In 1936 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer released a semi-biographical film extravaganza , '' The Great Ziegfeld '' , starring William Powell . He was personally chosen for the role by Billie Burke , who felt that while Powell did not physically resemble her late husband , he possessed the right manner . " What I tried to do primarily was to get across the essential spirit of the man " , Powell later said , " his love for show business , his exquisite taste , his admiration for the beauty of women . He was financially impractical but aesthetically impeccable — a genius in his chosen field . " Nominated for seven Academy Awards , '' The Great Ziegfeld '' received Oscars for Best Picture , Best Actress ( Luise Rainer as Anna Held ) , and Best Dance Direction ( Seymour Felix ) , for the astonishingly opulent production number , " A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody " — one of the most famous musical sequences ever filmed . It was MGM 's most expensive production since '' Ben-Hur '' ( 1925 ) , and it made back twice its cost
Academy Awards
9th Academy Awards
Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.