DVD Review: Ziegfeld Follies

(1946, Color, 117 min.)
Director: Vincente Minnelli

Heaven's harps and wings are nice, but what showman extraordinaire Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. wants most now that he's no longer on earth is to put on another extravaganza. It would have the brightest stars and creative talents. The most in glamour, gams and optimism. In short, it would be like Ziegfeld Follies.

With a Who's Who of credited and uncredited Hollywood talents, this all-star revue is heaven to fans of musicals. Fred Astaire dazzles once, twice... four numbers in all. Red Skelton reprises his funny Guzzler's Gin skit. Esther Williams swims, Lena Horne sings and Judy Garland spoofs snobbery. There's Verdi opera and Fanny Brice vaudeville. Patter and pantomime. And The Babbitt and the Bromide, with Gene Kelly joining Astaire in their first-ever screen pairing. What a show! The man called Flo must be proud.

Special Features

New featurette Ziegfeld Follies: An Embarrassment of Riches

Vintage Crime Does Not Pay short The Luckiest Guy in the World

2 Classic cartoons: The Hick Chick. Solid Serenade

Audio-only bonus: Outtake songs "If Swing Goes, I Go Too", "There's Beauty Everywhere", "We Will Meet Again in Honolulu"

Ziegfeld movies trailer gallery

Both remixed Dolby stereo and original mono English audio

Subtitles: English, French and Spanish (feature film only)
Encoding: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only)
Standard Version presented in a format preserving the aspect ratio of its original theatrical exhibition
Film Studio: MGM
DVD Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Release Date: April 25, 2006
UPC: 012569678590