great great american musical drama film directed produced stars theatrical film shot california fall fictionalized tribute cinematic adaption broadway highly elaborate costumes dances sets performers theatrical cast film including acted supervisor film pretty girl like melody set reported cost dollars featuring rotating diameter spiral steps weighing tons music film provided lyricist choreographed scenes extravagant costumes designed adrian taking months prepare pounds silver yards white thousand people employed production film required film cutting biggest successes film 1930s pride mgm time acclaimed greatest musical biography hollywood remains standard musical film making won academy_awards including producer best dance direction nominated film praised lavish production symbol excess golden age hollywood today great generally seen favorably considered critics excessively long hours mgm films entitled girl starring recycled footage great produced remake boat presented stage musical plot son highly respected music professor mark business begins promoting world strongest man chicago world fair overcoming competition rival popular attraction belly dancer marketing allowing women feel muscles returns father young departs san_francisco deemed putting faces lion falls asleep soon let cage travels england ocean liner runs laughing newspaper article denouncing fraud discovers way sign contract beautiful french star despite losing money gambling anna signing instead pretending doesn know anna twice sends away broke revealing honesty promises publicity dreams feature alongside america prominent theatrical performers anna performance success manages generate publicity sending gallons milk anna day fictitious milk bath beauty treatment refusing pay bill newspaper stories soon bring curious pack theater introduces new performers audience members comment milk skin beautiful major success sends anna flowers jewelry note saying magnificent wife agrees marry new diamonds fellow performers success idea entirely new kind featuring american girl new production filled beautiful women highly extravagant costumes sets smash hit followed versions tries star plagued alcoholism away lavish gifts gives break young woman visits doesn recognize initially hires dancer new production anna realizes world revolve attention pays walking drunk wrong moment walks angry confrontation broke money time new meets red headed broadway star soon marries hears news pretends glad eventually daughter named new shows success public taste changes people begin wonder times passed string negative reviews press men barber shop saying produce hit vows hits broadway time goal hits boat million dollars earnings stock market stock market crash forcing return stage shaken reversal financial fortunes growing popularity movies live stage shows seriously ill pays friendly visit men agree partners new production reality men broke realizes final scene apartment overlooking theatre half recalls scenes hits got steps higher higher dead chair cast production widow keen pay debts filing bankruptcy sold rights biopic late result film went pre production phase january initially proposed biographical film form entertainment set theatrical tradition cast february fallen disagreement universal financial problems studio entire production including constructed sets musical arrangements sold mgm dollars deal universal retained services classic comedy man released year great film shot california half budget dollars produced cost exceeded million dollars end production early period mgm expensive film date principal cinematography shot brought shoot numbers ray june shot melody number credited ballet advertising film mgm boasted film nature big mgm handle countless trained lions dogs animals berkeley led leading producer musicals hollywood 1930s major influence producers glamorous excessive 1930s cinematic musical numbers film came time producers begun seeing economic cultural importance cinematic medium comparison theater variety notes film producers likely concerned presentation film production wrapped long length film minutes probably wanted preserve footage possible responsible editing film thousand people employed production great required film cutting coincidence universal film version musical boat faithful film versions stage production filmed time great released year screenplay screenplay novelty audiences familiar theatrical broadway shows script fictionalized needed motion picture life new_york_times said script attempted screen play general success encompass merely fantastic personal history cross story development theatrical enterprises floated span years biographies man creations naturally told wealth detail real imaginative hour film narrative places confused great takes key liberties life history resulting earlier scenes milk bath advertising scenario sequences including dramatic ups downs film fictional blue featured number pretty girl like melody written edition revue shown film cast born grew england spoke mid-atlantic accent life portrays clearly american accent film film lines song man river boat sung sounds like tenor song intended bass sung original production bass screenplay gives impression successful original production boat produced closed great depression fact boat ended original run spring stock market crash occur october year revival produced shortly death original production affected depression real life die room hotel mentioned stood theatre actually died los_angeles spent years new_york capture number traits sending people close proximity belief elephants symbol good luck exquisite taste costumes design productions especially lighting script library california dated september probably date finalized casting initially main cast proposed film included featured film admitted amazed film viewing grateful having privilege portray considering important moment career said seeing film characters played contrived folks character picture father pen mother bottle ink character flesh blood felt time acting career tried measure man regardless shortcomings playing performers earlier broadway version cast film including ballet dancer great marked second hollywood film role appears comedian song sequence man played effective version addition routine comic role funny girl freestyle wrestler won silver medal summer olympics antwerp appeared alongside thin man cast circus objected role cast actress actress contract studio play producers concluded point big star play great according keen playing younger self says biographer stated choice play worked technical consultant object performing number influential studio refusal higher billing salary demanded led miller walking away film miller threatened legal action names mentioned film miller character renamed manners character renamed played real life reportedly obsessed miller involved numerous sex scandals miller given interview accused making love chorus girls sending diamond ring big hand essence character captured film incidentally miller died complications surgery release film april led reviewer writing liberty urban legend arisen surrounding timing death saying true died broken heart getting lead myth surrounding death age contracted stage film character actor played role promoter film uncredited role performs pretty girl like melody dubbed future wife richard_nixon lady united_states extra film rogers appear film killed plane crash august played stand costumes extravagant costumes initially considered flamboyant designed adrian worked greatest actresses period including later designed films women wizard documents mgm wealth high budget adrian able sheer making costumes surpassing previously took months costumes adrian designed film pounds silver yards white costumes worn women film diverse varying skirts layers men wearing black music film director specialized melodrama musicals anchored music film working lyricist extravagant dances ensemble sequences choreographed including song sequence pretty girl like melody 13th annual edition pretty girl like melody set known involved weeks shooting time reported cost dollars performers involved scenes included singers dancers musicians sequence presented started blue concluded descending rotated curtain lowered silk measured yards note theatrical sense achieved shooting sequence virtually single mention camera traverses enormous platform set contained enormous set revolves meet camera camera entering space set author book girls argues pretty girl sequence symbolic women raw material male aesthetic vision design film believes defined young white blond slender female sequence artificial tiers staging ballet music scored lyrics written circus ballet adaptation old stage shows variety called ballet intricate russian formations said pretty girl like melody sequence film berlin tune best arrangements mad beautifully blended background scenic flash makes wonder follow meaning future film production refers wedding cake famous spiral column citing best known pieces mobile architecture film notes design cake exclusive great explaining wedding cake albeit flamboyant appeared previous films king jazz kid spain hat follow fleet describes film representing word selected songs aftermath filed lawsuit filmmakers shortly death claiming presented character witnesses seen act chicago world fair supported lawsuit dropped died heart attack caused controversy upset friends colleagues sold rights production broadway starring time film released fact produced brothers worse associates bigger success production initially performed december making broadway debut january performed boston philadelphia production postponed collapsed stage exhaustion reopened broadway september months release film retitled revamped considerably changes humor metro mayer produced sequel entitled girl starring recycled film great mgm sequel directed director stage reception box office according mgm records film earned massive canada resulting profit critical response time release film premiered los_angeles musical film history cast members won academy_award received best actress oscar portrayal wife film pride mgm time leading studios hollywood musical production major commercial critical success successful films 1930s grossing dollars worldwide box office acclaimed release greatest musical biography hollywood remains standard musical film making short hours great longest talking film time birth nation silent films run hours acclaimed pretty girl like melody sequence famous musical numbers filmed said film rarely topped pure variety considered outstanding picture symbol tradition business variety praised performances cast remarking qualities great entrepreneur sacrificing shades moods called noting tops cited great number elaborate business screen biographies writing magazine remarked musical numbers irresistible said film pretty nearly romance reality song dance beauty time magazine qualified packed richly sentimental lyric notch entertainment reviewer praised film superb acting writing great producer unable produce scenes magnitude given picture telling life new_york_times highly praising film noting stars heavens remarking picture best moments larger sequences devoted girls ballet chorus spectacular numbers filmed music pretty girl like melody overtones blue musical comedy stage screen new_yorker called lavish display screen offer chorus numbers gigantic effective found romance average screen story stuff new_york_times rated film best year critics enthusiastic film called huge inflated gas blown object criticized length comparing feat number critics praising film general felt appears late film gave lackluster performance said somewhat lacking fear miss thought came like set blonde wig difficulty role portraying prominent living actress pleased attempt imitate mannerisms emily believes character flaws script performance actress critical evaluation film viewed symbol excess golden age hollywood today film mixed reception critics believing film relies dated long stated great textbook case film lose appeal years release film criticized particular lengthy particularly occasionally cited prime example academy year critically acclaimed pictures deeds goes town released argue consensus today review site rotten_tomatoes biopic undeniably stylish loses points excessive length clichés historical fresh rating emily claims film remarkable legs excellence empire magazine gave film stars concluded places doesn try true life portrait great theatre entrepreneur shiny big spectacle impressive choreography called dull lead guest appearances likes gave grade stated ultimately mediocre musical movie biopic legendary awarded stars stated production technical aspects remain impressive dramatic elements come musical numbers dated said reasonably competent albeit presentation main character life accolades seven academy_award nominations announced february march great won nominated academy_award performance receive screen actor guild award best actor tie little lord addition guild best actress given
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