What's new

Press Release Warner Archive Press Release: Ziegfeld Follies (1945) (Blu-ray) (1 Viewer)

Richard M S

Screenwriter
Joined
Mar 2, 2005
Messages
1,050
Fred himself asked Arthur Freed to take "If the Swing Goes" out of the film, so he obviously thought very little of it. Of course, we all know Fred was a notorious taskmaster and was never satisfied with his work. I wish we could have seen it and judged it for ourselves.
Not quite. I also read the Hugh Fordin book where he dismissively said Astaire did not like it and so it was removed. Dante diPaolo, the great dancer and widower of Rosemary Clooney, became lifelong friends with Astaire after dancing in that number. Page 145 of Peter J. Levinson's bio "Puttin' on the Ritz : Fred Astaire" discusses Fred ordering the sets to be expensively replaced and quoted a letter in which Fred wrote to him that he loved the number and regretted all his life that it was deleted. Apparently Rosemary was so taken by the letter she wove it into her nightclub act.

I also read Freed felt the references to rationing in the lyrics would have dated the number by the time the film made it's way around the country.

Still, I agree, I also wish we could see it and decide for ourselves.

 
Last edited:

octobercountry

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Mar 28, 2015
Messages
159
Real Name
Fred
Yes, Ziegfeld Follies had a very interesting production and release history which is covered in Hugh Fordin's excellent book about the Freed Unit called The World of Entertainment!
Thanks for the information! I'd not heard of this book before---looks like it has been re-titled "MGM's Greatest Musicals: The Arthur Freed Unit." I'm going to pick up a copy.

 

roxy1927

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2018
Messages
2,000
Real Name
vincent parisi
Except for Brice the comic sequences are agony. And many people don't even like her sketch.
How was it I loved Red Skelton as a kid?
The best things about this film for me are the Bremer, Astaire and Horne numbers. A must buy if Harris gives it a Highly Recommended but I'll be skipping a lot.
 
Last edited:

octobercountry

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Mar 28, 2015
Messages
159
Real Name
Fred
So, any opinions on the claim (can't remember where I first heard it) that the cat women Lucille Ball is taming in "Bring on the Beautiful Girls" is actually a drag troupe? Looking carefully at this publicity photo.... Based on the faces, and the style of the costumes-----yes, I can absolutely believe that this is a group of men playing the catwomen! I don't know that many would agree with me, but I can totally see it.

ziegfeld-follies-photo.jpg
 

ScottHM

Supporting Actor
Joined
Mar 18, 2003
Messages
916
Location
USA
Real Name
Scott
So, any opinions on the claim (can't remember where I first heard it) that the cat women Lucille Ball is taming in "Bring on the Beautiful Girls" is actually a drag troupe?
What would be the point? Women weren't scarce in Hollywood.
---------------
 

Jay_Z_525

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jun 24, 2019
Messages
119
Real Name
Jason
So, any opinions on the claim (can't remember where I first heard it) that the cat women Lucille Ball is taming in "Bring on the Beautiful Girls" is actually a drag troupe? Looking carefully at this publicity photo.... Based on the faces, and the style of the costumes-----yes, I can absolutely believe that this is a group of men playing the catwomen! I don't know that many would agree with me, but I can totally see it.

View attachment 97049
Well, the woman to Lucille’s left elbow is Dorothy Tuttle. So that’s one down.
 

Will Krupp

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2003
Messages
4,014
Location
PA
Real Name
Will
Thanks for the information! I'd not heard of this book before---looks like it has been re-titled "MGM's Greatest Musicals: The Arthur Freed Unit." I'm going to pick up a copy.

It looks like it HAS been changed. The title was always "officially" THE WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT but the cover has been causing confusion since the get-go. Back in the 90's I managed to snag an original 1975 review copy of the book and even then it was possible to get confused as to what the book was actually called if you only see it from the front:

185296285_10225358125398504_2431357904698479079_n.jpg


Except for Brice the comic sequences are agony. And many people don't even like her sketch.

Count me as somebody who finds that sketch something of an endless slog, BUT it at least offers us a glimpse of MGM chorus boy Arthur Walsh (the tall drink of water from the "Ladies Man" number in GOOD NEWS as well as the sleeping fratboy from the "Lucky in Love" sequence) as the telegram boy, lol.

So, any opinions on the claim (can't remember where I first heard it) that the cat women Lucille Ball is taming in "Bring on the Beautiful Girls" is actually a drag troupe?

I think somebody must have been pulling your leg. Considering all the private secrets we now know about the various personnel of the Freed Unit, SOMEBODY would have mentioned it before this.
 
Last edited:

Nick*Z

Screenwriter
Joined
Apr 30, 2003
Messages
1,801
Location
Canada
Real Name
NICK
While I am grateful to have more Metro musicals hitting hi-def, Ziegfeld Follies isn't really the one I expected to find getting a release ahead of others like Till The Clouds Roll By, Words and Music, For Me and My Gal, Holiday in Mexico, Three Little Words, High Society...to say nothing of the two far superior homages to Ziegfeld - 1936's Oscar-winner, The Great Ziegfeld, and Ziegfeld Girl. I wonder if this one will be sourced from a 4K scan from an original negative. Previous editions on home video have not fared so well.

While some sequences, like This Heart of Mine, and Bring on the Beautiful Girls were given major Technicolor restorations to ready them for the anthology inclusions in That's Entertainment, the excerpt from La Traviata, and Garland's scathing lampoon of Greer Garson have always sported extremely muddy colors.

I'll concur here, that for a studio with such an embarrassment of riches in both star power and those working behind the scenes, ought to have brought together something a bit more ostentatious than this. Love Astaire and Kelly's Babbitt and the Bromide, and, Limehouse Blues is a Vincente Minnelli standout, to be sure. But the finale is a real downer, despite the appearance of Kathryn Grayson. Heck, the all-star show within a show that ends the studio's Thousands Cheer had more oomph overall, and far better comedy sketches in it too!
 

Thomas T

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2001
Messages
10,288
I'll concur here, that for a studio with such an embarrassment of riches in both star power and those working behind the scenes, ought to have brought together something a bit more ostentatious than this. But the finale is a real downer, despite the appearance of Kathryn Grayson.

"os-ten-ta-tious, adjective: characterized by vulgar or pretentious display"

Well, I, for one, am glad that it wasn't a "bit more" ostentatious. How much more vulgar or pretentious did you want it?

As for the finale, I agree it's a real downer but it's a real downer precisely because of Kathryn Grayson's appearance, not despite of.
 
Last edited:

Nick*Z

Screenwriter
Joined
Apr 30, 2003
Messages
1,801
Location
Canada
Real Name
NICK
I've always adored Grayson. But I think the song, 'There's Beauty Everywhere' is decidedly underwhelming for her talents. And, after the infamous 'bubble' machine broke, forcing Minnelli to abandon his original plan to feature a plush paradise of suds on which gondolas featuring the major stars to appear in the movie were supposed to coast, capped off by a stunner of Esther Williams leaping from a bubble pyramid into a pool, the queer cavalcade of Metro mannequins, statuesque but utterly bloodless female beauty on tap, is really not up to snuff.

Also, Minnelli's bizarre lighting too, with Grayson featured against a stormy backdrop of brewing clouds, and the aforementioned extras shot under conditions to cast ominous dark shadows on the forced-perspective background - as though there were plans to originally shoot in 3D (Yes, I know...3D had yet to become 'a thing' in Hollywood then). But in hindsight, it all looks rather apocalyptic rather than...well...beautiful. There's fashion-plate Armageddon everywhere - not beauty.

I'll still be picking this one up when it streets because I'm just that much of an MGM-phile. Perhaps Yolanda and the Thief can't be far behind?!?
 

Robert Harris

Archivist
Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 8, 1999
Messages
18,311
Real Name
Robert Harris
I imagine WAC will be releasing a more detailed technical description of this release. If they are once again scanning the three original Technicolor negatives (as they did with ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, THE HARVEY GIRLS, SHOW BOAT, etc.), then I'm aboard, big-time. But if they aren't going that route, I'll probably pass. Hopefully we'll know in the next few days.
afaik, the majority of the film survives as OCN, and would be the basis of the new image harvest along with a reel or two of masters.
 

Ronald Epstein

Founder
Owner
Moderator
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 3, 1997
Messages
66,553
Real Name
Ronald Epstein
I am hoping we get press release drops today.

Their press release schedule has been frustrating, to say the least. There's no continuity in their announcement schedule and as you can see, their preorders sometimes appear days before the official announcements.

Let's see if the announcements drop this morning.
 

Will Krupp

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2003
Messages
4,014
Location
PA
Real Name
Will
...the queer cavalcade of Metro mannequins, statuesque but utterly bloodless female beauty on tap, is really not up to snuff.

Also, Minnelli's bizarre lighting too, with Grayson featured against a stormy backdrop of brewing clouds, and the aforementioned extras shot under conditions to cast ominous dark shadows on the forced-perspective background

You bring up an interesting question, Nick. WAS it Minnelli's lighting choice? I was under the impression that Kathryn Grayson's vocal turn (as well as the vacant eyed mannequins) weren't a part of the original concept and that the entire Grayson section was added during early 1945 reshoots. I didn't think Minnelli had anything to do with the reshoots and that Norman Taurog was brought in to handle most of those duties (like Keenan Wynns's added "Number, Please" sketch and Virginia O'Brien's "Bring on the Wonderful Men.") You're completely right in saying it doesn't "look" like Minnelli and I guess I never thought much about it because I didn't think it WAS Minnelli. Am I wrong in this?
 
Last edited:

roxy1927

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2018
Messages
2,000
Real Name
vincent parisi
Wasn't in also cut short because the women were practically drowning in the suds and sliding all over the place and falling down? A lost opportunity for a real Ziefeldian final. Maybe they were just tired at this point and felt they had already spent enough money. Another Grayson fan who a lot of people today seem to dislike.
 

Matt Hough

Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2006
Messages
26,151
Location
Charlotte, NC
Real Name
Matt Hough
You bring up an interesting question, Nick. WAS it Minnelli's lighting choice? I was under the impression that Kathryn Grayson's vocal turn (as well as the vacant eyed mannequins) weren't a part of the original concept and that the entire Grayson section was added during early 1945 reshoots. I didn't think Minnelli had anything to do with the reshoots and that Norman Taurog was brought in to handle most of those duties (like Keenan Wynns's added "Number, Please" sketch and Virginia O'Brien's "Bring on the Wonderful Men.") You're completely right in saying it doesn't "look" like Minnelli and I guess I never thought much about it because I didn't think it WAS Minnelli. Am I wrong in this?
No, you're not wrong. Those additional sequences were added after the fact with no Minnelli influence.
 

AnthonyClarke

Senior HTF Member
Deceased Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2010
Messages
2,767
Location
Woodend Victoria Australia
Real Name
Anthony
Re the all-male group around Lucille Ball. Dorothy Tuttle is the exception which proves the rule.
As everyone here would know, the saying 'The Exception Proves the Rule' means that an exception means the rule is false.... using to 'prove' in the Scottish sense of to 'test'.
Out in the unwashed world, people often wrongly believe an exception prove a rule to be TRUE! How illogical is that!
That's just the digression for today.....
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Articles

Forum statistics

Threads
356,810
Messages
5,123,587
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
1
Top