Ziegfeld Follies
The
Ziegfeld Follies were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on
Broadway in
New York City from
1907 through
1931.
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ZigfeldFollies1912.jpg |
Promotional artwork for 1912 Ziegfeld FolliesInspired 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 and Erlanger.
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,
Bert Williams,
Will Rogers,
Ruth Etting,
Helen Morgan,
Marilyn Miller,
W.C. Fields,
Ed Wynn,
Nora Bayes, and others) appeared in the shows. The Ziegfeld Follies were also famous for many beautiful chorus girls commonly known as
Ziegfeld girls (which, over the years, included many future stars such as
Marilyn Miller,
Marion Davies,
Mae Murray,
Paulette Goddard,
Joan Blondell,
Nita Naldi,
Dorothy Mackaill,
Eve Arden,
Billie Dove,
Gilda Gray,
Barbara Stanwyck,
Cyd Charisse and
Louise Brooks. (
Norma Shearer and
Alice Faye were turned down by Ziegfeld for being "not up to standards".) The girls were usually decked in elaborate costumes by designer
Erté, which would 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.
The
1936 Best Picture winner for that year 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 Ziegeld'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.
Ziegfeld Follies of 1907 at the
Jardin de ParisZiegfeld Follies of 1908 at the
Jardin de ParisZiegfeld Follies of 1909 at the
Jardin de ParisZiegfeld Follies of 1910 at the
Jardin de ParisZiegfeld Follies of 1911 at the
Jardin de ParisZiegfeld Follies of 1912 at the
Moulin RougeZiegfeld Follies of 1913 at the
New Amsterdam TheatreZiegfeld Follies of 1914 at the New Amsterdam Theatre
Ziegfeld Follies of 1915 at the New Amsterdam Theatre
Ziegfeld Follies of 1916 at the New Amsterdam Theatre
Ziegfeld Follies of 1917 at the New Amsterdam Theatre
Ziegfeld Follies of 1918 at the New Amsterdam Theatre
Ziegfeld Follies of 1920 at the New Amsterdam Theatre
Ziegfeld Follies of 1921 at the
Globe TheatreZiegfeld Follies of 1922 at the New Amsterdam Theatre
Ziegfeld Follies of 1923 at the New Amsterdam Theatre
Ziegfeld Follies of 1924 at the New Amsterdam Theatre
Ziegfeld Follies of 1927 at the New Amsterdam Theatre
Ziegfeld Follies of 1931 at the Ziegfeld Theatre
Ziegfeld Follies of 1934 at the
Winter Garden TheatreZiegfeld 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
1907
*
Grace LaRue*
Emma Carus*
Harry Watson*
Helen Broderick*
Anna Held*
Nora Bayes (joined cast at end of run)
1908
*
Nora Bayes*
Grace LaRue*
Mlle. Dazie*
Harry Watson1909
*
Lillian Lorraine*
Bessie Clayton*
Sophie Tucker*
Nora Bayes*
Jack Norworth*
Eva Tanguay (joined cast in mid-run)
1910
*
Fanny Brice*
Bert Williams*
Lillian Lorraine*
Anna Held (in a filmed sequence)
1911
*
Fanny Brice*
Bert Williams*
The Dolly Sisters*
Lillian Lorraine*
Leon Errol*
Vera Maxwell*
Bessie McCoy1912
*
Bert Williams*
Elizabeth Brice*
Leon Errol*
Ray Samuels*
Lillian Lorraine*
Harry Watson1913
*
Leon Errol*
Frank Tinney*
Jose Collins*
Ann Pennington1914
*
Ed Wynn*
Leon Errol*
Bert Williams*
Annette Kellerman*
Vera Maxwell*
Ann Pennington1915
*
Leon Errol*
W.C. Fields*
Ann Pennington*
Ed Wynn*
Bert Williams*
Ina Claire*
Olive Thomas*
Justine Johnstone*
Mae Murray1916
*
Bert Williams*
Fanny Brice*
W.C. Fields*
Ina Claire*
Will Rogers*
Ann Pennington1917
*
Bert Williams*
Fanny Brice*
Eddie Cantor*
Will Rogers*
Dolores*
The Fairbanks Twins1918
*
Eddie Cantor*
W.C. Fields*
Marilyn Miller*
Ann Pennington*
Lillian Lorraine*
Frank Carter*
Joe Frisco*
Bert Savoy*
Jay Brennan*
The Fairbanks Twins1919
*
Marilyn Miller*
Eddie Cantor*
Bert Williams*
Eddie Dowling*
John Steel*
Johnny and Ray Dooley*
Van and Schenck*
The Fairbanks Twins1920
*
Fanny Brice*
W.C. Fields*
Mary Eaton*
Jack Donahue*
Bernard Granville*
Charles Winninger*
Van and Schenck*
Ray Dooley*
Moran and Mack*
Art Hickman's Orchestra1921
*
Fanny Brice*
W.C. Fields*
Raymond Hitchcock*
Van and Schenck1922
*
Gallagher & Shean*
Jack Whiting*
Will Rogers*
Mary Eaton*
Olsen & Johnson*
Gilda Gray1923
*
Fanny Brice*
Bert Wheeler*
James J. Corbett*
Ann Pennington*
Paul Whiteman1924-25
*
Will Rogers*
Ann Pennington*
Frank Tinney*
Lupino Lane*
Ethel Shutta*
Vivienne Segal*
Ray Dooley (joined the cast later in run)
*
W.C. Fields (joined the cast later in run)
*
Louise Brooks1927
*
Eddie Cantor*
Cliff Edwards*
Ruth Etting*
The Brox Sisters*
Clair Luce1931
*
Harry Richman*
Jack Pearl*
Ruth Etting*
Helen Morgan*
Hal LeRoy*
Mitzi Mayfair*
Albert Carroll*
John Bubbles1934
*
Fanny Brice*
Jane Froman*
Buddy Ebsen (with sister Vilma)
*
Eugene Howard*
Willie Howard1936
*
Fanny Brice*
Bob Hope*
Josephine Baker*
The Nicholas Brothers*
Eve Arden*
Gertrude Niesen*
Gypsy Rose Lee (replacement)
*
Bobby Clark (replacement)
1943
*
Milton Berle*
Arthur Treacher*
Ilona Massey*
Dean Murphy*
Jack Cole1956
*
Tallulah Bankhead*
Carol Haney*
Bea Arthur*
Julie Newmar1957
*
Beatrice Lillie*
Jane Morgan*
Billy DeWolf*
Ziegfeld on Musicals101.com
