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Ziegfeld and his follies : a biography of Broadway's greatest producer / Cynthia Brideson and Sara Brideson.

by Brideson, Cynthia.

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Lexington, Kentucky : University Press of Kentucky, c2015.

Ziegfeld, Flo, 1869-1932.

Theatrical producers and directors -- United States -- Biography.

9780813160887 (hardcover : alk. paper)

081316088X (hardcover : alk. paper)

Screen classics (Lexington, Ky.)

516 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Introduction: "A man of triple and quadruple personalities" -- Part 1: Anna and Flo ... and Lillian, 1867-1913 -- The showman, the strongman, and the girl with the eyes -- Gloomy Gus and the Petit bourgeois -- "It's delightful to be married" -- A maelstrom of mirth -- Entrances and exits -- The girl at the top of the stairs -- Part 2. Billie and Flo ... and Marilyn, 1914-1923 -- Taming an incorrigible bounder -- Lively productions -- The past becomes ashes -- The Ziegfelds' Xanadu -- The greatest victory party America has ever known -- Dear old Zieggy and company -- A new normalcy -- The end of the glory days -- part 3: The darkest hour of success, 1923-1932 -- Little boy blue -- Vacations from reality -- A shot in the arm -- Splendor and intelligence -- Ziegfeld laughs ... and cries -- "I can't do this anymore" -- Going home -- Part 4: The legacy of Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., 1932- -- Going Hollywood -- His shows must go on -- Beauty slain -- Epilogue: "You can't ever kill magic" -- Appendix: Shows produced and coproduced by Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.

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 Drawing on a wide range of sources -- including Ziegfield's previously unpublished letters to his second wife, Billie Burke (who later played Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz ), and to his daughter Patricia -- the Bridesons shed new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.

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