Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr 150 -- March 21, 2017

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Flo Ziegeld, American impresario, was born 150 years ago today, on 21-March-1867.  Early in his career, he promoted strongman Eugen Sandow.  Then he brought singer and dancer Anna Held over from France.



Anna Held gave him the idea of producing a Broadway revue, the Ziegfeld Follies.

Ziegfeld hired major composers like Irving Berlin, Victor Herbert and Rudolph Friml.

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Photoplay, March, 1930

Ziegfeld hired major comedians like Fanny Brice, WC Fields, Eddie Cantor and Will Rogers.

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Ziegfeld hired many female stars, like Marilyn Miller, Lillian Lorraine and Ruth Etting.

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Ziegfeld hired many beautiful girls like Muriel Finley and Peggy Shannon to serve in the chorus.  They became known as Ziegfeld Girls.  The photos are by Alfred Cheney Johnston.

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 And of course he married Billie Burke.  Lucky guy. 

The Follies ran every year from 1907 to 1931.  Ziegfeld also produced big musicals like Whoopee, Rio Rita, Show Boat and Sally.

The Great Depression ruined Ziegfeld.  He died in 1932, leaving Billie Burke with a young daughter, a mountain of debt and an elephant.  She went back to the movies to support her daughter and pay the debts.  I think she sold the elephant. 

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