The Great Ziegfeld story
The Great Ziegfeld is a 1936 American musical drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and produced by Hunt Stromberg. It stars William Powell as the theatrical impresario Florenz "Flo" Ziegfeld Jr., Luise Rainer as Anna Held, and Myrna Loy as Billie Burke. The film is a fictionalized and sanitized tribute to Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. and a cinematic adaptation of Broadway's Ziegfeld Follies, with highly elaborate costumes, dances and sets.
31 total · 2 choice · 10 major · 19 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| rise to prominence from humble beginnings | choice | The story is a musical biopic of Florenz "Flo" Ziegfeld Jr. who started out managing a strongman performer in a lowly London nightclub and ended up a famous Broadway impresario. |
| the entertainment industry | choice | The story follows the life and career of the theatrical impresario Florenz "Flo" Ziegfeld Jr. and touches upon actors, actresses, and other showbiz people in early 20th century America. |
| entrepreneurship | major | The story follows the showbiz entrepreneur Florenz "Flo" Ziegfeld Jr. as he embarked on one imaginative venture after the other. |
| facing financial ruin | major | Ziegfeld lost his entire fortune in market crash of 1929 by speculating with borrowed money in the stock market. |
| husband and wife | major | Ziegfeld and Anna Herd fell in love and married. Later in life, Ziegfeld and Billie Burke fell in love, married, and had a family. |
| obsession | major | Ziegfeld lived to produce extravagant theatrical spectacles that would be forever remembered. The viewer is given the distinct impression that he was more interested in putting on a great show than making a profit. He exclaimed "I've got to have more steps, higher, higher" before dying in his armchair. |
| romantic love | major | Ziegfeld and Anna Herd fell in love and married. Later in life, Ziegfeld and Billie Burke fell in love, married, and had a family. |
| self-confidence | major | Ziegfeld had remarkable confidence, perhaps not unfounded, in his own abilities. For example, after his first successful show, Ziegfeld poached Anna from a rival impresario by strutting into her dressing room and offering her a job, despite not have a dime to offer her. |
| spendthrift | major | Despite having produced many successful Broadway shows, there were at least two instances where Ziegfeld had to go cap in hand to find backing for his next venture. He blew money gambling in Monte Carlo, bought expensive jewels and orchids for Anna, and lost a large sum of borrowed money in the stock market. |
| the desire for fame | major | The theatrical impresario Florenz "Flo" Ziegfeld Jr., who produced flamboyant Broadway shows, had a relentless ambition to leave his mark in show business. |