Blu-ray Review A Few Words About A few words about…™ Ziegfeld Follies – in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

Episodic in nature and design, as were the Follies, M-G-M's 1945 extravaganza arrives with palette intact via Warner Archive.

Long in planning, and gestation, the three-strip Technicolor marvel comes in requisite style through the Arthur Freed unit.

The concept - Florenz Ziegfeld looking down from heaven and thinking about how he might create a modern entertainment using the best talent available in 1945 - begins with about a 15 minute prologue. William Powell returns as Ziegfeld (he had portrayed him in The Great Ziegfeld - 1936). Miniatures and puppets make up a good portion of the segment. For those into stop motion animation, dozens of hand animated puppets make up the amazing sequence.

Different segments are directed by (among others) Roy Del Ruth, Vincente Minnelli, George Sidney and Charles Walters.

Cast includes Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Lucille Bremer, Fanny Brice, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Lena Horne, Gene Kelly, Red Skelton, Ester Williams, Cid Charisse, Hume Cronyn, William Frawley, Virginia O'Brien, and Keenan Wynn.

Not all acts will be to everyone's tastes, but all-in-all a must-have for fans of M-G-M musicals and Technicolor.

Overall quality is superb, and only dips a bit in the first couple of reels which are from protection masters, with dupes built into the original photography a few gens away from G1.

Audio has been created from the vocals sync'd with original music recordings to create stereo. The original monaural track is also included.

Extras are along for the ride.

Image – 4.5

Audio – 5

Pass / Fail – Pass

Upgrade from DVD – Yes

Recommended

RAH

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I've watched most of it and thought it looked great except for the Keenan Wynn segment - it's a bit soft.

To clarify on the audio: was this released stereo anywhere in 1940s, or was the stereo track created later?

 

[Robert Harris]

I've watched most of it and thought it looked great except for the Keenan Wynn segment - it's a bit soft.

To clarify on the audio: was this released stereo anywhere in 1940s, or was the stereo track created later?

Created later from Mx recordings

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Created later from Mx recordings

That's what I thought you meant from your first post but wanted to be sure - thanks!

 

[Daniel_BB]

Here are some information's about the stereo track used for the "Ziegfeld Follies" boxset (laserdiscs) released in 1994. This is an excerpt from the production notes. The stereo track is the same one used for the DVD and the CD.

 

[Robert Harris]

The stereo sequences work beautifully. Actually odd hearing a 1945 film in that manner.

 

[Daniel_BB]

The stereo sequences work beautifully. Actually odd hearing a 1945 film in that manner.

In fact it is the same for the M-G-M movie "Meet Me in St. Louis" (1944, Vincente Minnelli) which also has a great stereo track.

 

[Mark B]

I remember well the day I went to the mall video store and found the VHS/CD combo sets of MEET ME IN ST LOUIS and ZIEGFELD FOLLIES. New transfers and stereo. It was an amazing listening experience. Ah, those were the days.

 

[Mark-P]

Here’s a list of MGM movies that got this special stereo treatment due to availability of “multi-angle recordings”:
The Wizard of Oz
Gone With the Wind
Meet Me in St. Louis
Ziegfeld Follies
Show Boat
Singin’ in the Rain
The Band Wagon

and there is conflicting information on whether “Deep in My Heart” was originally released in stereo or was also reconstructed from multi-angle recordings.

 

[AnthonyClarke]

Likewise the Glenn Miller movies ... beautiful stereo CDs were issued based on the multi-angles. It was great hearing the second-greatest Swing band of them all in beautiful stereo!

 

[Nick*Z]

Now, if we can just get WAC to give us The Great Ziegfeld and Ziegfeld Girl on Blu!

 

[allanfisch]

Here’s a list of MGM movies that got this special stereo treatment due to availability of “multi-angle recordings”:
The Wizard of Oz
Gone With the Wind
Meet Me in St. Louis
Ziegfeld Follies
Show Boat
Singin’ in the Rain
The Band Wagon

and there is conflicting information on whether “Deep in My Heart” was originally released in stereo or was also reconstructed from multi-angle recordings.

The GWTW recordings were not multichannel. We transferred those from nitrate 35mm variable density push pull mono optical tracks. One cue had a separate vocal track"For He's a Jolly Good Fellow". That's about it.

 

[octobercountry]

Well, I've finally gotten around to watching the blu-ray of Ziegfeld Follies (only two-and-a-half years after the disc was first released...). Wow, I'm impressed---excellent picture and sound; couldn't be better. I love the true-stereo sound mix---it's so cool to hear films of this vintage in stereo. While this mix was created 30 years ago for the laserdisc release, I don't think I've ever heard it before now.

As for the film itself, I still enjoy it. Or maybe I should say I enjoy all the musical portions; there isn't a single number I don't like, though perhaps my favourites are the two Astaire/Bremer dance sequences (despite the really unfortunate pseudo-Asian makeup used in Limehouse Blues). Heh, I confess I do still get a smile out of seeing the dancers getting their trees tangled up in This Heart of Mine. Though really, it was only a brief goof, and I guess they didn't want to do another take in such a complicated scene for that one mistake.

Now the comedy scenes, that's a different story. I find them excruciating, other than Fanny Brice's skit. And I admit I probably like it simply because it's Fanny Brice---fun to see her on screen, when she did so few pictures, and I believe this is the only record we have of her in colour? The Red Skelton bit may be the worst---don't know what it is about him, but I just don't care for his work ever, in anything. So, for me three of the four comedy skits are eminently skippable, to be sure.

 

[octobercountry]

I appreciate the extras on this disc as well, including the audio tracks for many of the cut numbers. But I'm really surprised that a major extra was not included here---I can't imagine why they didn't show the original opening of the film, featuring the Leo the Lion and Flo Ziegfeld puppets. The whole thing is on Youtube---it still exists---so why isn't it an extra?



Comparing the two openings... Well, I do think the "Ziegfeld in Hollywood Heaven" segment is ridiculously hokey. But still, it works better than the Leo the Lion version, so no major complaints. I think they were right to cut Leo.

 

[Robin9]

Well, I've finally gotten around to watching the blu-ray of Ziegfeld Follies (only two-and-a-half years after the disc was first released...). Wow, I'm impressed---excellent picture and sound; couldn't be better. I love the true-stereo sound mix---it's so cool to hear films of this vintage in stereo. While this mix was created 30 years ago for the laserdisc release, I don't think I've ever heard it before now.

As for the film itself, I still enjoy it. Or maybe I should say I enjoy all the musical portions; there isn't a single number I don't enjoy, though perhaps my favourites are the two Astaire/Bremer dance sequences (despite the really unfortunate pseudo-Asian makeup used in Limehouse Blues). Heh, I confess I do still get a smile out of seeing the dancers getting their trees tangled up in This Heart of Mine. Though really, it was only a brief goof, and I guess they didn't want to do another take in such a complicated scene for that one mistake.

Now the comedy scenes, that's a different story. I find them excruciating, other than Fanny Brice's skit. And I admit I probably like it simply because it's Fanny Brice---fun to see her on screen, when she did so few pictures, and I believe this is the only record we have of her in colour? The Red Skelton bit may be the worst---don't know what it is about him, but I just don't care for his work ever, in anything. So, for me three of the four comedy skits are eminently skippable, to be sure.

I fully agree. I can't sit through those so-called comedy sketches but I'll watch the musical numbers all day long.

 

[Broomy]

I kind of like the sketch with Victor Moore and Edward Arnold. The issue with the Keenan Wynn section is it’s too darn long! Trim it down a bit and it’s be fine.