The Great Ziegfeld

"The Sensation of the Century!"

1936 3h 5m EN

😐

6.3

MID

🍅

71%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

6.6

IMDB

★6.3TMDB · 150🍅71%Rotten Tomatoes●69Metacritic★6.6IMDB · 9,189

MusicDramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

At the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, sideshow barker Florenz Ziegfeld turns the tables on his more-successful neighbor Billings, and also steals his girlfriend. This pattern repeats throughout their lives, as Ziegfeld makes and loses many fortunes putting on ever-bigger, more spectacular shows

“The Sensation of the Century!”

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Cast

William Powell
Florenz 'Flo' Ziegfeld Jr.
Myrna Loy
Billie Burke
Luise Rainer
Anna Held
Frank Morgan
Billings
Fanny Brice
Fannie Brice
Virginia Bruce
Audrey Dane
Reginald Owen
Sampston
Ray Bolger
Ray Bolger

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Robert Z. Leonard
Writers: William Anthony McGuire
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

At 185 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $2.2M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

90 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Part of the "Florenz Ziegfeld Jr." — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Robert Z. Leonard, shot by George J. Folsey. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Arthur Lange. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor William S. Gray shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

William Powell and Myrna Loy and Luise Rainer carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Robert Z. Leonard directs. George J. Folsey behind the camera. Arthur Lange scores. William S. Gray cuts. A long sit — settle in. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1At 185 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.
2Shot for just $2.2M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
390 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Part of the "Florenz Ziegfeld Jr." — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Robert Z. Leonard, shot by George J. Folsey. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Arthur Lange. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor William S. Gray shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8William Powell and Myrna Loy and Luise Rainer carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "The Sensation of the Century!".
10IMDB entry: tt0027698 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 9 themes, including "biography", "based on true story", "producer", "broadway".