- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,428
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
What a magnificent Blu-ray!
OCN lost in the Great Conflagration, but the source fine grain looks akin to a nitrate print.
Original un-cut Roadshow of the film in it's full 183 minute running time, with Overture, Entr'acte and Exit Music.
Lovely black & white, purity of grain, even in dupes, great black levels.
I presume this question has been asked before, and it might be an interesting bit of research and an article - I'm thinking Cineaste - the best. What would the film have been like if produced by Universal with Powell and a supporting cast of Uni contract players?
Not long after Mr. Ziegfeld passed away in 1932, his wife Billie Burke sole/licensed his life story to Universal, with the proviso that she wanted William Powell to play her late husband. She had obviously seen him play Boldini, and loved him.
Universal made a deal with M-G-M for Powell's services - he'd been a contract player there for a few years and and become popular as a Mr. Charles, oft seen with Myrna Loy, who is also in Ziegfeld.
Apparently, as the budget grew, Universal got cold feet, and sold the entire property, then in pre-production to M-G-M, where it became the studio's second most expensive film since Ben-Hur.
Mr. Powell ended up making My Man Godfrey for Universal as part of the original deal.
Some seeing The Great Ziegfeld for the first time may wonder if it's a rip-off of the wonderful M-G-M doc That's Entertainment.
If you've seen that film, then you've seen the A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody number before - all seven minutes of it without a single cut - or is there a single discreet cut?
And then there's the cast. Beyond Mr. Powell and Miss Loy, there's Louise Rainer, who won Best Actress for her role, you'll find...
Frank Morgan
Fanny Brice - the original Funny Girl (in a rare screen appearance)
Virginia Bruce
Reginald Owen
Ray Bolger
Dennis Morgan
And in bits...
Dennis O'Keefe
Mae Questel
and Pat Nixon
And for the record, as to Academy Awards, there were three winners - Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Dance Direction, along with four nominations - Best Director, Writing - Original Story, Art Direction and Editing.
Belongs in every series library.
Image – 9
Audio – 10 (DTS-HD MA 2.0)
Pass / Fail – Pass
Plays nicely with projectors - Yes
Upgrade from DVD - Definitely!
Worth your attention - 10
Slipcover rating - n/a
Very Highly Recommended
OCN lost in the Great Conflagration, but the source fine grain looks akin to a nitrate print.
Original un-cut Roadshow of the film in it's full 183 minute running time, with Overture, Entr'acte and Exit Music.
Lovely black & white, purity of grain, even in dupes, great black levels.
I presume this question has been asked before, and it might be an interesting bit of research and an article - I'm thinking Cineaste - the best. What would the film have been like if produced by Universal with Powell and a supporting cast of Uni contract players?
Not long after Mr. Ziegfeld passed away in 1932, his wife Billie Burke sole/licensed his life story to Universal, with the proviso that she wanted William Powell to play her late husband. She had obviously seen him play Boldini, and loved him.
Universal made a deal with M-G-M for Powell's services - he'd been a contract player there for a few years and and become popular as a Mr. Charles, oft seen with Myrna Loy, who is also in Ziegfeld.
Apparently, as the budget grew, Universal got cold feet, and sold the entire property, then in pre-production to M-G-M, where it became the studio's second most expensive film since Ben-Hur.
Mr. Powell ended up making My Man Godfrey for Universal as part of the original deal.
Some seeing The Great Ziegfeld for the first time may wonder if it's a rip-off of the wonderful M-G-M doc That's Entertainment.
If you've seen that film, then you've seen the A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody number before - all seven minutes of it without a single cut - or is there a single discreet cut?
And then there's the cast. Beyond Mr. Powell and Miss Loy, there's Louise Rainer, who won Best Actress for her role, you'll find...
Frank Morgan
Fanny Brice - the original Funny Girl (in a rare screen appearance)
Virginia Bruce
Reginald Owen
Ray Bolger
Dennis Morgan
And in bits...
Dennis O'Keefe
Mae Questel
and Pat Nixon
And for the record, as to Academy Awards, there were three winners - Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Dance Direction, along with four nominations - Best Director, Writing - Original Story, Art Direction and Editing.
Belongs in every series library.
Image – 9
Audio – 10 (DTS-HD MA 2.0)
Pass / Fail – Pass
Plays nicely with projectors - Yes
Upgrade from DVD - Definitely!
Worth your attention - 10
Slipcover rating - n/a
Very Highly Recommended
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