Ziegfeld Follies Totally Explained

Everything about The Ziegfeld Follies totally explained

The Ziegfeld Follies were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air. Inspired by the Folies Bergères of Paris, the Ziegfeld Follies were conceived and mounted by Florenz Ziegfeld, reportedly at the suggestion of his then-wife, the entertainer Anna Held. The shows' producers were turn-of-the-century producing titans Klaw & Erlanger.

History

The Follies were lavish revues, something between later Broadway shows and a more elaborate high class Vaudeville variety show. Many of the top entertainers of the era (including Eddie Cantor, Fanny Brice, Ann Pennington, Bert Williams, Will Rogers, Ruth Etting, Helen Morgan, Marilyn Miller, W.C. Fields, Ed Wynn, Gilda Gray, Nora Bayes, The Tiller Girls, and others) appeared in the shows. The Ziegfeld Follies were also famous for many beautiful chorus girls commonly known as Ziegfeld girls, usually decked in elaborate costumes by designers such as Erté, Lady Duff Gordon or Ali Ben Hagan, which became the talk of Broadway the following day.
   After Ziegfeld's death, his widow Billie Burke authorized use of his name for Ziegfeld Follies in 1934 and 1936. The name was later used by other promoters in New York City, Philadelphia and again on Broadway, with less connection to the original Follies. These latter efforts failed miserably. When later it toured, the 1934 edition was recorded in its entirety, from the Overture to Play-out music, on a series of 78 rpm discs, which were edited by the record producer David Cunard to form an album of the highlights of the production and which was released as a Compact Disc in 1997.
   The 1936 Best Picture winner was The Great Ziegfeld, starring William Powell as the master showman. Co-starring Myrna Loy (as Ziegfeld's second wife Billie Burke), Luise Rainer (as Anna Held, which won her an Academy Award for Best Actress), and Frank Morgan (as a rival showman). Featuring numbers by Ray Bolger, Dennis Morgan, Virginia Bruce, and Harriet Hoctor, the film gave a glimpse into what the Follies were really like. The MGM blockbuster's show-stopper was "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody", which, by itself, cost more to produce than one of Ziegfeld's whole shows.
   There was also a 1946 feature motion picture entitled Ziegfeld Follies with Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Lena Horne, William Powell, Gene Kelly, Fanny Brice, Red Skelton, Esther Williams, Cyd Charisse, Lucille Ball, Kathryn Grayson, and others performing songs and sketches similar to those from the original Follies.

The Follies

Follies of 1907 at the Jardin de Paris
Follies of 1908 at the Jardin de Paris
Follies of 1909 at the Jardin de Paris
Follies of 1910 at the Jardin de Paris
Ziegfeld Follies of 1911 at the Jardin de Paris
Ziegfeld Follies of 1912 at the Moulin Rouge (New York)
Ziegfeld Follies of 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920 at the New Amsterdam Theatre
Ziegfeld Follies of 1921 at the Globe Theatre
Ziegfeld Follies of 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927 at the New Amsterdam Theatre
Ziegfeld Follies of 1931 at the Ziegfeld Theatre
Ziegfeld Follies of 1934 at the Winter Garden Theatre
Ziegfeld Follies of 1936 at the Winter Garden Theatre
Ziegfeld Follies of 1943 at the Winter Garden Theatre
Ziegfeld Follies of 1957 at the Winter Garden Theatre

Performers: Year-By-Year

1907

Anna Held & Her Girls

Nora Bayes (joined cast at end of run)

1908

1909

Eva Tanguay (joined cast in mid-run)

1910

Anna Held (in a filmed sequence)

1911

1912

1913

1914

Ed Wynn

1915

Ed Wynn

The Ziegfeld Girls (including Olive Thomas and Mae Murray)

1916

The Ziegfeld Girls (including Marion Davies and Olive Thomas)

1917

Dolores

The Ziegfeld Girls (including Peggy Hopkins Joyce)

1918

The Ziegfeld Girls (including Doris Eaton)

1919

Johnny and Ray Dooley

Van and Schenck

The Fairbanks Twins

The Ziegfeld Girls (including Billie Dove and Doris Eaton)

1920

Art Hickman's Orchestra

The Ziegfeld Girls (including Doris Eaton)

1921

The Ziegfeld Girls (including Anastasia Reilly)

1922

The Ziegfeld Girls (including Barbara Stanwyck and Anastasia Reilly)

1923

The Ziegfeld Girls (including Anastasia Reilly)

1924-25

Ray Dooley (joined the cast later in run)

W.C. Fields (joined the cast later in run)

Dorothy Wegman

The Ziegfeld Girls (including Louise Brooks, Paulette Goddard, Claire Dodd, and Anastasia Reilly)

1927

The Ziegfeld Girls (including Joan Blondell and Paulette Goddard)

1931

The Ziegfeld Girls (including Iris Adrian)

1934

Fanny Brice

Jane Froman

Buddy Ebsen (with sister Vilma)

1936

The Nicholas Brothers

Eve Arden

Gertrude Niesen

Gypsy Rose Lee (replacement)

Bobby Clark (replacement)

1943

1956 (Boston)

1957

The Ziegfeld Girls (including Carol Lawrence) Further Information

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