Ziegfeld Girl is a 1941 musical drama directed by Robert Z. Leonard and produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film stars James Stewart, Judy Garland, Hedy Lamarr, and Lana Turner in the lead roles. It is loosely based on the lives of three real-life Ziegfeld Follies performers: Raine, Doris Eaton, and Eva Tanguay.
The film follows the lives of three young women, Susan Gallagher (Judy Garland), Sheila Regan (Lana Turner), and Sandra Kolter (Hedy Lamarr), who are discovered by legendary Broadway producer Florenz Ziegfeld (Charles Winninger) and join his famous stage revue. Susan is a talented young singer struggling to support her father, a washed-up vaudeville performer. Sheila is a working-class girl from Brooklyn who dreams of stardom and falls in love with a wealthy playboy, Frank Merton (James Stewart). Sandra is a beautiful European violinist married to a struggling musician, Franz Kolter (Philip Dorn), who is jealous of her success and the attention she receives from men.
As the three girls rise to fame in the Ziegfeld Follies, they must confront the dark side of show business and the temptations of wealth, fame, and love. Susan's father becomes jealous of her success and sabotages her career, while Sheila struggles to choose between Frank and her loyal boyfriend, Jimmy (Jackie Cooper). Sandra's marriage falls apart when Franz cannot accept her career and leaves her for another woman.
The film features lavish musical numbers, including Garland's rendition of "Minnie from Trinidad," Turner's sultry dance number, "You Stepped Out of a Dream," and Lamarr's virtuoso violin performance. The film was a critical and commercial success upon its release in 1941 and received four Oscar nominations, including Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction.
