Evening star., 1932-07-23
z|ECFELD BROKE,
BROADWAY BELIEF
Producer, Generous Spender,
Thought to Have Died
Poor Man.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, July 23-Broadway,
where sentiment and hard cash are
twin kings, shook its head sadly today
, over Florenz Ziegfeid's death and said
Isn't it too Bad he had to die
broke?"
For the impression along the lane
CT gossip and glitter is that the grand
glorifier, who garnered millions only
to fling them forth in new ventures,
! was virtually poor man.
He might, the Times Square bright
lads said. have tucked away some in
surance against the day when beauty
counter sales reSistanCe-but that was
probably all.
Ziegfeld, who turned thumbs down
announced his trend was toward the
old-faShloned, CT m o n-clad-girl-on-
whlte-horse sort Of stuff, with spectacu-
lar modern trimmings, had run into
some grief toward the end.
Wins Over Critics.
After years CT striking successes such
as the "Follies." Rio Rita" and others,
he produced 'Hot-Cha" recently-and
the critics swung on him with hammers
in both hands. A new type of show
sophisticated, satr.c-such as "Of Thee
1 Sing" and Face the Music" was
packing them in.
Ziegfeld, always fighter, hit back.
What is sophistication?" he sneered
in advertisements five columns wide. He
said no one could define it-and Ameri-
cans preferred the "old-fashioned" SEN
fInpnt cf in, he nd
manner. To prove it he revived Show
boat'-and the critics, as well as the
public, ate it up.
1t was q great victory, he considered
although the quick closing of Hot
Cha" and his illness robbed it of some
sweetness. His one ambition, he said,
was to produce another 'Follies," more
splendid than ever, with Maurice Che
valier as the star.
Zlegfeld was a grand spender. Across
the continent, in search of new beauty
to glorify, he travelled in private cars,
munching bon-bons pulled from the
pockets of 5000 suits. He took his own
chef with him. His motor cars were
imported He argued with critics by
telegraph-thousands upon thousands
Of words. Don't spare the expense"
seemed to be his motto.
Publicity was thing he never lacked.
When Marilyn Miller, a name then
glowing in tall letters as the star of
Sally" announced she was quitting
Ziegfeld, there was q great to-do. She
was back under his wing later.
Once he said that gentlemen prefer
brunettes and 20 blond members Of his
revue voted to strike unless he retract-
ed. In 1926 he issued solemn state
nlents taking the blame for the era of
stage nudity and asking the public to
support only clean shows.
I'm ashamed to be in the revue busi-
ness with all this going on" he would
say.
Many Lawsuits.
long string of suits kept his law
yers busy. Once Myrtle Bauer, for
merly a member of his glorified troupe,
sued him for $1,000. charging that his
police dog manned her Pekingese
Occasionally he would advertise for
beauties-sometimes hand out a word
Of advice. Once he warned against
overindulgence in sports. as tending
to destroy "a delicate degree of soft
ness in face and figure"
Every one agreed that his influence
on the American stage was great. He
was considered a master Of decoration,
of color, costuming and presentation
in the grand style. The theater world
is dotted with stars who got their start
or development with him.
Despite his aversion to sophisticaticn,
he kept in step with developments. 1t
was commonly supposed he had gone
to Hollywood to look into the posi-
bility Of abandoning the stage for
talkie production. He gave the radio a
thought. Four months ago Ed Sulli-
van, Broadway columnist, introduced
him in his first venture on the air.
But for him the stage was all his Life