Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Ziegfeld Girl Blu-ray Movie Review

Three's a crowd.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III June 3, 2022

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June 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of Judy Garland's birth... and to celebrate, all three Warner Archive Blu-rays this month -- Ziegfeld Girl, The Clock, and For Me and My Gal -- feature the late, great star. I'll also be covering two other 1940s Garland films from deeper in the Warner Archive vault, The Pirate and The Harvey Girls.

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Broadway impresario Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. and his popular "Follies" were the focal point of many Warner Bros. and MGM musicals during the 1930s and 40s. The public's interest gradually shifted from his live theatrical revues to silent films and "talkies" several years earlier, with the final blow occurring soon after Ziegfeld's 1931 death... but what better way to ease the transition than by making his work the subject of -- or at least the inspiration for -- glitzy stage shows in an exciting new format? The genre's early years were led by films like 42nd Street, Footlight Parade, and Gold Diggers of 1933, all dazzling, star-studded productions with unforgettable music and dance sequences choreographed by Busby Berkeley. Other films more literally brought the past to life such as The Great Ziegfeld and Ziegfeld Follies, an actual attempt to resurrect his revue complete with heavenly hosting by Ziegfeld himself (William Powell).

Released between those two more literal MGM musicals, Robert Z. Leonard's Ziegfeld Girl is a star-studded drama that regularly mentions Ziegfeld in hushed tones without ever actually showing him. He's a god-like presence who makes or breaks young hopefuls, from talented musicians to visual fixtures like the titular "Ziegfeld Girls", an assembly line of beauties who smile with heads held high while dressed in all sorts of glamorous, decorative outfits. But the singular Girl in this film's name is actually a trio: Susan Gallagher (Garland), the bright-eyed half of a father-daughter Vaudeville act; Sandra Kolter (Hedy Lamarr), wife of violin virtuoso Franz (Philip Dorn); and Sheila Regan (Lana Turner), a former elevator operator from Flatbush, Brooklyn. All three dream of potential stardom and initially make the cut, but their personal lives suffer from the change of scenery: Susan's supportive dad "Pop" (Charles Winninger, an actual Ziegfeld performer in his younger days) is left to fend for himself, Sandra and her husband grow distant, and Sheila's truck-driving boyfriend (James Stewart) gets into trouble with the law while she struggles with alcoholism.

It's an admirable attempt at big-scale entertainment, but Ziegfeld Girl is a clear example of a production whose reach exceeded its grasp. While the star power is there and Busby Berkely's choreography is always a treat, it just doesn't feel sufficiently polished enough to warrant the focus on three separate leading ladies. Garland and Lana Turner are the obvious standouts here, with Jimmy Stewart putting in reliably great work against type. (This would also be his final film role before the actor's military service during WWII, with a return coming five years later in It's a Wonderful Life.) The film's deep roster of supporting players are mostly impressive too, with Charles Winninger's character earning an especially nice moment during his own big break. Hedy Lamarr, however, is the sore thumb: Ziegfeld Girl grinds to a halt when Sandra is the subject, and it doesn't help that the actress basically sleepwalks through her role. This segues into the film's other Achilles' heel: a lack of focus, as it pinballs between the three ladies' unfolding drama without ever digging all that deep below the surface. We don't get to know each one well enough to understand their decisions, so most of the story's twists and turns don't land with the impact they ought to. The dark turn for Sheila during the film's second and third act also rings hollow, a Maudlin downward spiral whose conclusion undercuts the joy achieved in an otherwise celebratory home stretch. (It could be argued that Ziegfeld Girl is a cleverly-crafted deconstruction or even satire of its source material, but it doesn't seem self-aware enough to get away with that free pass.)

Still, it's impossible to award failing marks to any film with this much raw talent involved, let alone one that offers such memorable songs and performances as "You Stepped Out of a Dream", "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows", and especially "Minnie from Trinidad", whose execution is so unabashedly fun that it's almost worth the price of admission alone. But there was clearly a better film before Ziegfeld Girl bit off more than it could chew in the character department; one that could have lost its least essential figure and brought everything else up in the process. That wasn't the only potential turbulence during development, though: originally planned as a sequel to The Great Ziegfeld from five years earlier, Ziegfeld Girl's only real connection to that film is hastily-recycled footage during its final medley.

But this is Garland month, after all, so anyone with a vested interest in the celebrated actress -- or any other featured performer, for that matter -- should at least give Ziegfeld Girl a spin and decide for themselves. Warner Archive's Blu-ray presentation is, of course, up to their usual high standards, pairing another beautifully restored A/V presentation with a host of vintage bonus features carried over from their parent company's 2004 DVD edition.

Ziegfeld Girl Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Although exact details of its restoration were not specified in Warner Archive's June press release, Ziegfeld Girl shows all the signs of another top-tier restoration by Warner Archive that was likely created from a recent 4K scan of original nitrate source elements. While the production suffers from the absence of Technicolor, it still impresses greatly during the handful of complex, detailed stage performances, exhibiting visual strengths similar to the Warner Bros. and MGM musicals linked above. Crisp fine detail, natural film grain, reasonably deep blacks, and an extremely clean appearance; these are all regular adjectives used to describe Warner Archive catalog releases... so if you're at all familiar with their output, you'll know what to expect here. As usual, it's also nicely encoded on a dual-layered disc and runs at a high bit rate with no signs of banding or other artifacts, aside from very mild posterization on the darkest objects.

Ziegfeld Girl Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Likewise, the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio perfectly replicates Ziegfeld Girl's one-channel source material, offering a clean and clear presentation that prioritizes dialogue and the numerous song breaks while perfectly managing background noise during frequently crowded compositions. No distracting amounts of hiss could be heard along the way, nor were other source defects or sync issues present aside from some of the mostly pre-recorded vocal numbers.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only, but not the extras. This is pretty annoying since the DVD collection that most of them were sourced from did in fact have optional subtitles available. It's perhaps my only ongoing hang-up regarding Warner Archive releases, and one that I hope is addressed at some point.

Ziegfeld Girl Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with poster-themed cover art and no inserts. All extras are ported over from Warner Bros.' 2004 DVD (the film's only release on that format), although a few upgrades have been made.

• Introduction by John Fricke (5:19) - A short appreciation and production overview by the noted film historian and author, who specializes in Judy Garland and The Wizard of Oz.

• MGM Promo Short: We Must Have Music (10:56) - This vintage 1941 short offers a brief history of music in motion pictures, from live performances during silent films to early talkies and beyond.

• Our Gang Short: Melodies Old and New (10:58) - Originally released in 1942, this 203rd installment of the long-running series was directed by series regular Edward Cahn. It certainly pairs with the main feature well enough, following the kids as they stage a fund-raising musical show with the help of Uncle Wills.

• Audio-Only Outtakes - Two short excised bits presented in DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio (mono).

• "Too Beautiful to Last" (3:39) - Performed by Tony Martin.
• "We Must Have Music Finale" (2:17) - Performed by Tony Martin and Judy Garland.

• Theatrical Trailer (3:56) - This lengthy promotional piece can also be seen here.

• Song Selection - Instant access to Ziegfeld Girl's 16 main musical numbers, listed below.

• Main Title
• "Laugh? I Thought I'd Split My Sides"
• "You Stepped Out of a Dream - Part 1"
• "You Stepped Out of a Dream - Part 2"
• "You Stepped Out of a Dream - Part 3"
• "Whispering"
• "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" (Rehearsal)
• "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" (Audition)
• "Caribbean Love Song"
• "Spanish Dance"
• "Minnie from Trinidad"
• "Mr. Gallagher & Mr. Shean"
• "Ziegfeld Girls Melody"
• "You Stepped Out of a Dream" (Reprise)
• "Your Never Looked So Beautiful Before"
• End Credits

Ziegfeld Girl Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Robert Leonard's Ziegfeld Girl is kind of an oddball in its field, a musical drama that enters dark territory when one of its leading ladies is crippled by newfound success. But while some may appreciate its ambition for focusing on three lovely young hopefuls, to me this is the film's biggest flaw: it struggles to maintain momentum and dramatic strength by spreading itself too thin and, in my opinion, would have been stronger as a two-woman show. Other fundamentals almost fully right the ship, but it still feels like a missed opportunity given the top talent involved. Nonetheless, Judy Garland acquits herself nicely and, this being her centennial month, it's still a recommended title for die-hard fans of the celebrated actress. As usual, Warner Archive's Blu-ray smooths over any rough spots with another strong Blu-ray package that combines top-tier A/V specs with a nice collection of DVD-era bonus features.