The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

Directed by Robert Z. Leonard

Starring William Powell, Myrna Loy, Luise Rainer, Frank Morgan, Fanny Brice, Virginia Bruce, Reginald Owen, Ray Bolger, Ernest Cossart, Joseph Cawthorn, Nat Pendleton, Harriet Hoctor, Jean Chatburn, Paul Irving, Herman Bing, Charles Judels, Marcelle Corday, Raymond Walburn, A.A. Trimble, and Buddy Doyle

The first of two straight mediocre biopics to take home Best Picture, The Great Ziegfeld is the one I prefer, mostly because I am much more interested in the life of Florenz Ziegfeld than the one of Emile Zola. William Powell does his best as the "impressario extrordinare," but his best work is done in simpler films like The Thin Man. I enjoy the look at the history of musical theatre, a favorite subject of mine, no matter how innacurate it is. Fans of musical theatre will revel in the appearances of Broadway stars like Brice and Bolger, as this film provides rare filmed versions of their performances. There's a lot of style here, but not much substance. That being said, should a movie about Florenz Ziegfeld be made any other way?

Other nominees: Anthony Adverse (Mervyn LeRoy and Michael Curtiz), Dodsworth (William Wyler), Libeled Lady (Jack Conway), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (Frank Capra), Romeo and Juliet (George Cukor), San Francisco (W.S. Van Dyke), The Story of Louis Pasteur (William Dieterle), A Tale of Two Cities (Jack Conway and Robert Z. Leonard), and Three Smart Girls (Henry Koster)