Ziegfeld Girl (1941)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Directors:

Robert Z. Leonard
Busby Berkeley

Writers:

Marguerite Roberts (screenplay) and
Sonya Levien (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

25 April 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

The triumph that tops "The Great Ziegfeld" is here at last! A pageant of stars and song...girls and grandeur...that opens a world of new show wonders!

Plot:

Discovery by Flo Ziegfeld changes a girl's life but not necessarily for the better, as three beautiful...

Plot Keywords:

Millionaire | Singer | Broadway | Violinist | Speakeasy

Cast

James Stewart	...	Gilbert Young
Judy Garland	...	Susan Gallagher
Hedy Lamarr	...	Sandra Kolter
Lana Turner	...	Sheila Regan
Tony Martin	...	Frank Merton
Jackie Cooper	...	Jerry Regan
Ian Hunter	...	Geoffrey Collis
Charles Winninger	...	'Pop' Gallagher
Edward Everett Horton	...	Noble Sage
Philip Dorn	...	Franz Kolter
Paul Kelly	...	John Slayton
Eve Arden	...	Patsy Dixon
Dan Dailey	...	Jimmy Walters (as Dan Dailey Jr.)
Al Shean	...	Al
Fay Holden	...	Mrs. Regan

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (re-rating) (2005) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #7074)

Company:

Loew's

Trivia:

While Judy Garland rerecorded for Decca the wistful standard, "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" (music by Joseph McCarthy, lyrics by Harry Carroll), the star made no commercial version of the lively rumba written for her by Roger Edens, a ditty turned into a mammoth Busby Berkeley production number, "Minnie From Trinidad." Instead, Decca assigned the song to Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra featuring vocalist Helen O'Connell.

Quotes:

Gilbert 'Gil' Young: Remember, a pretty good moon, you let me kiss you after only slapping me twice.
Sheila 'Red': Three times.
Gilbert 'Gil' Young: Okay, three.
Gilbert 'Gil' Young: And then I told you you'll do for me, and I'll do for you.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Lana Turner... a Daughter's Memoir (2001) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Minnie from Trinidad

A Long, Long Two-And-A-Quarter Hours

Wow, this was tough movie for me to sit through. First, it was way too long at two-and-a- quarter hours; second, the music didn't appeal to me, and three, the story wasn't appealing. Other than that, it was great.

However, if you are into soapy stories and you like these type of songs presented by Judy Garland, Tony Martin

The soap opera angle mainly involves Lana Turner (no surprise, there) and a young Jimmy Stewart, who got a lot of these romantic-sappy roles until later in the decade. Turner's character is the stereotypical good girls turns mean and alcoholic and then good again. Overall, she wasn't much fun to watch, even though she does a good job in the role. Judy Garland is held back by her strict father and Hedy Lamar has husband troubles. It's very soapy, as you can see.

I always enjoy Busby Berkeley musical numbers, however. Here he has 100 people involved in one number. If they had more of these and more songs to my liking - and less melodrama - I would have enjoyed this. As it was, it was like sitting in the dentist's chair at times....excruciating.