Florenz Ziegfeld was born on March 21, 1869, in Chicago. He was involved in theater from a young age, and in 1893, his father encouraged him to use the Chicago World’s Fair as a business opportunity. He was initially not a success, but once he started to work on publicity for Eugen Sandow, he made a profit which helped to encourage him.
During the Midnight Frolic, men were encouraged to pop the balloon outfits using cigarettes and cigars. Source: (Tumblr/colorized).
During a trip to Europe, Ziegfeld met Anna Held, a Polish-French singer and actress, and they entered into a common law marriage in 1897. He promoted Held in America, and she found success in several of his Broadway shows, including A Parisian Model (1906). However, much of her success came because of rumors fed to the press and Ziegfeld’s creation of publicity stunts. Ziegfeld created the Ziegfeld Follies at the suggestion of Held, and the Follies were inspired by the Parisian Folies Bergère. One of Ziegfeld’s goals was to put on shows that embraced “erotic abandon,” and his initial shows were produced by Klaw and Erlanger.
The Follies Debuted In 1907
The Dolly sisters, who were in the Ziegfeld Follies for two seasons, starting in 1911. Source: (Pinterest/colorized).
The first show, The Follies of 1907, was produced at the Jardin de Paris roof theater. As with the follies that would follow it, the Follies of 1907 were lavish revues that were similar to a more elaborate and more high-class vaudeville show or to a variety show. By 1911, they were known as the Ziegfeld Follies.
Several Well-Known Entertainers Were Part Of The Follies
Although many of the top entertainers of the time appeared in the shows, including W.C. Fields, Josephine Baker, and Ray Bolger, the Follies were famous for the many beautiful chorus girls, who were commonly known as the Ziegfeld Girls. These chorus girls, who were personally chosen by Ziegfeld, dressed in costumes by designers such as Erté and their movements were perfectly synchronized. They ascended and descended flights of stairs dressed as anything from birds to battleships, and performed to the works of prominent composers, including Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, and Jerome Kern.
Becoming A Ziegfeld Girl
Patricia Bowman, who was in the 1934 Ziegfeld Follies. Source: (Pinterest/colorized).
Becoming one of the chorus girls was not easy. Over 15,000 women were interviewed to become performers every year, but Ziegfeld only selected 3,000. They also had some strict requirements. They needed to be just the right size, with measurements of 36-26-38, have just the right walk, and they also needed to be willing to pose naked. Once they became part of the show, they worked hard. They started their rehearsals at 10:30 each day, and they often put in 12-hour days. They made $125 per week (approximately $1,500 today). The girl who the audience voted the most beautiful in the Midnight Frolic received double her salary.
Ziegfeld's Affair With A Showgirl
Ziegfeld had an affair with a showgirl he had met when she was 15. He promoted her career and established her in an apartment two floors above his own; he continued to be in love with her for the rest of his life. When Held found out about his indiscretion, she served him with divorce papers in 1912, and the couple divorced in 1913. Ziegfeld remarried on April 11, 1914. He and his second wife, Billie Burke, would remain married for the rest of his life.
The End Of The Ziegfeld Follies
The Ziegfeld Follies survived World War I, but Prohibition did enact a little bit of damage. As Ziegfeld said to The New Times in 1921, “The best class of people from all over the world have been in the habit of coming up on the roof… and when they are subjected to the humiliation of having policemen stand by their tables and watch what they are drinking, then I do not care to keep open any longer.” He kept the Follies going for another six years, but in 1927, he started to focus on producing other shows. In the midst of the Depression, he moved to Hollywood. In 1932, Ziegfeld brought the Follies stars to CBS Radio with The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air. Ziegfeld died on July 22, 1932, after getting pleurisy, leaving Burke with substantial debts. She authorized Jake Shubert to use the name Ziegfeld Follies and he then produced the Follies from 1934 to 1936. After this, other promoters in New York City and Philadelphia used the name, but they had less connection to the original Follies, and the efforts failed. The Follies toured in 1934, and recorded the show in its entirety, releasing the music on a series of 78 rpm discs. The Ziegfeld Follies also lived on through film, particularly in the 1946 film Ziegfeld Follies, featuring Fred Astaire and Lucille Ball. The 1964 stage production and 1968 film Funny Girl featured Barbra Streisand as Fanny Brice, who got her start with the Follies.
