Ziegfeld and His Follies: A Biography of Broadway's Greatest Producer

by Cynthia Brideson, Sara Brideson

Overview

The name Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. (1867–1932) is synonymous with the decadent revues that the legendary impresario produced at the turn of the twentieth century. These extravagant performances were filled with catchy tunes, high-kicking chorus girls, striking costumes, and talented stars such as Eddie Cantor, Fanny Brice, Marilyn Miller, W. C. Fields, and Will Rogers. After the success of his Follies, Ziegfeld revolutionized theater performance with the musical Show Boat (1927) and continued making Broadway hits—including Sally (1920), Rio Rita (1927), and The Three Musketeers (1928)—several of which were adapted for the silver screen.

In this definitive biography, authors Cynthia Brideson and Sara Brideson offer a comprehensive look at both the life and legacy of the famous producer. Drawing on a wide range of sources—including Ziegfield's previously unpublished letters to his second wife, Billie Burke (who later played Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz), and to his daughter Patricia—the Bridesons shed new light on this enigmatic man. They provide a lively and well-rounded account of Ziegfeld as a father, a husband, a son, a friend, a lover, and an alternately ruthless and benevolent employer. Lavishly illustrated with over seventy-five images, this meticulously researched book presents an intimate and in-depth portrait of a figure who profoundly changed American entertainment.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780813160894
Publisher:	University Press of Kentucky
Publication date:	06/23/2015
Series:	Screen Classics
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	576
File size:	7 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Cynthia Brideson is coauthor of Also Starring... : Forty Biographical Essays on the Greatest Character Actors of Hollywood's Golden Era, 1930–1965. Sara Brideson is coauthor of Also Starring... : Forty Biographical Essays on the Greatest Character Actors of Hollywood's Golden Era, 1930–1965.

Cynthia Brideson is coauthor of Also Starring... : Forty Biographical Essays on the Greatest Character Actors of Hollywood’s Golden Era, 1930–1965.
Sara Brideson is coauthor of Also Starring... : Forty Biographical Essays on the Greatest Character Actors of Hollywood’s Golden Era, 1930–1965.

Table of Contents

Introduction: "A Man of Triple and Quadruple Personalities" 1

Part I Anna and Flo … and Lillian, 1867-1913

1 The Showman, the Strongman, and the Girl with the Eyes 9

2 Gloomy Gus and the Petit Bourgeois 33

3 "Its Delightful to Be Married" 61

4 A Maelstrom of Mirth 74

5 Entrances and Exits 96

6 The Girl at the Top of the Stairs 115

Part 2 Billie and Flo … and Marilyn, 1914-1923

7 Taming an Incorrigible Bounder 139

8 Lively Productions 153

9 The Past Becomes Ashes 169

10 The Ziegfelds' Xanadu 180

11 The Greatest Victory Party America Has Ever Known 196

12 Dear Old Zieggy and Company 213

13 A New Normalcy 232

14 The End of the Glory Days 252

Part 3 The Darkest Hour of Success, 1923-1932

15 Little Boy Blue 273

16 Vacations from Reality 287

17 A Shot in the Arm 306

18 Splendor and Intelligence 326

19 Ziegfeld Laughs … and Cries 342

20 "I Can't Do This Anymore" 363

21 Going Home 381

Part 4 The Legacy of Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., 1932-

22 Going Hollywood 403

23 His Shows Must Go On 412

24 Beauty Slain 427

Epilogue: "You Can't Ever Kill Magic" 435

Appendix: Shows Produced and Coproduced Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. 439

Notes 465

Selected Bibliography 501

Index 505

Editorial Reviews

The authors have created a detailed, sweeping narrative of Broadway showman and entrepreneur Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr., both as to his professional rise and fall and the full details of his complex, busy personal life. While there have been books devoted to him before, this new account is quite compelling both in scope and detail, and will certainly be the new definitive biography of the opulent life and times of the great Ziegfeld.

James Robert Parish

The Bridesons have clearly done a great deal of research, and they successfully unveil what can be known of Ziegfeld's personality.

Wall Street Journal - Ethan Mordden

Theater-loving sisters Cynthia and Sara Brideson shine fresh and stimulating light on the genius of one of Broadway's greatest impresarios. Rich in research and broad in perspective, the Bridesons' book frames the classic revue era of the New York stage with a reverential but honest approach to Florenz Ziegfeld's extraordinary personality and career.

Examiner.com

[T]he most encompassing book about [Ziegfeld], if not the most engrossing.

Bay Area Reporter

In this definitive biography, authors Cynthia Brideson and Sara Brideson offer a comprehensive look at both the life and legacy of the famous producer. Lavishly illustrated with over seventy-five images, this meticulously researched book presents an intimate and in-depth portrait of a figure who profoundly changed American entertainment.

McCormick (SC) Messenger

Ziegfeld and His Follies is the best biography of Ziegfeld. It goes beyond him as an institution and explores the person of Ziegfeld.

Washington Book Review

The Bridesons' is the first scholarly [book], offering to theater historians a responsibly documented narrative of a highly influential Broadway producer. [A] useful tool for scholars of theater history.

Cercles

Ziegfeld was one of the most important theatrical producers of the early twentieth century, and the Follies (and its Girls) are still remembered today. He had a long-lasting effect not only on Broadway, but on social mores, and this book does a great job over covering that, in a fascinating way. The Bridesons know their stuff.

Eve Golden

For those with an interest in theatrical history, the new book will recommend itself as the first detailed biography of Ziegfeld in four decades.

Washington Post

Ziegfeld's innovation lay in his ability to spot unheralded talent and corral it into gala evenings, in an apotheosis of Americans' love of youth and fun. Ziegfeld turned pretty into beauty and goofy into wit... As sisters Cynthia and Sara Brideson observe in Ziegfeld and His Follies, he 'gave women an indomitable presence in a male-centric era.... Even his mistresses were fiery and volatile.'

Wall Street Journal

The writing style is enchanting and flows beautifully. It is a book hard to stop reading. The content is magnificent, revealing the gloriously brilliant Ziegfeld, his loved ones, and his dazzling beautiful entertainment.

The Southeastern Librarian

"Well written and entertaining, this title gives Ziegfeld his due." — Library Journal

From the Publisher

07/01/2015
Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. (1867–1932) was the foremost Broadway impresario of the early 20th century, the genius that made stars of Will Rogers and Fanny Brice, produced iconic shows such as Show Boat and numerous "Ziegfeld Follies," and the man who glorified the American girl. A theater in New York City bears his name, and Hollywood made a film of his life in 1936. However, by the early 21st century, his name is primarily remembered only by those who study the history of the American theater. In this title, coauthors Cynthia and Sara Brideson (Also Starring…Forty Biographical Essays on the Greatest Character Actors of Hollywood's Golden Era, 1930–1965) pull back the velvet curtains of the past and explore the life and times (and women) of the Great Ziegfeld. Through meticulous research, the authors reveal the fascinating and often contradictory layers that made up this enigmatic man and defined his glamorous times. VERDICT Well written and entertaining, this title gives Ziegfeld his due and will be of value to collections of 20th-century theater.—Teri Shiel, Univ. of Connecticut Health Ctr. Lib., Farmington

Library Journal