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By
NICK ZEGARAC
"Ziegfeld Girl" is not one of MGM's greatest musical achievements so much as it is one of their biggest rip offs. The plot wreaks faint formaldehyde right down to its stolen montage sequence from "The Great Ziegfeld" (1936) that supplants Virginia Bruce from the top of that film's revolving staircase with Judy Garland in a blonde wig. What a sham!
If the film had absolutely no merit at all this would be an easy review to write. However, "Ziegfeld Girl" is a blessed with a stellar cast including Lana Turner, Hedy Lamarr and Ms. Garland, as well as Tony Martin, Jackie Cooper and Edward Everett Horton. It has two lavish set pieces all its own, the rather maudlin, though eye-popping "You Stepped Out Of A Dream" with the entire cast parading down a gigantic spiral staircase and "Minnie From Trinidad," a Garland standout with a tropical theme that is light, humorous and spectacularly staged. Garland also has the outstanding solo ballad, "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" though this is sung with only modest accompaniment and an uninspired stage backdrop.
In keeping with Warner's commitment to the classics, "Ziegfeld Girl" looks remarkably pristine on DVD. The gray scale is perfectly balanced. Contrast and black levels are right on. Some scenes suffer from age related artifacts. There are also minute traces of edge enhancement but nothing that will terribly distract. The audio is mono but nicely balanced.
Extras include some vintage featurettes and two deleted musical number audio tracks accompanied by still photographs and some chopped together clips from the completed film.
"Ziegfeld Girl" is for fans of Judy Garland. It is not an outstanding musical but it will nevertheless entertain. |
