FLASHING…. SMASHING SCREEN ENTERTAINMENT! DAZZLING IN ITS BEAUTY… PACKED WITH GLORIOUS MELODIES!
The king of Broadway, “the glorifier of the American girl”, Florenz Ziegfeld (William Powell) is getting bored up in heaven and conjures one last, grand “Follies” show.
Powell repeated his acclaimed performance from The Great Ziegfeld (1936) in a brief intro – the rest of the film is a mix of comedy sketches and musical performances of varied quality. MGM does a pretty good job; among the highlights are a rare number with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, Judy Garland’s performance and the Victor Moore/Edward Arnold sketch.
The greatest star of the film though may be the colorful, spectacular sets.
1946-U.S. 110 min. Color. Directed by Vincente Minnelli. Screenplay: Charles Walters. Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons, Merrill Pye, Jack Martin Smith. Cast: William Powell (Florenz Ziegfeld), Judy Garland, Lucille Ball, Fred Astaire, Fanny Brice, Lena Horne, Red Skelton, Virginia O’Brien, Cyd Charisse, Gene Kelly, Esther Williams, Hume Cronyn, Kathryn Grayson, Edward Arnold.
Trivia: Filmed mostly in 1944; director George Sidney was replaced by Minnelli, but Walters and Roy Del Ruth also reportedly filmed scenes.
Cannes: Best Musical Comedy.