ZIEGFELD FOLLIES COFFEE TABLE BOOK

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES GIRLS ZIEGFELD FOLLIES (1907 - 1957) GLORIFYING THE AMERICAN GIRLS

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The 1927 theater program cover for Florenz Ziegfeld's musical Rio Rita was illustrated by Henry Clive, a multifaceted artist who became one of the quintessential visual chroniclers of the Art Deco and "Jazz Age eras.

The 1927 Rio Rita Program Cover:

• The Production: Rio Rita was a massive romantic-comedy musical chosen to open the brand-new, iconic Ziegfeld Theatre on Broadway in February 1927. It was one of Ziegfeld's most lavish and successful spectacles, running for 494 performances.

• The Artwork: Ziegfeld commissioned Clive to design the vibrant, alluring program covers.

Clive's hallmark style focused on idealized, highly glamorous portraits of women, perfectly capturing the essence of the legendary "Ziegfeld Girls".

• A Family Connection: Beyond just illustrating the show, Clive had a direct tie to the stage production: his wife, actress Helen Sevilla Cunningham (performing under the name Helen C. Clive), was a cast member in the ensemble of the original 1927 Broadway run.

Biography of Henry Clive (1883-1960):

Henry Clive (born Henry O'Hara in Melbourne, Australia) lived a colorful, cinematic life that bridged the worlds of stage magic, silent film, and commercial illustration.

• Early Life and Magic: Raised on a sheep ranch outside Melbourne, he left Australia as a young man to travel the world as a vaudeville magician, performing under show-names like "Clive the Illusionist" and "The Great Clive".

• Hollywood Silent Era: He eventually made his way to Hollywood, transitioning into acting and art direction. He worked as an art director for Charlie Chaplin Productions and even played the prominent onscreen role of the transactional, cruel billionaire villain in Chaplin's silent masterpiece, City Lights (1931).

• Discovery by Ziegfeld: Clive's career as a high-profile illustrator started nearly by accident when theatrical impresario Florenz Ziegfeld discovered one of his sketches.Impressed by Clive's skill at rendering idealized feminine beauty, Ziegfeld hired him to paint risqué, glamour-forward covers for the Ziegfeld Follies and Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic programs.

• The Hearst Years & Iconography: This exposure caught the eye of media tycoon William Randolph Hearst. In 1925, Clive became a lead cover artist for The American Weekly, a Sunday magazine supplement with a massive national readership. For decades, his lush Art Deco pastel and oil covers featured stylized pin-ups and major screen celebrities of the day, including Gloria Swanson, Pola Negri, and Rudolph Valentino.

Clive's original paintings, such as his genre-defining 1925 Art Deco masterpiece Sultana, are highly rare and intensely prized by modern vintage art collectors. He passed away in Hollywood, California in 1960.

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Ziegfeld Girl Dolores Grant was wooed away by competitor Earl Carroll in the late 1920s, and for 3 years, she was the highest-paid of all his showgirls. Retiring and happily married, she lived a wonderful, long life. Florenz Ziegfeld Shows: Rosalie (Jan 10,1928 - Oct 27,1928);Show Girl (Jul 02,1929 - Oct 05, 1929) and Simple Simon (Feb 18, 1930 - Jun 14, 1930. Earl Carrol’s Shows: Earl Carrol’s Vanities [1931] (Aug 27, 1931 - Apr 09, 1932); Earl Carrol’s Vanities [1932] Sept 27, 1932 - Dec 10, 1932) and Murder at the Vanities [1933] Sept 12, 1933 - Mar 10, 1934. Photo by John de Mirjian.

#DoloresGrant #ZiegfeldFollies #EarlCarrollVanities #Colorized #FricPic #JohndeMirjian

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Now We're in the Air (1927) is a celebrated silent comedy starring the iconic flapper and dancer Louise Brooks. Though largely considered a lost film and surviving only in fragmented form, it remains a fascinating milestone in her acting career and popular culture.

The Film Overview:

• Release Year: 1927

• Studio: Paramount Pictures

• Director: Frank R. Strayer

• Co-Stars: Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton & Louise Brooks

Brooks' Role and Impact:

In Now We're in the Air, Brooks played dual roles: twin sisters Grisette and McEwen. The film featured a WWI aviation setting and was highly successful at the box office. Brooks' participation in this comedy is notable for cementing her status as a major screen presence prior to her European masterpieces with G.W. Pabst (such as Pandora's Box).

Career Milestones:

• Broadway Breakthrough (1924-1925): After parting ways with Denishawn, she quickly landed work as a chorus girl in George White's Scandals. Shortly after, she was a featured dancer in the 1925 Ziegfeld Follies at the New Amsterdam Theatre.

• Signature Look: Known for her sleek, dark bobbed haircut, Brooks quickly became a 1920s fashion and beauty icon.

• Pop Culture Influence: Her role and likeness in Now We're in the Air were highly marketed, even landing her an endorsement tie-in with Truso perfume.

Film Preservation Status:

For decades, Now We're in the Air was thought to be a completely lost silent film. However, in recent years, film historians and preservationists (such as the Louise Brooks Society) discovered a surviving, incomplete print that included rare Technicolor sequences. Today, only fragments of the movie exist.

#LouiseBrooks #NowWereIntheAir1927 #ParamountPictures #GeorgeWhitesScandals #ZiegfeldFollies1925 #BobbedLook #Wikipedia #Colorized #AIAnimated #FricPic

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Catherine May Moylan (1904-1969) was a celebrated Ziegfeld Follies girl and the first-ever "Beauty Queen of the Universe". Immortalized by legendary Follies photographer

Alfred Cheney Johnston, she is famous for her signature 1920s glamour, seen here as one of the definitive faces of the Jazz Age.

Early Life and Beauty Queen:

• Birth & Childhood: Born Catherine May Moylan on July 4, 1904, in Rochester, New York. She was raised primarily in Dallas, Texas.

• The First Miss Universe: Before her time on Broadway, Moylan won the title of "Miss Dallas" and was crowned the first "Beauty Queen of the Universe" (also known as Miss

International Queen of Pulchritude) at a 1926 pageant in Galveston, Texas.

Ziegfeld Follies and Broadway:

• The Ziegfeld Years: Impressed by her win, producer Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. scouted Moylan. She made her official Broadway debut in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1927.

• Showstopping Roles: Moylan became a featured "Ziegfeld Glorified Girl". She served as a prime visual centerpiece for the show's towering costume parades and became famous for her notably revealing costumes and bold stage presence.

• Musicals: By 1928, she was a recognized Broadway star, featuring in popular musicals such as Rosalie and Whoopee!. © IMDb

Legacy and Later Life:

• Alfred Cheney Johnston Portraits: Moylan frequently posed for Alfred Cheney Johnston, the official photographer for the Ziegfeld Follies. His portraits of her are celebrated today as shown on the auction market, perfectly encapsulating the soft-focus elegance of 1920s glamour.

• Retirement & Passing: Moylan transitioned to silent films briefly but quit show business by 1936. She returned to Texas, eventually living in Fort Worth where she passed away in 1969 at the age of 65.

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CARLY BERGMAN (1912 - 2001), Ziegfeld Follies Girl…

Born in New York City in 1912, Carly Bergman studied ballet and dance, and tried out and became a Ziegfeld Girl at age of 17. With the Follies, she was dubbed the girl with "The Most Beautiful Eyes In America." Bergman appeared in George and Ira Gershwin's "Rosalie", playing a prima ballerina, at the New Amsterdam Theatre and in the 1928 Ziegfeld production of "Show Girl." In late 1929 in a Hammerstein/Kern production called "Sweet Adeline" at Hammerstein's Theatre (now called the Ed Sullivan Theater, currently where Colbert's show was being taped); the show ran 234 performances.

Bergman also, like many Ziegfeld Girls, had her photos taken by the great Alfred Cheney Johnston, posted below and colorized. Then in the 1930's Bergman travels Europe and the U.S., appearing in nightclubs as a singer. Sometime in the early 1940's she meets industrialist Herman Muehlstein, a man 33 years her senior, whom she marries in 1945. They are together until his death in 1965. Bergman-Muehlstein continued to operate on the Board of the Herman Muehlstein Foundation (which existed from 1947 - 2005, awarding educational grants to needy students). Caryl Bergman passed away at age 89 in 2001. Edit: Wikipedia. Photo AIAnimated.

#CarlyBergman #ACJ #FricPic #CoffeeTableBook #Colorized #IBDB.com #Rosalie #ShowGirl #PrimaBallerina #NewAmsterdamTheatre #Singer

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Faith Bacon's career in burlesque began in the 1920s in Paris. In a 1930 interview, Bacon stated she decided to become a dancer when she visited Paris despite never having had any training. While in Paris, she met Maurice Chevalier and later premiered in his revue. During her career, she used bubbles, flowers and fans in her nude dance routines.

After returning to the United States, Bacon appeared on Broadway in Earl Carroll's Vanities. Following her performance in the Earl Carroll's Vanities, Bacon appeared in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1931 from July to November 1931. In 1933, she went to Chicago to perform at the 1933 World's Fair after learning that a rival dancer, Sally Rand, was also performing a fan dance. Bacon, who maintained she originated the dance for Earl Carroll in 1930, billed herself as "The Original Fan Dancer". Edit Wikipedia.

#FaithBacon #EarlCarrollVanities #ACJ #FricPic #Colorized #AIAnimated #ZiegfeldFollies1931 #CoffeeTableBook #AlAnimated

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Mary Eaton (1901-1948) was a prominent American stage actress, singer, and dancer who defined the Jazz Age. The 1931 portrait by celebrated pin-

up artist Alberto Vargas immortalizes her as the quintessential Ziegfeld Follies star, capturing the grace and elegance that made her a Broadway icon.

Quick Facts & Identity:

• Born: January 29, 1901 (Norfolk, Virginia, USA)

• Died: October 10, 1948 (Los Angeles, California)

• Occupation: Dancer, singer, film and stage actress

• Notable Family: One of the famous "Seven Little Eatons" (sister to Ziegfeld star Doris Eaton Travis and Pearl Eaton).

Career Highlights:

• Ziegfeld Follies: Rose to fame as Florenz Ziegfeld's premier dancer and understudy to Marilyn Miller. She starred in the 1920, 1921, and 1922 editions of the Wikipedia Ziegfeld Follies on Broadway.

• Broadway Stardom: Transitioned from child star to adult lead, starring in hit productions including Kid Boots (1923) with Eddie Cantor and The Five O'Clock Girl (1927). * IBDB.com

• Hollywood Peak (1929): Reached mainstream cinema heights playing Polly in the Marx Brothers' first film, The Cocoanuts, and starring in the Ziegfeld-produced musical WordPress Travalanche, Glorifying the American Girl.

Artistic Legacy:

Alberto Vargas (who became world-famous for his "Varga Girls" in Esquire magazine) worked closely with the Ziegfeld Follies. His 1931 artwork of Eaton highlights her classic beauty and the glamorous, romantic aesthetic of the declining Gilded Age theatrical revues.

Later Years:

Following the decline of the Follies and vaudeville in the 1930s, Eaton's career faded and she suffered from chronic alcoholism.

She passed away in 1948 from cardiac failure resulting from the addiction. Her legacy is preserved via resources like the Internet Broadway Database and through University of South Carolina Broadway Photographs archives.

*Mary Eaton in The Last Ziegfeld Follies of 1931 by Alberto Vargas.

#mary eaton #alberto vargas #Ziegfeld Follies of 1931 #hand painted #fricpic #coffeetablebook #artwork #ibdb.com

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When Hazel Forbes was still a teenager, she entered a beauty pageant in Atlantic City, N.J., and was named Miss Long Island. In 1926, she was chosen Miss United States at the Paris International Beauty Pageant. The following year -- at the age of “17”, and with no experience as a performer -- Forbes was hired by Florenz Ziegfeld to appear in his Ziegfeld Follies in New York City. She appeared in a supporting role in the long-running production of "Whoopee!," which premiered in 1928 and starred Eddie Cantor, and ran for nearly a year and more than 400 performances. In 1929, Forbes was lured away from Ziegfeld by his primary competitor, Earl Carroll, but she returned to Ziegfeld the following year.

On stage, Forbes was described as a dancer, but she was more likely one of the many "Ziegfeld girls" who simply walked across the stage wearing fabulously elaborate costumes, or nearly no costume at all. She was also probably one of Ziegfield's famous "living statues" -- scantily clad women who came out on stage and just stood there. (This was Ziegfeld's solution to a New York law which prohibited nude performers from moving on stage.)

During her work with Ziegfeld, Forbes was also photographed by Alfred Cheney Johnston, who worked for Ziegfeld for more than 15 years, primarily taking publicity and promotional photographs of the Follies performers.

After Johnston's death in 1971, a huge collection of nude and semi-nude photos of showgirls from the Ziegfeld Follies -- including Forbes -- was discovered among his possessions. Since the photos could never have been used to publicly promote the Follies in the 1920s, it has been speculated that the images were either taken by Johnston as samples of his artistic work, or were done at the request of Ziegfeld for his private collection.

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Barbara Dean (born in Cincinnati, Ohio) was a prominent 1920s Broadway actress and Ziegfeld Follies showgirl. She is best remembered for her stunning portraits and artistic nude studies taken by legendary Ziegfeld photographer Alfred Cheney Johnston, who famously called her "one of the loveliest creatures I have ever photographed."

Quick Facts & Timeline:

• Broadway Debut: 1920 in the musical Sally.

• Ziegfeld Follies: Joined the cast in 1921.

• Film Work: Played a small role in the 1921 film Forever. Despite receiving other film offers, she turned them down to focus on theater and modeling.

• Retirement: Her final show business job was in the 1924 Broadway musical Holka Polka.

Legacy:

As a beautiful blonde of the Roaring Twenties, Dean epitomized the glamorous aesthetic captured by Alfred Cheney Johnston. Her iconic 1920s portrait sittings regularly appeared in glamour and theater publications of the era, such as Shadowland. You can explore digitized historical archives of her Picryl Media Search Engine or read her IMDb Biography for more details on her brief but dazzling career. Photo AIAnimated.

#BarbaraDean #AlfredCheneyJohnston #BroadwayActress1920 #ZiegfeldFolliesGirl1921 #Sally1920 #SilentFilmActress #FilmForever1921 #IBDB.com #Model #Shadowland #AIAnimated #Colorized #FricPic

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Dorothy Flood in Ziegfeld Production "Simple Simon" (1930) with Ed Wynn - Photo by Alfred Cheney Johnston - Scene 6 Fairyland "I Love The Woods".

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Louise Brooks was an iconic American silent film actress and dancer. Born in Cherryvale, Kansas in 1906, she became the definitive flapper of the 1920s and famously popularized the bobbed haircut. Though defiant and rebellious, she is celebrated for her raw, naturalistic screen presence in masterpieces like Pandora's Box (1929).

Early Life and Dance CareerChildhood: Born Mary Louise Brooks on November 14, 1906, she was raised in Kansas. Her mother, an artistic and cultured woman, instilled in her a deep love of the arts and books.Denishawn: At age 15, Brooks left for New York City and joined the prestigious Denishawn School of Dancing.Broadway: After being dismissed from Denishawn, she found work as a chorus girl and performed in George White's Scandals and the Ziegfeld Follies.

Hollywood and the Silent EraParamount Pictures: While dancing in the Ziegfeld Follies, she caught the eye of Hollywood executives. She signed a five-year contract with Paramount Pictures in 1925.The "Flapper" Icon: Brooks quickly rose to leading roles in films like A Girl in Every Port (1928) and Beggars of Life (1928). Her short, dark bob and rebellious, carefree off-screen attitude defined the 1920s flapper generation.Leaving Hollywood: In 1928, after being denied a promised salary raise by Paramount, Brooks boldly walked out on her studio contract.

European BreakthroughCollaborations with G.W. Pabst: Seeking new artistic frontiers in Europe, Brooks was cast by German director G.W. Pabst to star as the tragic, amoral temptress Lulu in Pandora's Box (1929).International Fame: Her haunting, magnetic performance in Pandora's Box, alongside her starring role in Diary of a Lost Girl (1929), cemented her status as an international cinematic legend.

Decline, Retirement, and Later LifeReturn and Retirement: Brooks returned to Hollywood, but her outspokenness, refusal to conform to studio demands, and the arrival of "talkies" led to fading roles. She retired from acting in 1938 after appearing in the Western Overland Stage Raiders opposite John Wayne.Hardship: Following her retirement, Brooks struggled through bankruptcy, working for a time as a department store salesgirl and a nightclub dancer.Rediscovery: In the 1950s, film historians and international critics rediscovered her silent masterpieces, catapulting her back into public acclaim.Writing and Memoir: Relocating to Rochester, New York, she pivoted to a successful second act as a writer. She published insightful film essays and her acclaimed memoir, Lulu in Hollywood, in 1982.Death: She died of a heart attack in Rochester on August 8, 1985.

To explore her written work or delve deeper into her filmography, check out her dedicated resources on Pandora's Box or read more about her enduring legacy via Britannica.

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Marilyn Miller (1898-1936) was the reigning queen of 1920s Broadway and the Jazz Age's most famous musical star. Celebrated for her Cinderella "rags-to-riches" roles, she made the Jerome Kern hit "Look for the Silver Lining" her signature anthem. The iconic photograph by Alfred Cheney Johnston captured her at the absolute peak of her fame.

Biography & Career

• Childhood: Born Mary Ellen Reynolds in Evansville, Indiana, she grew up in the theater, touring Midwest vaudeville circuits from age four with her family's act.

• Broadway Stardom: Producer Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. discovered her dancing in London and made her a headliner in the Ziegfeld Follies. Ziegfeld specifically built the 1920 smash hit musical Sally around her.

• Record Earnings: She became Broadway's highest-paid performer, earning up to $3,000 a week in shows like Sunny.

• Hollywood: She reprised her stage success in the 1929 Technicolor film adaptation of Sally.

The Portrait

Florenz Ziegfeld's preferred photographer, Alfred Cheney Johnston, shot thousands of promotional portraits for the Ziegfeld Follies. Johnston captured Miller's spritely, delicate beauty in numerous sessions. The resulting photographs remain defining visual records of the Roaring Twenties.

Personal Life & Legacy

• Personal Tragedy: Her life was often marred by unhappiness and loss; her first husband (Frank Carter) died in a car accident a year after their marriage, and subsequent marriages were plagued by drug and alcohol abuse.

• Tragic Death: Miller died tragically at just 37 years old from toxic shock and complications following nasal surgery in New York.

• Pop Culture Legacy: She was so culturally influential that years later, a casting director urged budding starlet Norma Jeane Mortenson to take the name Marilyn Monroe because she reminded him of Marilyn Miller. Her life also inspired the 1949 Hollywood biopic "Look for the Silver Lining".

https://youtu.be/rrQbDQv1LTY?si=wGDLZzytpQWLRUMU

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Shepherdress Elisabeth 'Betty' Morton: (One Of My Favorite Costumes)Stage: Ziegfeld Follies (1918) | Greenwich Village Follies (1919) | Ziegfeld Follies (1919) | Nine O'Clock Revue (1919) | Ziegfeld Follies (1920) | Midnight Frolic (1920) | Hold Everything (1928) | and Girl Crazy 1930).

#BettyMortin #ZiegfeldFollies (1918 -1920) #GreenwichVillageFollies(1919) #MidnightFrolic(1920) #NineO'ClockRevue(1919) #HoldEverything(1928) #GirlCrazy(1930) #BeautifulModel #GardenofBeauties #Coffeetablebook #AlfredCheneyJohnston #Colorized #FricPic #AlAnimation #filmora

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Ackerman, Jean: [ACJ] ibdb.com Jean Ackerman performed in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1927, the Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic of 1929 (April edition), and in Ziegfeld's musicals Rosalie, Whoopee (1928) and Smiles (1930). (Ref: Theatre Program).

#JeanAckerman #ZiegfeldFollies1927 #ZiegfeldMidnightFrolic1929 #Rosalie #Whoopee1928 #Smiles1930 #FricPic #IBDB.com #Colorized #MyArt #AlfredCheneyJohnston #Animated

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Marion Davies (1897-1961) was a popular silent film star, comedienne, producer, and philanthropist known for her lavish lifestyle and famous relationship with newspaper tycoon Wiliam Randolph Hearst, who heavily promoted her career through his media empire, often at the expense of her natural comedic talent.

Starting as a Ziegfeld Follies dancer, she became a major star with films like When Knighthood Was in Flower, but struggled with dramatic roles Hearst pushed her into, finding more success in comedies like Tillie the Toiler. Davies later became a significant philanthropist, establishing charities and funding medical research before her death from stomach cancer.

Early Life & Career:

• Born Marion Cecilia Douras in Brooklyn, NY, she followed her sisters into show business, starting as a dancer and model before joining the Ziegfeld Follies.

• She adopted the stage name Davies after seeing the name on a building.

• Her first film, Runaway Romany (1917), was followed by her first Hearst-backed film, Cecilia of the Pink Roses (1918).

Relationship with Hearst:

• Davies met Hearst, much older and married, in 1916; he became her lover and powerful mentor, financing her career through his Cosmopolitan Pictures.

• He built her up as a major star, but often forced her into heavy dramas (e.g., When Knighthood Was in Flower) rather than her beloved comedies, leading to mixed critical reception despite box office success.

• She was famous for hosting extravagant parties for Hollywood's elite at Hearst's estates, including

Hearst Castle.

Later Life & Legacy:

• After Hearst's death in 1951, she married actor Horace G. Brown, though the relationship was troubled.

• Davies became a dedicated philanthropist, establishing the Marion Davies Foundation and donating significant funds to create a children's clinic at UCLA (now Mattel Children's Hospital).

• She died in 1961 from stomach cancer, leaving behind a complex legacy as both a talented actress and a figure defined by her relationship with Hearst.

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"Rainbow of Girls" was a famous musical number in the 1927 Ziegfeld Follies, showcasing the legendary Ziegfeld Girls-beautiful, synchronized chorus dancers embodying Florenz Ziegfeld's ideal of the "Glorified American Girl," with notable performers like Claudia Dell and Muriel Finley appearing, dressed in elaborate costumes by designers such as Erté and designed to be dazzling spectacles of beauty, often featuring themed ensembles like colorful costumes in this particular routine, notes sources like IBDB and Facebook posts.

The "Rainbow of Girls" Number:

• Show: A highlight in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1927.

• Concept: Featured dozens of Ziegfeld Girls, each representing a different color of the rainbow, creating a vibrant, moving spectacle of beauty.

• Music: Composed by Irving Berlin, with lyrics also by Berlin. ®

The Ziegfeld Girls:

• "Glorifying the American Girl": The Follies' core theme was presenting the ideal, beautiful American woman.

• Selection: Florenz Ziegfeld personally selected thousands of women over the years, seeking specific beauty standards (though his idea of beauty was limited).

• Famous Faces: While many were anonymous, some, like Claudia Dell (a Ziegfeld Girl in the 1927 show) and Muriel Finley, went on to film careers.

• Style: Known for elaborate, often minimal, costumes by top designers like Erté and Ben Ali Haggin, emphasizing synchronized movement and dazzling.

In Essence: The "Rainbow of Girls" was a quintessential Ziegfeld moment—a stunning, large-scale display of synchronized beauty, showcasing the iconic Ziegfeld Girls in colorful, glamorous fashion.

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Aida’s early career was characterized by her long and fruitful period of collaboration with Bert Williams and George Walker, the dominant black vaudeville/musical comedy team of the era. Around the time of Aida and George's marriage in 1899, Williams and Walker began to concentrate on writing and performing full-length musicals rather than stand-alone songs and sketches in the vaudeville tradition. Aida Overton Walker would go on to perform in all the Williams and Walker musicals and ultimately adopt the role of choreographer for their theater troupe.