Picture 9: The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

MGM's flagship musical of the 1930s presents us with 3 hours of watching Flo Ziegfeld Jr (William Powell) and his showbiz career progress from tranquilizing lions in the 1890s to producing four simultaneous Broadway hit shows in the 1920s. Along the way we see some magnificent sets, costumes and a large doll's house. The opulence of the 1920s was not to last and the hard times to come are covered too.

Flo has an impressive charm and one finds themselves invested in his success as he builds his empire. He has a way of making a dire situation always turn in his favour. A bit like Clark Gable - you just trust William Powell's character in whatever he is doing on screen. No doubt it was visually stunning for its time but being a millennial who grew up with bullet time, CGI and Pierce Brosnan surfing on tidal waves I find myself at times struggling to stay engaged in the long stage sequences. Some tighter cutting could have made this epic better stand the test of time.

Overall it's getting a six.

Reflections on the human condition:

1. Having all of your self-worth based on work can set you up for nervous illness.

2. Great things always start with something small.

Rating 6/10

Oscar Best Picture Rankings:

1. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

2. Wings (1928)

3. Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

4. Cimarron (1931)

5. Grand Hotel (1932)

6. It Happened One Night (1934)

7. Cavalcade (1933)

8. The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

9. The Broadway Melody (1929)