'Hara [Ziegfeld Girl] (uncredited), Noreen Roth [Ziegfeld Girl] (uncredited), Elaine Shepard [Ziegfeld Girl] (uncredited), Kay Thompson [Ziegfeld Girl] (uncredited), Dorothy Tuttle [Ziegfeld Girl] (uncredited), Dorothy Van Nuys [Ziegfeld Girl] (uncredited), Eve Whitney [Ziegfeld Girl] (uncredited) and Kay Williams [Ziegfeld Girl] (uncredited)
Directors: Lemuel Ayers, Roy Del Ruth, Robert Lewis, Vincente Minnelli, George Sidney, Merrill Pye and Charles Walters
Producer: Arthur Freed
Screenplay: David Freedman, Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane, John Murray Anderson, Lemuel Ayers, Peter Barr, Guy Bolton, Allen Boretz, Irving Brecher, Eddie Cantor, Erik Charell, Harry Crane, Roger Edens, Devery Freeman, Everett Freeman, E.Y. Harburg, Lou Holtz, Cal Howard, Al Lewis, Robert Lewis), Max Liebman, Eugene Loring, Wilkie C. Mahoney, Jack McGowan, William Noble, James O'Hanlon, Samson Raphaelson, Philip Rapp, William Schorr, Joseph Schrank, Red Skelton, Frank Sullivan, Kay Thompson, Harry Tugend, Charles Walters, Billy K. Wells, George White, Edgar Allan Woolf, Joseph Erens and Edna Skelton
Composers: Conrad Salinger (uncredited), Lennie Hayton (uncredited) and Roger Edens (uncredited)
Choreographer: Robert Alton
Costumes Design: Helen Rose, Irene Sharaff (Costume Supervisor), Joseff-Hollywood and Tony Duquette
Cinematography: Charles Rosher (Director of Photography), George Folsey, A.S.C. (Director of Photography) and Ray June, A.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Technicolor Color Director: Natalie Kalmus
Image Resolution: 1080p (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Audio: English: English: 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo
2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 117 minutes
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / Warner Archive Collection
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘ZIEGFELD FOLLIES’ [1946] is a Technicolor explosion of M-G-M’s talent and is a stunningly over-the-top production extravaganza. It was originally intended to première in 1944 as part of M-G-M’s 20th anniversary celebrations, but with lots of production problems, and ‘ZIEGFELD FOLLIES’ was finally released in 1946.
‘ZIEGFELD FOLLIES’ opens with impresario Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. [William Powell] reprising his role from the 1936 ‘The Great Ziegfeld’ and is of course the impresario of the “Ziegfeld Follies” which was Broadway's own version of the French “Folies Bergères” from 1907 through to 1931. Now 10 years later, William Powell returns as the deceased Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. talking to himself in his private Heaven which is like a room at the celestial Ritz Hotel. There Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. reminisces about the good old days and is dramatized by the wonderful Bunin's Puppets stop-motion animation by the Louis 'Lou' Bunin American puppeteer artist, and pioneer of that type of stop-motion animation and reminded me of the other famous PUPPETOON stop-motion animation and Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. wishing he could put together one final production packed with stars and songs and this is where we start to view the ‘ZIEGFELD FOLLIES’ variety of sketches and they are as follows:
BRING ON THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS: This leads into Fred Astaire singing and dancing as a carousel wedding cake of girls attired in pink with enormous headdresses, we see Cyd Charisse dancing on pointe, and Lucille Ball standing atop a white horse majestically recreates a “Ziegfeld Follies” staging. A series of unrelated comedy and musical sequences follows.
Cast: Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Silver [White Horse], Cyd Charisse and Company.
Director: George Sidney
* * * * *
A WATER BALLET: Here we get to see Esther Williams swim into view in the perfectly blue water before diving beneath the surface. Esther Williams wears a white bathing suit that provides a snowy canvas for the shifting light and Esther Williams has white flowers in her hair. Unlike some of her more elaborate her water ballet films, this one is slightly modest by comparison to her other M-G-M extravaganza water themed films, but with these sequences, Esther Williams executes her flips, twirls and pretty underwater poses, and makes it look as though Esther Williams can stay underwater forever. The film sequence was filmed in one of the tanks built for Esther Williams on Soundstage 20 and was 20 feet deep, and 60 feet in diameter and could hold 3,000 gallons of water.
Director: Merrill Pye (uncredited)
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NUMBER PLEASE: Here we find actor Keenan Wynn getting more and more exasperated in attempting to place an innocuous phone call and also featured is Robert Lewis [Telephone Voice], Peter Lawford [Porky voice], Audrey Totter [Phone Operator voice] and Kay Williams [Girl], and to me this was a very silly pointless sketch. This sequence was based on the old sketch that appeared in the 1930 revue “Three’s a Crowd” on Broadway.
Director: Robert Lewis
Screenplay: Peter Barr
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LA TRAVIATA: Next up is an operatic interlude with the Metropolitan Opera stars James Melton and Marion Bell, and the song you hear is “Libiamo ne'lieti calici” which translates to the drinking song from Verdi’s “La Ttaviata” and we get to view some over-the-top elaborate sets, some glorious spectacular dresses the women are wearing.
Costume Design: Irene Sharaff
Choreography: Eugene Loring
* * * * *
PAY THE TWO DOLLARS: Here we have a so called comedy skit stars Edward Arnold as a lawyer refusing to let his client Victor Moore pay a fine, resulting in the client’s landing in jail while his horrible lawyer fights his case. This sketch dates back to vaudeville in the 1930’s and it was originally performed in “George White’s Scandals in 1931.
Cast: James Melton, Victor Moore, Edward Arnold, William Bailey (uncredited), Joseph Crehan (uncredited), William B. Davidson (uncredited), Eddie Dunn (uncredited), Harry Hayden (uncredited), George Hill (uncredited), Wilbur Mack (uncredited) and Larry Steers (uncredited)
Director: George Sidney
Screenplay: Billy K. Wells (uncredited) and George White (uncredited)
* * * * *
THIS HEART OF MINE: This sketch is subtitled as “A DANCE STORY” and features Fred Astaire as a gentleman jewel thief who preys on the guests at a formal ball. Fred Astaire zeroes in on the beautiful, bejewelled countess Helen Boyce and, after a fantastic duet with her, steals a kiss and her bracelet. When they’re about to part, she calmly removes her necklace and gives it to him. Fred Astaire is dumbfounded but soon sweeps her into his arms. The song by Harry Warren and Arthur Freed is a perfect choice for the romantic scenario and the set design spectacular. A couple of treadmills in the dance floor allow for some fancy movements and to me this was really beautiful, romantic and very magical dancing from two people who knew their craft. Definitely try this the next time you are on a moving platform at the airport.
Cast: Fred Astaire, Helen Boyce (uncredited), Feodor Chaliapin Jr. (uncredited), Naomi Childers (uncredited), Charles Coleman (uncredited), Sam Flint (uncredited), Sidney Gordon (uncredited), Count Stefenelli (uncredited) and Robert Wayne (uncredited)
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Lyrics: Arthur Freed
Music: Harry Warren
* * * * *
A SWEEPSTAKE TICKET: This non-musical sketch features Fanny Brice and her husband find out that they have won a fortune on the Irish Sweepstake, but the husband gave the sweepstake to the landlord in exchange a little extra time to pay the rent, so Fanny Brice uses her feminine wiles to retrieve the valuable ticket. This sketch had first been first performed by Fanny Brice in the “Ziegfeld Follies of 1936.” To me this was totally not funny and I thought the whole sketch was a total embarrassment.
Cast: Fanny Brice, Hume Cronyn, William Frawley and Arthur Walsh (uncredited)
Director: Roy Del Ruth
Screenplay: David Freedman
* * * * *
LOVE: The best sequences with this musical number is of course with the wonderful Lena Horne who sings the sultry song “Love” in a Caribbean setting. After a barroom scuffle the camera pans to Lena Horne, who sings about how “love can be a moment’s madness… a life of sadness and pain… an endless fountain of youth” as she walks through the smoke-filled bar and seems to sing directly to the patrons. The number ends with a dazzling close-up of Lena Horne’s radiant face. With this sultry musical number, you can see why Lena Horne was such a popular singing artist, as her performance was total perfection and mesmerising.
Cast: Lena Horne, Lennie Bluett (uncredited), Marie Bryant (uncredited), Avanelle Harris (uncredited), Maggie Hathaway (uncredited), Charles Hawkins (uncredited) and Cleo Herndon (uncredited)
Director: Lemuel Ayers
Screenplay: Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane
* * * * *
Will Show You What Will Happen WHEN TELEVISION COMES: Here we get to see Red Skelton in a not so funny sketch, where he clowns for a television commercial for “Guzzlers Gin” and keeps testing the product and slowly gets drunker and drunker as he goes along. Apparently, towards the end of the shoot, a very inebriated Red Skelton made the assistant camera operator laugh so hard that he fell off the boom and rolled away in fits of laughter. Cinematographer George Folsey had to step in to finish the shoot!
Cast: Red Skelton
Director: George Sidney
Screenplay: Red Skelton (uncredited), Harry Tugend (uncredited) and (uncredited) Edna Skelton
* * * * *
LIMEHOUSE BLUES [Dramatic Pantomine]: This sketch is a totally dramatic musical set in a stylized Chinatown, stars Fred Astaire and Lucille Bremer in Asian make-up. The plot concerns a poor but honest Chinese man [Fred Astaire] who falls in love at first sight with a beautiful woman [Lucille Bremer] who she does not notice the man looking at her, and the Chinese man follows her. The Chinese man sees her admiring a fan in the window of a shop and is determined to buy it for her, but suddenly a gang of thugs break the window and steal items from the shop. The Chinese man is shot during a robbery and imagines himself dancing with a beautiful woman he has just glimpsed briefly. We see him in a red costume, surrounded by darkness, until he reaches his beloved, they touch and the stage is flooded with light, revealing a yellow and blue set. With Irene Sharaff’s beautiful designed costumes for this number, and the crazy colours of the set designs bears Vincente Minnelli’s mark. Robert Alton was the choreographer and worked with Fred Astaire to craft a more ballet dance sequences and of course they incorporated the prop fans into the dance routine. On top of all that, I thought Lucille Bremer gave a totally flawless performance and the whole dance sequence was totally amazing and also very dramatic and the director really showed what can be done in showing something truly magical, but unfortunately some critics felt the number was over-produced, well I totally disagree; I thought it was totally brilliant and truly something special.
Cast: Fred Astaire, Lucille Bremer, Robert Lewis, Robert Ames (uncredited), James Barron (uncredited), Eleanor Bayley (uncredited), Mary Jo Ellis (uncredited), Sean Francis (uncredited), James King (uncredited), Harriet Lee (uncredited), Patricia Lynn (uncredited), Ruth Merman (uncredited), Garry Owen (uncredited), Jack Regas (uncredited), Billy Shead (uncredited), Ronald Stanton (uncredited) and Ray Teal (uncredited)
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Lyrics: Douglas Furber
Music: Philip Braham
Costume Design: Irene Sharaff
* * * * *
A GREAT LADY HAS AN INTERVIEW: With this very dramatic set piece, it stars Judy Garland as a Greer Garson-style star of dramatic films who is being interviewed by a bevy of youthful chorus boys showing up to interview Judy Garland the “great lady” about her personal life and her next film. Judy Garland appears in a stunning gown and an ostrich trimmed wrap that Judy Garland uses to dramatic effect. The set piece was originally intended as a spoof of Greer Garson elegance, but her husband did not find the parody amusing, so that is why Judy Garland performed it instead. The number is a glorious high camp spectacular, and the fact that “A GREAT LADY HAS AN INTERVIEW” has attained cultish status, plus near mystic importance in the gay fandom of the wonderful and talented Judy Garland. I totally disagree totally the negative comments about Judy Garland’s performance, as I thought this wonderful star gave a flawless performance and the sketch was definitely an over the top tongue in cheek performance.
Cast: Judy Garland and Rex Evans (uncredited)
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Lyrics: Kay Thompson and Roger Edens
Music: Kay Thompson and Roger Edens
Choreography: Charles Walter
* * * * *
THE BABBIT AND THE BROMIDE: The number begins with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly “coincidentally” bumping into each other in the park. They pretend to not recognise each other, leading to their rivalrous exchanges. But eventually become best buddies and engage in a fun meta-moment when they suggest improvising a littles something together, before admitting that actually that they had been rehearsing the routines days before the shoot. It was the first time Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly danced together on screen. They did reunite for a bit of fancy footwork in the film ‘That’s Entertainment, Part II’ and in this number, the two dancers Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly each kid each other before getting into character as a couple of fellows who run into each other at ten-year intervals and make generic small talk, not saying anything significant. The dance number is very spirited and is a great opportunity to see these two giants dance together and it is totally magical to watch these two professional dancers side by side and of course their dance styles are totally different. I wish Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly had done more of these spectacular double act dance routines and it would be interesting to find out who thought up the choreography for these very amazing dance routines.
Cast: Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Screenplay: Irving Brecher
Lyrics: George and Ira Gershwin
Music: George and Ira Gershwin
* * * * *
BEAUTY: The ‘ZIEGFELD FOLLIES’ film ends with Kathryn Grayson warbling the song “Beauty” against a pinkish grey and gold sky, surrounded by dead sparkly trees. The scene comes across a nightmarish scenario. A breeze buffets her hair and flowy skirt as dancers swirl through massive mounds of bubbles; clouds appear on process screens, rocks glitter, and Dali-esque women pose against forced-perspective sets. We also get to see Cyd Charisse dancing in giant bubbles. It ends with more overflowing bubbles and a reappearance of Kathryn Grayson against a brightly coloured ‘ZIEGFELD FOLLIES’ sign. It’s a garish conclusion to the ‘ZIEGFELD FOLLIES’ film that bears the name of the showman Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. famous for his theatrical excess.
Cast: Kathryn Grayson
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Lyrics: Harry Warren and Arthur Freed
Music: Harry Warren and Arthur Freed
* * * * *
Please Note: At the end of the film ‘ZIEGFELD FOLLIES’ we get this very poignant Second World War notice and reads as follows: To Families and Friends of Servicemen and Women. Pictures exhibited in this theatre are given to the armed forces for showing in combat areas around the world. Brought to you by the War Activities Committee Motion Picture Industry.
In conclusion, one of the things I've really been enjoying about these Warner Archive Collection releasing M-G-M musicals on Blu-ray is that it's been a wonderful excuse to revisit so many of these classic Hollywood musicals. These M-G-M musical films were key for a classic Hollywood musical film fan growing up, and over the years I've seen most of them many times. I haven't seen them so often in recent years, however, as I've explored many new genres and filmmakers for the first time, so I'm coming back to them with a fresh perspective.
‘ZIEGFELD FOLLIES’ was popular with moviegoers who have not seen the fabled Ziegfeld revues. For these audiences, M-G-M recreated the show on an opulent scale than even outshone the showman’s original efforts. Nonetheless, ‘ZIEGFELD FOLLIES’ was an anachronism in 1946, the kind of which the studio would never repeat.
BONUS: Just before the film starts we get a beautiful OVERTURE [still image] that served to establish the musical themes that would evolve throughout the Hollywood film musical. But these musical pastiches also served an important cinematic function and allowed audiences a chance to put aside their thoughts of the outside world. The word comes from the French word for “opening” because it “opens” the film. Overtures usually have tunes which are going to be heard during the whole of the film. In this way it prepares the audience for what is to come. Overtures were popular in 1950’s and 1960’s Hollywood musicals but have become less common since. In many cases, these overtures have been cut from Television broadcasts and video releases and can only be found on “restored” DVD, Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray versions. Another bonus is we get the EXIT MUSIC at the end of the film and this was done so the audience can get out of their seat and walk towards the exit in an orderly fashion.
ZIEGFELD FOLLIES MUSIC TRACK LIST
HERE TO THE GIRLS (Music by Roger Edens) (Lyrics by Arthur Freed) [Sung by Fred Astaire and chorus and Danced by Cyd Charisse, Lucille Ball and chorus}
BRING ON THE WONDERFUL MEN (Music by Roger Edens) (Lyrics by Earl K. Brent) [Sung by Virginia O'Brien]
Libiamo ne'lieti calici from “La Traviata” (Music by Giuseppe Verdi) [Sung by James Melton and Marion Bell and Danced by James Melton, Marion Bell and chorus
THE HEART OF MINE (Music by Harry Warren) (Lyrics by Arthur Freed) [Sung by Fred Astaire and Danced by Fred Astaire, Lucille Bremer and chorus]
LOVE (Music by Hugh Martin) (Lyrics by Ralph Blane) [Sung by Lena Horne]
LIMEHOUSE BLUES (Music by Philip Braham) (Lyrics by Douglas Furber) [Sung by Harriet Lee and Danced by Fred Astaire, Lucille Bremer and chorus]
A GREAT LADY HAS AN INTERVIEW (Madame Crematante) (Music by Roger Edens) (Lyrics by Kay Thompson) [Sung and danced by Judy Garland and Male Chorus]
THE BABBITT AND THE BROMIDE (Music by George Gershwin) (Lyrics by Ira Gershwin) [Sung and danced by Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly]
THERE’S BEAUTY EV’RYWHERE (Music by Harry Warren) (Lyrics by Arthur Freed) [Sung by Kathryn Grayson and Danced by Cyd Charisse and chorus]
WOT CHER! aka “Knock'd 'em in the Old Kent Road” (Music by Charles Ingle) (Lyrics by Albert Chevalier) [Performed by unidentified street minstrels in the ‘LIMEHOUSE BLUES’ segment.
* * * * *
Blu-ray Image Quality – Warner Archive Collection presents the film ‘ZIEGFELD FOLLIES’ that finally makes its long-awaited Blu-ray debut with a brand new wonderful 1080p image and sourced from a 4K scan of the nitrate Technicolor negative and of course the film is shown in the standard 1.37:1 aspect ratio. But what you get to experience is the gorgeous reds assault the senses throughout, but an array of stunning blue shades impress as well. Lucille Bremer’s bright yellow dress in the early portion of the “Limehouse Blues” number dazzles the eye, as do the deep pinks in the opening ensemble number by Virginia O'Brien's outlandish outfit. Also, you’ll break into a wide grin when the lights come up in the dream sequence of the latter number and we see the awe-inspiring set designs and costumes. Skin tones are wonderfully consistent throughout with a great contrast to make the ladies one and all look their loveliest. Faint grain preserves the film-like feel; excellent clarity and contrast enhance both detail and depth levels, and flesh tones look surprisingly natural. Razor sharp close-ups accentuate the glamor of Ball, Garland, Horne, Bremer, Williams, and Grayson, and not a single nick, mark, or errant scratch mar the pristine source material. This is another in a lengthy and much appreciated and a string of top-quality musical transfers from Warner Archive Collection, which certainly understands the meaning and the allure of the eye candy and knows how to present it in the finest possible manner. So all in all Warner Archive Collection definitely gets a five star rating from me for a job well done.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – Warner Archive Collection brings us the film ‘ZIEGFELD FOLLIES’ with two audio experiences and they are 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio and 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio and both provide very clear, well-modulated robust sound, however, the winning audio mix clearly goes to the stereo track. Musicals benefit immeasurably from two-channel audio, though the stereo process had not yet been formally invented in the mid-1940’s, and Warner Bros technicians have fashioned a very lively stereo presentation from the original soundtrack recordings and the result is a wonderfully immersive audio track that heightens the impact of such classic numbers as “Limehouse Blues,” “This Heart of Mine,” “Love,” “Beauty” and the opulent opening set piece. A wide dynamic scale handles all the variances of the sumptuous orchestrations by such M-G-M stalwarts as Roger Edens, Lennie Hayton, and Conrad Salinger, as well as hearing the wonderful Judy Garland and Lena Horne belt out their songs and you even get a high C’s from Kathryn Grayson and completely without a hint of distortion, and such sonic accents as ringing telephones in the “Number, Please” comedy sketch, Lucille Ball's whip cracking, and the energetic tapping of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly in the “Babbitt and the Bromide” number are crisp and distinct. All the dialogue and song lyrics are easy to comprehend, and no age-related hiss, pops, or crackle mar this vital, often exciting mix. Once again, Warner Archive Collection definitely gets a five star rating from me for a job well done and especially with a film released in 1946.
* * * * *
Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: Vintage M-G-M Short: The Luckiest Guy in the World [1947] [1080p] [1.37:1] [21:09] This short is in the “Crime Does Not Pay” series. The film follows Charles Vurn [Barry Nelson], who has a serious gambling problem. Charles has been losing a lot of money betting on the horses, which is bad. Charles Vurn has been stealing the money from his job as an insurance salesman to gamble with, which is way much worse. Events come to a head when his boss, unimpressed at Charles Vurn's excuses for not getting the regular payments from policy holders, suggests that he may soon go to collect the money himself. Charles Vurn's thus needs to come up with the money immediately. Charles Vurn then goes home and asks his wife Martha Vurn [Eloise Hardt] and her savings, left from her mother. Martha Vurn refuses, and events take a tragic turn, and then events take some more odd twists.
Cast: Barry Nelson, Eloise Hardt, George Travell, Milton Kibbee, Harry Cheshire, Charles Anthony Hughes (uncredited), Nolan Leary (uncredited), Robert Emmett O'Connor (uncredited), Bob Perry (uncredited), Red Skelton [Comedian on Radio voice] (uncredited) and Robert B. Williams (uncredited)
Director: Joseph M. Newman
Producer: Jerry Bresler (uncredited)
Screenplay: Doane R. Hoag (screenplay) and Emile C. Tepperman (story)
Composer: Max Terr
Cinematography: Charles Salerno Jr.. A.S.C. (Director of Photography)
* * * * *
Special Feature: Vintage M-G-M Classic Cartoon: The Hick Chick [1946] [1.37:1] [1080p] [7:10] In this Tex Avery cartoon, a rooster, Clem, is smitten with a lovely chick named Daisy. But a second city slicker rooster moves in and vies for Daisy’s affection. When he kidnaps her and forces her to work in a laundry, Clem comes to rescue her, but not before a chase, lots of sight gags, and slapstick ensue. When Daisy finds she's only been seduced to the city so she can do laundry, she returns to the country and marries Clem.
Voice Cast: Sara Berner [Daisy] (uncredited), Daws Butler [Charles] (uncredited), Stan Freberg [Clem] (uncredited), Paul Frees [Bull] (uncredited) and Frank Graham [Charles / Bull] (uncredited)
Director: Tex Avery
Producers: Fred Quimby and William Hanna (uncredited)
Screenplay: Heck Allen
Composer: Scott Bradley
Animators: Ed Love, Preston Blair, Ray Abrams and Walt Clinton
* * * * *
Special Feature: Vintage M-G-M Classic Cartoon: Solid Serenade [1946] [1.37:1] [1080p] [7:25] Hanna-Barbera’s Tom and Jerry star. Tom brazenly breaks into a yard to serenade his girl, but Jerry is disturbed and determined to silence the cat with the help of the bulldog, Killer. Tom’s rendition of “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby?” is a highlight. As far as I know, this is the only time they have put a voice to Tom the cat.
Voice Cast: Frank Graham [Tom], William Hanna [Tom / Jerry], Jerry Mann [Tom], Billy Bletcher [Vocal Effects - Evil Laugh] (uncredited) and Buck Woods [Tom singing voice] (uncredited)
Directors: Joseph Barbera and William Hanna
Producer: Fred Quimby
Composer: Scott Bradley
Animators: Ed Barge, Kenneth Muse and Michael Lah
* * * * *
Special Feature: ‘ZIEGFELD FOLLIES’ – An Embarrassment of Riches [2006] [1.78:1] [1080p] [4:32] This absorbing and short retrospective featurette includes archival interviews with M-G-M legends. Discussion about the film started at M-G-M in 1939, based on the success of ‘The Great Ziegfeld.’ Recreating a revue on screen was innovative in the 1940s. Producer Arthur Freed was given carte blanche to use any of M-G-M’s stars. Ideas were plentiful. Judy Garland was originally scheduled for 12 segments but only did The Great Lady Has an Interview when Greer Garson didn’t like it and passed. Many planned numbers were never filmed. Kay Thompson did many arrangements to maximize what a singer or orchestra could do. An elaborate bubble finale did not work and many dancers had trouble breathing amid the bubbles. Only a bit of the sequence was used in the film’s finale, Beauty. Because the film originally ran 3 hours in preview, several numbers were cut, including numbers by Fred Astaire, Lena Horne, and Jimmy Durante. Shot in 1944, the film was finally released in 1946. It cost $3 million and grossed $5 million during its initial release. I am curious to know how with the film ‘ZIEGFELD FOLLIES’ that was originally shown in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio, whereas with the clips we see from the film they are able to show them in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Contributors include: Hugh Fording [Author of M-G-M’s Greatest Musicals], Gloria De haven [Actress], James Gavin [Lena Horne’s Biographer], Cyd Charisse [Actress] [Archival Interview] and Kathryn Grayson [Actress] [Archival Interview].
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Special Feature: Outtakes and Rarities [Audio-Only] Here we get to hear musical numbers from the film ‘ZIEGFELD FOLLIES’ that were deemed not suitable to be included in the film, but now we get a rare treat for the first time what the powers at M-G-M felt these musical numbers were not good enough and here is what we hear:
Here’s to the Girls – Alternate Take with Unused Ending [Fred Astaire] [1946] [1080p] [1.78:1] [6:26]
Liza – Unused Musical Sequence [Avon Long & Co.] [1946] [1080p] [1.78:1] [6:14]
We Will Meet Again in Honolulu – Unused Musical Sequence [James Melton & Co.] [1946] [1080p] [1.78:1] [5:33]
A Cowboy’s Life – Unused Musical Sequence [James Melton & Co.] [1946] [1080p] [1.78:1] [4:44]
’E Pinched Me – Partially used in "Limehouse Blues" Musical Sequence [Kay Thompson] [1946] [1080p] [1.78:1] [0:39]
Look at Me, I’m an Indian – Partially used in opening puppet sequence [Fanny Brice Vocal] [1946] [1080p] [1.78:1] [0:48]
You’ve Gotta Start Each Day with a Song – Unused "Pied Piper" sequence [Jimmy Durante Vocal] [1946] [1080p] [1.78:1] [4:35]
Leo the Lion Speaks – Unused Sequence [1946] [1080p] [1.78:1] [1:46]
There’s Beauty Ev’rywhere – Unused Finale Sequence [James Melton & Co.] [1946] [1080p] [1.78:1] [7:51]
Love – Spanish Language Version Performance by Lena Horne [1946] [1080p] [1.78:1] [3:37]
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Theatrical Trailer [1946] [1080p] [1.37:1] [2:34] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘ZIEGFELD FOLLIES.’
Finally, ‘ZIEGFELD FOLLIES’ pays glorious tribute to the lavish theatrical revues immortalized by legendary impresario Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., and with an all-star cast of M-G-M luminaries that includes Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Lena Horne, Esther Williams, and Kathryn Grayson, as well as such iconic comics as Fanny Brice and Red Skelton, director Vincente Minnelli fashions an irresistible confection that’s still a joy to behold 75 years after its premiere. ‘ZIEGFELD FOLLIES’ is a potpourri smorgasbord that is stuffed with every form of entertainment the studio could think of in a two-hour format. The film’s vast star power was intended to draw audiences, and it did. The comedy sketches have not aged as well as the musical sequences, which seem timeless. It’s fun to see so many stars “under one roof.” The film is both a treat for fans of Hollywood musicals and also a fascinating historical curiosity. ‘ZIEGFELD FOLLIES’ is a top-notch Technicolor image transfer, especially with both stereo and mono audio tracks, and an array of vintage supplements distinguish this Warner Archive Collection stellar Blu-ray presentation that deserves a prominent spot in any musical-lover’s film collection. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
