Ziegfeld: The Man Who Invented Show Business

A good friend who knows how much I love reading about Florenz Ziegfeld gave me this book for Christmas. After taking a few glances at some pages, I had the impression that the book couldn't offer me any more information on the Great Glorifier than I already knew. I was wrong. Ethan Mordden writes about Ziegfeld's life with a light, fun, entertaining, non-scholarly style; I loved the author's sense of dry humor and slightly wicked turn-of-phrase. More than anything, I appreciated the myth-busting Mordden employs. He dispels many long-held beliefs about such matters such as the supposed romantic relationship Ziegfeld shared with Marilyn Miller and the supposed artistic and financial failure of the "Follies" Ziegfeld produced after the 1922 edition. Mordden places his readers in the heart of Old Broadway, giving us the flavor of the time -- the fun, excitement, grime, love of theatre, etc. -- an invaluable feat. The only complaint I have with the book is its lack of photographs. There are very few of them included when dozens exist.

I loved the book Ziegfeld. It is a fascinating history of theatre in New York and America generally. My only criticism not enough photos of the wonderful productions staged by an early master of lavish musical shows.

I was surprised how immediate all this old show business seemed. It starts in the 1890's! Yet we get a real feeling for what Fanny Brice, Eddie Cantor, and Bert Williams were like in the Follies, and how this secret and almost invisible man became the best known producer on Broadway. I have read three other books on him, but this is the first one that actually explained why they called him the *great* Ziegfeld, after all. The way the author narrates, it could almost be a novel, with cliffhanger chapter closings, plot twists, and a lot of odd little jokes about what all these high and mighty stars are really up to. The best line was where one Ziegfeld girl is so dumb, "she had the content of a confetti cannon."

When Ethan Mordden writes about theater, especially musical theater, he has no peer. So if you approach this book as a survey of Ziegfeld's WORK, you will not be disappointed. However, from the outset Mordden tells us how little is really known or understood about the private life, the internal life, if you will, of Ziegfeld the man. He then proceeds to live up to this caveat by telling us as much, or as little, as he promises. The general feeling of the book is: we may not know how a man who grew up with classical music as his background ended up starting in Burlesque or, looked at another way, how a man whose very being was wrapped up in revue and burlesque gave us "The Follies" or how the "Follies" man gave us "Show Boat", but who cares, he did! Mordden is right! The only real flaw in the book is Mordden's referral to pictures, posters, artwork, etc. that we never get to see. How about a revised, illustrated, edition!

An enjoyable book. Ethan Mordden digs into the archival material relating to all things Ziegfeld and presents us with a leisurely account of the rise and fall of this formidable showman. It is a 21st century perspective, and reflects the culture of celebrity and American dream that was no different in the 1890s. Typical of Mordden's style are the many footnotes filled with interesting trivia. Untypical of the author, is the inclusion of a concluding bibliographical chapter.