Inspired by the Folies Bergères of Paris, the Ziegfeld
Follies were conceived and mounted by Florenz
Ziegfeld, reportedly at the suggestion his wife,
Anna Held.
Over the
years many Ziegfeld showgirls went on to become famous
movie stars such as Marion Davies, Paulette Goddard,
Joan Blondell, Barbara Stanwyck, Louise Brooks, Nita Naldi,
Mae Murray, Bessie Love to name a few.
Although many future stars started out as Ziegfeld girls,
several others were turned down by Florenz Ziegfeld to
appear in his revue. Norma Shearer (1919) Alice Faye
(1927) Joan Crawford (1924) Lucille Ball (1931) Eleanor
Powell (1927) Hedda Hopper (1913) and June Havoc (1931)
were among the many hopefuls that Ziegfeld discarded at
audition
The 1936 Hollywood made a bio-movie called The Great
Ziegfeld, starring William Powell as the master
showman. Co-starring Myrna Loy (as Ziegfeld's
wife Billie Burke) Luise Rainer and Frank Morgan
The film offered a glimpse into what the Follies were
really like. The show-tune "A Pretty Girl Is Like a
Melody" which cost more to produce than one of
Ziegfeld's whole shows.
Famous
Faces A-G |
Famous
Faces H-Z |
Female Nudes |
Male Nudes
