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ANNA HELD, THE FIRST MRS. ZIEGFELD

© Joyce E. Eberly

When Florenz Ziegfeld met Anna Held in Paris in 1896, she was already an established musical star in France. Ziegfeld was just starting his career as a theatrical impressario, and he saw Held as his entrée into the world of musical theatre. He signed her to a contract to tour the United States. By 1897, the two were married.

First, however, Miss Held had to divorce her first husband, Maximo Carrera, a South American businessman. She also left behind in Paris a daughter, Liane. It wasn't long after her marriage to Ziegfeld that she learned he was a compulsive gambler and deeply in debt. As his wife, she was legally responsible for his debts, which were paid with her earnings. Although she was always publicly described as a Pairisienne, she had a secret dark side (for those times). She was born of Jewish parents in Warsaw, Poland, and emigrated with her parents to France when she was about seven years old.

Her perky French manner and great beauty made her an instant success on the American stage. In her first performance in "A Parlor Match" in New York, she received mostly rave reviews. One reporter was ecstatic about her tiny waist, which she emphasized by enhancing her bosom and padding her hips. Other reviewers described her as "brazen," "sensual," "bawdy," and wanton. These reviews only increased her popularity. Throughout her life, she was described as beautiful and charming. Her tempestuous off-stage life earned her constant publicity.

Ziegfeld was known for his inventive publicity stunts, and one became a legend for Held. He told all the papers, including the penny dreadfuls, that she bathed daily in milk. The story was disproved, so their press agent, R. H. Wallace, persuaded a Brooklyn milkman to sue the Ziegfelds for sixty-four quarts of milk. This legend followed Held until her death.

After the failure of her play, "La Poupee," in which she played a wooden doll, Ziegfeld put her on the vaudeville circuit, where she was a great success. She also appeared in some silent films, but they are lost in the mists of time.

In 1907, she convinced Ziegfeld to produce a series of musical revues, the first of which was the Follies of 1907, based on the Folies-Bergere. This revue starred Held, with a chorus of fifty stunningly beautiful scantily-clad girls. The Follies also featured specialty acts and comedy. One of the featured singers in the first Follies was Nora Bayes who had long been a fixture in vaudeville. One of her most famous songs, which she co-authored with her second husband, Jack Norworth, "Shine On, Harvest Moon," was introduced in the 1907 Follies.

The copyright of the article ANNA HELD, THE FIRST MRS. ZIEGFELD in American Musical Theatre is owned by Joyce E. Eberly. Permission to republish ANNA HELD, THE FIRST MRS. ZIEGFELD in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.