Ziegfeld Girls by Alfred Cheney Johnston

Ziegfeld Girls were chorus girls and showgirls from the famous Follies, renowned for their beauty and style. They were admired also for their elegant costumes designed by Lucille (Lady Duff Gordon née Lucy Christiana Sutherland) and Erté (Romain de Tirtoff).Many of their costume jewels would be supplied by Hobé.

The Jazz Age was a period of sophisticated elegance and frivolity with the Follies famous for the many fabulous Flappers bedecked in pearls and paste jewellery. The Jardin de Paris and later The Midnight Frolic would be places for the social elite and young starlets to party to the latest Jazz Tunes entertained by the best comedians, singers and musicians of the time.

Waiting for D'artagnan Peggy Shannon is waiting for D'Artagnan in this photograph inspired by the bedroom scene from 'The Three Musketeers'. Sets designed by Joseph Urban. The production ran from March to December 1928. Based upon the book by Alexandre Dumas, lyrics are accredited to Clifford Grey and P.G Wodehouse. Peggy Shannon was put under contract to Paramount Pictures in 1931 at the same time as Adrienne Ames listed below. Sadly there was no fairy tale ending for this incredible beauty. Click the picture,above, to find out more.

Standing in The Garden of Eden Naomi Johnson is Standing in The Garden of Eden. The backdrop, created by Joseph Urban, is from the Ziegfeld musical 'Miss' of 1917 which was an early opportunity for the young George Gershwin to start rubbing shoulders with the musical greats. Not a great production; it ran for only 72 performances and highlights were probably the sets by Joseph Urban and costumes by Lady Duff Gordon.

Arabesque

Ziegfeld Girl representing Scheherazade in dramatic muscle taught pose against an 'Arabian Nights' backdrop. Joseph Urban designed this set for the Ziegfeld Follies 0f 1927 which featured music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. It also included 'My Blue Heaven' by George Whiting and Walter Donaldson.
You may have seen the Doris Day - James Cagney film 'Love Me Or Leave Me' based upon the life of Ruth Etting, an enchanting chanteuse also starring in the 1927 Follies.

Beauty

Born Adrienne Ruth Mclure August 3rd 1907 she was married and divorced by 18. She took a small part in a film as a stand-in for Pola Negri using her married name Adrienne Truax.
New York 1929 she meets and marries Stephen Ames, millionaire, becoming the belle of New York society. Adrienne Ames was renowned as a real beauty and legend has it that she was contracted to Paramount in 1931 without a screen test. Peggy Shannon was also signed at this time.
Adrienne Ames' career flourished with a string of silent and talking films where she was often cast as a society girl or 'other woman' and has been recognised for her film contributions in 'The Hollywood Walk of Fame' with a star at 1612 Vine Street.
Sadly, she died of cancer on 31 May 1947. She was only 39 years old.

Ziegfeld Girls Picture Index

Arabesque
Beauty
Blue Velvet
Demure
Elegance
Homage
Jazz Age Beauty
Lace
Masquerade
Mirror Mirror
Mythology
Sisters
Sitting Pretty
Spider Spider
Standing in the Garden of Eden
The Recliner
Waiting for D'Artagnan

Ziegfeld Girls by Name

Adrienne Ames
Naomi Johnson
Peggy Shannon
Muriel Finley
Dorothy Flood
Cutter Sisters
Marjorie King
Anna Lee Peterson

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