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This chapter covers Ziegfeld’s courtship of Burke and her initially ambivalent feelings about him. Their relationship brings out the showman in Ziegfeld, as he tries to prove his devotion through grand gestures. Burke and Ziegfeld share an inclination to overspend, and Burke buys her own estate, Burkeley Crest. Correspondence between Burke and Ziegfeld reveals a vulnerable and desperate side that Ziegfeld rarely showed to women. Ziegfeld and Burke ultimately elope, and the chapter details their first months together. Burke, who is more domestic than Ziegfeld, hopes to make Burkeley Crest their primary residence rather than Ziegfeld’s New York hotel suite. Most of their early days as a married couple are spent apart, due to their respective careers. Burke accepts roles in films, while Ziegfeld remains entrenched in the Follies. Ziegfeld is not done with his philandering ways, however, despite his love for Burke.

The 1912–1913 theater season marks a new chapter in Ziegfeld’s life, both professionally and personally. First, the Follies move to their permanent home at the prestigious New Amsterdam Theatre. The shows are becoming increasingly modern, showcasing the latest dance trends and even setting some of them. Ziegfeld’s personal life reaches its lowest ebb when he becomes embroiled in two fights with Lorraine’s other beaux. Lorraine leaves Ziegfeld’s employ, and their relationship is never again a romantic one. The upturn in Ziegfeld’s personal life occurs when he meets Broadway star Billie Burke. Drawing from Burke’s memoirs, newspaper articles, and daughter Patricia Ziegfeld’s memoir, the chapter details Burke’s history, her rise from London music halls to the Broadway stage, and her immediate infatuation with Ziegfeld. Ziegfeld sees Billie as his new ideal: a girl who combines modernity with old-fashioned charm. This is precisely the combination Ziegfeld wants to use in his shows, and Burke inspires him to continue honing his Follies.

After her husband’s death, Billie Burke reinvents herself in Hollywood. With the moral support of Will Rogers and the professional support of Sam Goldwyn, she becomes a sought-after character actress. Burke agrees to coproduce a new edition of the Follies with Ziegfeld’s former competitors, the Shuberts. The Follies of 1934 boasts former Ziegfeld star Fanny Brice as its primary attraction, as well as a number of up-and-coming talents, including Vincente Minnelli as scenic designer, Bob Hope, Eve Arden, and Buddy Ebsen. Several more Follies followed, the final one in 1957. The chapter includes updates on Ziegfeld’s favorite stars, Will Rogers and Marilyn Miller, and ends with a discussion of MGM’s preliminary plans to produce a biopic on Ziegfeld.

This chapter covers Ziegfeld’s disintegrating physical and mental states and his desperate attempts to revive his career. Ziegfeld’s next endeavor is a zany Bert Lahr musical comedy called Hot-Cha! He has to turn to gangsters for financial backing, including the notorious Waxy Gordon, and the show receives only mediocre reviews. Next, Ziegfeld decides to stage a revival of Show Boat but loses money on the project, despite a positive critical reception. Ziegfeld then agrees to host a radio program that will broadcast songs and skits from the Follies. Burke, meanwhile, agrees to star in a film for David O. Selznick, and Ziegfeld joins his family in Hollywood, even though he is gravely ill with pneumonia. Once in California, he is admitted to a hospital and dies shortly thereafter. Burke receives a phone call at the studio but does not arrive at the hospital in time to say a final good-bye. Burke and Patricia stay with Will Rogers and his wife until they find a small bungalow to live in. Burke, devastated and left alone to manage Ziegfeld’s massive debts, suffers terribly. Will Rogers remarks that Ziegfeld was not just a man but a symbol of a glorious bygone era.

Ziegfeld enters into a partnership with Sam Goldwyn to create a film version of Whoopee with Eddie Cantor as the star. Ziegfeld enjoys certain aspects of filmmaking, especially director Busby Berkeley’s innovative style. Ziegfeld returns to New York with plans for a new show, Smiles, starring Marilyn Miller and Fred and Adele Astaire. The show should have been a hit, but Depression-era audiences find its old-fashioned Cinderella story line uninspired. At the dawn of the 1930s, the revue experiences a resurgence in popularity, with producers like Earl Carroll leading the trend. Ziegfeld decides to produce a new Follies, using nostalgia as its theme. Although the 1931 edition is a moderate success, it is clear Ziegfeld no longer reigns on Broadway. He becomes depressed when he and Burke are separated while she tours with a new play. Ziegfeld’s eccentricities become bizarre during this period; his phobias include red roses, dead flowers, and elephant figurines with their trunks pointing down. The chapter concludes with telegrams between Ziegfeld and Burke discussing Patricia’s care. At this point in Ziegfeld’s life, all he wants is for his family to be together again.

The introduction discusses the myths surrounding Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. and the many conflicting impressions people had—and still have—about him. Commentary from his friends, employees, and critics reveals his multifaceted character. The introduction sets the tone for the entire book and establishes its primary argument: Ziegfeld the man must be separated from Ziegfeld the myth.

The epilogue reiterates the book’s primary argument that Ziegfeld was not the ruthless, womanizing, one-dimensional producer many historians have made him out to be. It reflects on his flaws but focuses more on the unexpectedly tender side of his personality, as shown through his treatment of his daughter, his stars, and his wives. Also discussed is his impact on the image of women in the twentieth century and how his visions changed the popular view of beauty. The innovations Ziegfeld brought to musical theater are reviewed (e.g., integrating song with plot; elevating chorus girls into legitimate actresses; employing a sole songwriter or songwriting team to compose an entire score; and incorporating aspects of different types of musicals, such as the French revue, vaudeville, European operetta, and American book musical, to produce unique shows). The book ends with a statement by Will Rogers asserting that Ziegfeld created a special type of magic that could never be killed.