From 1907 to 1931, Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. put on a series of extraordinary shows that “glorified” American women and embraced “erotic abandon.”
From the moment they debut in 1907 , the Ziegfeld Follies were a smash collision . These elaborate execution , which feature beautiful girl and exciting chorus act , catch the glitz and glamour of an geological era .
The world behind the drapery was Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. — a impresario who ’d save no expense in “ proclaim the American girl . ” With Ziegfeld at the helm , the missy in his Follies became wiz .
Museum Of The City Of New YorkA Ziegfeld Follies cast from the “ Midnight Frolic . ”
Museum Of The City Of New YorkA Ziegfeld Follies cast from the “Midnight Frolic.”
“ It made you hold your olfactory organ up richly , ” said one of the Ziegfeld girl , ten later on .
This is the story of the Ziegfeld Follies , the striking , scandalous , New York City shows that made Broadway the soul of American theatre .
The Man Behind The Ziegfeld Follies
TwitterFlorenz Ziegfeld Jr. in his billet .
Florenz Ziegfeld ’s business card read “ Impresario Extraordinaire . ” And until his death in 1932 , he lived up to his reputation .
Born on March 21 , 1869 , in Chicago , Ziegfeld showed a passion for showmanship from the commencement . He savour dramatic art and participated in a act of amateur productions . When the Chicago World ’s Fair roll into Ithiel Town in 1893 , Ziegfeld ’s fatherencouraged his sonto take it as a occupation chance .
TwitterFlorenz Ziegfeld Jr. in his office.
Ziegfeld found a identification number of European performing artist — and fiscal failure . But despite the blow , he ’d catch the showbiz bug and next turned to a strongman named Eugen Sandow .
Wikimedia CommonsEugen Sandow , Ziegfeld ’s first guest .
With Sandow , Ziegfeld showcased his ability to drum up publicity . While Sandow deform his muscles at the World ’s Fair in Chicago , a hearsay spread that two society ladies had visited the strongman in his dressing way . Before long , all the society ladies followed suit — and Ziegfeld ’s profits rocket .
Wikimedia CommonsEugen Sandow, Ziegfeld’s first client.
But it was his connection with a French actress named Anna Held that changed everything . According to the storey , Ziegfeld come across Held in Paris .
Wikimedia CommonsAnna Held before 1918 .
“ Your American girl are so beautiful , the most beautiful female child in the world , ” she assure him . “ If you primp them up chic , you ’d have a respectable show than the Folies - Bergere . ”
Wikimedia CommonsAnna Held before 1918.
Held became Ziegfeld ’s common - law wife and muse . And before long , Ziegfeld transform Held ’s idea into a New York show : the Ziegfeld Follies .
The Life Of A Ziegfeld Follies Girl
Wikimedia CommonsDolores Costello , a Ziegfeld female child and the grandmother of actress Drew Barrymore .
Starting in 1907 , Florenz Ziegfeld set up out to “ glorify ” American girlswith shows that embraced“erotic abandon . ”
HisFollies of 1907openedin July 1907 in New York City , where scantily enclothe and beautiful refrain girls sop up emotional audiences . By 1911 , his democratic performances became known as theZiegfeld Follies .
Wikimedia CommonsDolores Costello, a Ziegfeld girl and the grandmother of actress Drew Barrymore.
These shows — which lasted until 1927 , and turn back once in 1931 — have a mix of comedy , dance , music , elaborate product numeral , and , of course , beautiful girl .
Some of theZiegfeld girlswent on to become far-famed in their own right hand : epithet like Lillian Lorraine , Jessica Reed , Billie Burke , and Anna Held are inextricably linked with the light , plumage , and coruscation of the Ziegfeld Follies ’ glory days .
But becoming a Ziegfeld girl was n’t well-situated . Ziegfeld himself interviewed 15,000 women a year to perform in his Follies — andonly selected 3,000 . He looked for girls with exact measuring ( 36 - 26 - 38 ) , a perfected gait ( the Ziegfeld walk ) , and a willingness to pose au naturel .
PinterestA performer posing with her balloons.
Some , who performed in Ziegfeld ’s democratic and dingy “ Midnight Frolic ” might also have to agree to let patron pop the balloons cover their costume with cigar .
PinterestA performer posing with her balloon .
These performers make hard . The Ziegfeld girl begin their dry run at 10:30 in the dawn and regularly pulled 12 - hr days to hone their subprogram .
Bettmann/Getty ImagesOriginally captioned “Heat Drives Follies Girls to Roof for Rehearsals,” this 1922 photo shows Ziegfeld Follies dancers practicing on the roof of the New Amsterdam theater.
But for the girls , the arduous work was worth it . “ All I had to do was say I was in the Ziegfeld Follies and everything was fine , ” remember Eleanor Dana O’Connell , who became a Ziegfeld Girl in 1921 at the age of 17 . “ girlfriend in no other show stupefy the attending . ”
Bettmann / Getty ImagesOriginally caption “ Heat Drives Follies Girls to Roof for Rehearsals , ” this 1922 photo demonstrate Ziegfeld Follies dancer practice on the ceiling of the New Amsterdam theater .
Plus , the fizgig could pay well . Jessica Reed , a Ziegfeld Girl , made $ 125 per hebdomad — nearly $ 1,500 by today ’s standards — making her the highest - pay chorus girl in the world . At the Midnight Frolic , audience vote on the most beautiful girl — and that girl commence her salary double .
PinterestDoris Eaton Travis, the last Ziegfeld Follies girl, who died in 2010.
In summation , admirers in the hearing routinely sent tokens backstage like precious stone and flowers .
The End Of The Ziegfeld Follies — And Their Legacy
PinterestDoris Eaton Travis , the last Ziegfeld Follies girl , who died in 2010 .
Throughout the 1910s and 1920s , the Ziegfeld Follies were a hallmark of New York life . Not even World War I could put a stop to the festivities .
“ For fear some one will remember that he has adopted a policy of retrenchment because of the war Mr. Ziegfeld calls attention to one novelty , a chiffon scene in which the chiffon alone be $ 3,000,”The New York Timesnoted at the time about the Midnight Frolic .
“ He also wishes to say that the cost of production approximated $ 100,000 . ”
But ban , which became law in 1920 , did take some wind out of the canvass of the Midnight Frolic . Previously , guests could grease one’s palms small bottles of champagne for $ 64 .
“ The skillful class of hoi polloi from all over the world have been in the use of coming up on the cap … and when they are subjected to the humiliation of experience officer stand by their table and watch what they are drinking , then I do not care to keep open any longer , ” Ziegfeld gnarl toThe New York Timesin 1921 .
The Ziegfeld Follies , however , go on for another six years . In 1927 , they ended when Ziegfeld turn to bring on other show .
Then the Depression hit — and the gleeful luxuriousness embraced by the Ziegfeld Follies fell out of the zeitgeist . Ziegfeld moved to Hollywood with his new wife , Billie Burke — advantageously get it on as Glinda the Good Witch inThe Wizard of Oz — where he snuff it in 1932 .
But the bequest of the Ziegfeld Follies live on . A routine of films in the thirties and forties seek to capture the magic of the Ziegfeld Follies stage . The dandy Ziegfeld(1936 ) won the 1937 Academy Award for Best Picture . And a 1946 film calledZiegfeld Folliesincluded self-aggrandizing Hollywood name like Fred Astaire , Lena Horne , Judy Garland , Lucille Ball , and Gene Kelly — as well as original Ziegfeld Follies girl Fanny Brice .
And when the last Ziegfeld girl died in 2010 , she had nothing but partial memories for her years on stage . Doris Easton Travers , who lied about her age to become a Ziegfeld girl in 1918 — when she was just 14 yr old — looked back lovingly on her time in the spotlight .
“ It was beauty , elegance , loveliness,”Travis said in 2005 . “ sweetheart and elegance like a French painting of a char ’s eubstance . ”
After watch about the Ziegfeld Follies , check out these 5vintage Hollywood scandals . Or , expect through thesehorror film locationsyou can actually jaw .
