Review of Glorifying the American Girl

This was never the greatest of the Ziegfeld movies. Yet there is enough interest in Ziegfeld, his movies and the follies to warrant a decent, restored version on DVD. It is unfortunate that the B&W censored version available today excised around 9 minutes of footage, primarily from the spectacular show scenes. The technique employed by the film editors incorporated quick transitions from B&W to color during sequences. As a result, the color enhances the spectacle aspect of the show. The technique itself is of historical interest, as it represented a unique approach to the use of color that was intended to dazzle audiences. Moreover, the portions excised from the film offer a rare view of Ziegfeld shows in the late 1920s. So, although the censored version of the film is now available on DVD, the degraded video quality is very apparent in the show scenes. Current video, thus, affords some enjoyment and insight into the era, but the entertainment and historical value of the film has been seriously compromised. Let us hope that an uncensored restoration will be released.