Ziegfeld Follies

Ah!

Saturday, September 25th.

Another heavenly day.

Ah, yes.

It's always a heavenly day.

Every day is perfect.

Nothing but happiness.

Ah, yes, happiness, happiness, happiness.

I have everything that any man or angel could desire.

Beautiful memories of the past.

Pictures, toys...

Toys.

Children play with the dreams of tomorrow...

And old men play with the memories of yesterday.

Broadway.

Ah, Broadway I can see it again.

The Broadway of 1907.

The Broadway that was waiting for me.

An innocent world believing in a golden future,

full of peace and laughter

and beautiful girls.

And here's the theater where my first follies opened.

As I look at that theater now, it's all mine forever.

No taxes, no bills, and no competitors.

There they are, my first public.

High and mighty, and the hoi polloi.

And here, they're all mine.

Eternal toys that never grow older.

Look at Mrs. astor in her beautiful carriage

with her famous horse.

Much more famous that night than Ziegfeld.

And didn't the horse know il.

And diamond Jim Brady with no horse...

But what a filly inside the car.

There they are, an old New York

first-night audience, the judge and the jury.

"What have you got, Mr. Ziegfeld?

Show us your magic, if you dare.

Make us dream, if you can.

What have you got, Mr. Ziegfeld?"

Ziegfeld: Anna held hourglass girls.

Ziegfeld: Thank you, Mrs. astor.

I can pretend all my great stars never grew older...

Are still dancing and singing as they did years ago.

Marilyn Miller.

Fanny Brice.

J look at me, oh, look at me j

j ho, I'm an Indian, ah-ha I'm an Indian. Jj

Ziegfeld: Will Rogers.

Well, uh... What'll I talk about?

I ain't got anything to say that's funny.

All I know is what I read in the paper.

Ziegfeld: Eddie cantor.

J if you knew susie like I know susie j

j oh, oh, oh, what a girl! J

j there's none so classy as this fair Lassie j

j oh, oh, holy Moses what a chassis. J

j we went riding, she didn't balk j

j back from yonkers I'm the one who had to walk. J

j if you knew susie like I know susie j

j oh, oh, oh, what a girl! Jj

Ziegfeld: I can hear the applause

as if it hadn't disappeared into the past.

The New York night still burns for me

with the names I have branded into its sky.

Great shows that were part of the dreams of America.

How many millions of people today

remember their courtships

their honeymoons, their anniversaries,

their happiest moments

in terms of a Ziegfeld show?

The world would never forget the Ziegfeld follies.

Those were the good old days.

And yet, I wonder, are those days really over?

Just because I moved up here,

did the follies have to die, too?

Couldn't there be a new follies?

No, no, I suppose not.

After all, how could there be a Ziegfeld follies

without Ziegfeld?

What I would give to be able to put on one more follies!

Yes.

So many personalities down there to choose from.

Great personalities from my day,

and great ones that have come up since.

How would I open?

Let's see.

Uh, I'd like a crayon and paper.

Thank you.

I think I'd open with a pink number.

Yes, a beautiful pink number

with a beautiful pink and white, blue-eyed girl.

Yes, and maybe to introduce the whole thing...

Well, who would be better than my old friend Fred Astaire?

A great star, Freddie.

I'd be taking no chances with him.

And I know Freddie would say something very nice about me.

What can I say about Ziegfeld?

Well, I can only tell you that as long as there's a dance,

a song, a musical show and it's good...

Somewhere around or in it is Ziegfeld.

He never cared so much about villains, plots, stories.

The follies never had a story.

The Ziegfeld follies was itself a story of an era.

If it was gay, bright, beautiful...

That's how Ziggy wanted it.

And, oh, I almost forgot...

The girls.

Ziggy was a specialist at glorifying girls.

That's one of the most important things

about the follies, you know.

So...

J here's to the beautiful ladies. J

j here's to those wonderful girls. J

j adeles and Mollys lucilles and pollys j

j you'll find them all in the Ziegfeld follies! J

j here's to the silks and the satins. J

j here's to the diamonds and pearls. J

j this is the mixture to start the picture j

j so bring on the beautiful girls! J.

J here's to the silks and the satins. J

j here's to the diamonds and pearls. J

j a sweet endeavor a joy forever j

j so bring on the beautiful girls! J.

J; Here's to the j

j beautiful ladies. J

j here's to those wonderful girls. J

j adeles and Mollys j

j lucilles and pollys j

j you'll find them all j

j in the Ziegfeld follies. J

j here's to the silks j

j and the satins. J

j here's to the diamonds j

j and pearls. J

j a joy forever j

j a sweet endeavor j

j to bring on the beautiful girls. J.

J this is the mixture to start the picture j

j so bringon/

j the beautiful girls &7.

Whoa!

J all this yap-yap-yap about glorifying dames j

j leaves me like a cold potato j

j I'd much rather be with a handsome he j

j like Van Johnson, who's a real tomato! J

j for a date with Fred MacMurray j

j you can bet your life I'd hurry j

j and a guy like Mischa auer j

j has me completely in his power j

j in fact, most any man I've seen j

j is the only man for me j

whee!

J bring on those wonderful men j

j bring me an elegant guy j

j a soldier or sailor, a gable or Taylor j

j a short or a tall one, I just wanna call one j

j my own private wonderful he j

j bring what you can to me j

j bring me a guy to pin up j

j bring me a prince on a horse j

j a dark or a light one, I just want to sight one j

j who'll call me his missus and give with the kisses j

j I'm afraid I've a terrible yen j

j for those wonderful m-e-n j

j; Amor amor j

j there must be someone for me, but what's he waiting for? J

j no hope, no soap j

j if he don't appear I fear I'm at the end of my rope!

J oh, bring on a male who ain't frail j

j bring on a man from a cave j

j someone to relax with and pay income tax with j

j and though he's from hunger, I'm not getting younger

j and I'd like to get on with my plan

j to glorify the American man j

j I know the men are few j

j but what's a gal to do? J

j I'll get a man before I'm through

j hey, you in the third row j

j bring on those j

j wonderful men! J\j.

Oh! Could you tell me where the telephone is, please?

Oh, thank you.

Say, could you tell...

Woman 1 on call: Number, please. - Oh, operator.

I would like Plaza 5, 5-5-9-7, please.

Woman 1: Plaza 5, 5-5-9-7.

Woman 1: One moment, please. - That's right. Thank you.

Man 1 on call: Hello. = oh, hello. Louis?

Man 1: What number you want? - Uh, Plaza 5, 5-5-9-7.

Man 1: Well, this is morning side 3, 3-3-3-3.

= oh, I'm terribly sorry. Man 1: Oh, drop dead, will you?

Yeah. I'll-=- I'll do that.

Operator. Woman 1 on call: Number, please?

Oh, operator, you got me the wrong number.

I wanted Plaza 5, 5-5-9-7, and you got me...

Woman 1: One moment, please.

I'll get you the complaint department.

Oh, you don't have to get me the complaint...

Woman 1 on call: Hello, complaint department?