Trivia

On his death bed, he went delirious, shouting stage directions, apparently for the closing number of one of his productions seen only in his mind. His last words were, "Looks good! Looks good!".

In 1927 he produced what is considered his greatest artistic achievement--the original Broadway production of "Show Boat". Although he recognized its artistic value, he was terrified that it would fail because of its unusually dramatic storyline. According to an eyewitness, on opening night the audience barely applauded. It was not because they disliked the show. It was because they were so taken aback by it. The show was a huge success. By 1932, after Ziegfeld had lost much of his money in the stock-market crash, he decided to try what he now considered a sure thing, a revival of the show. It worked, and for a time became the biggest grosser on Broadway, until the Depression finally affected its run. Ziegfeld died that same year.

He always maintained that he had no sense of humor and that he always considered the comedians he hired to be strictly secondary to the famous Ziegfeld Girls. And yet, the comedians who rose to fame in the Follies and other shows he produced may well be his greatest legacy to audiences. Among those who started with Ziegfeld were Will Rogers, Bert Williams, Eddie Cantor, W.C. Fields, Fanny Brice, Leon Errol, Ray Bolger and countless others.

Longtime companion of Anna Held (1897-1913). They never officially married.

Daughter, with Billie Burke: Patricia Ziegfeld Stephenson born 1916.

He loved sending telegrams. On a lark, he had one sent to an actor rehearsing on stage while Ziegfeld himself was watching in the same theater.

Is portrayed by Paul Stewart in W.C. Fields and Me (1976) and William Powell in The Great Ziegfeld (1936) and Ziegfeld Follies (1945), by William Forrest in The Eddie Cantor Story (1953)Walter Pigeon in Funny Girl.

Portrayed by Paul Henreid in Deep in My Heart (1954), William Powell (again) in Ziegfeld Follies (1945), and Walter Pidgeon in Funny Girl (1968).

Always maintained that, as a teenager in an exhibition shooting match, he actually outshot Annie Oakley. Ms. Oakley didn't remember the incident, however, and the story itself is probably apocryphal.

Brother of producer William K. Ziegfeld.

Resided at the Ansonia Hotel, 2109 Broadway, in Manhattan, New York.