Show Boat (1936)
by James Whale
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VHS Tape Cover Information
Actor: Allan Jones, Charles Winninger, Helen Morgan, Irene Dunne, Paul RobesonDirector: James Whale
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language), Analog
Format: Black & White, NTSC
Release Date: 1998-09-01
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: MGM (Video)
Studio: MGM (Video)
VHS Movie Reviews of Show Boat (1936)
Movie Review: Why oh WHY Is This Movie not Available on DVD???
Summary: 5 Stars
Like most people who have posted reviews of this film, I also state most emphatically that it is the best version of the seminal Kern/Hammerstein 1927 musical. Not only does it boast some of the wonderful original Broadway cast, it is more faithful to Ferber's novel than the 1951 version. For those who balked at the film's "happy ending," that was also the way the original stage play was written. In the novel, Nolie finds out second hand that Gaylord has died after being shot in a gambling dispute. Also, Captain Andy dies by falling off the boat and drowning the night Kim is born. With all the other tragedies in the play, can we blame Hammerstein for lightening up the plot somewhat???
All that aside, Irene Dunne is remarkably convincing and sings and acts beautifully as Magnolia (and can that girl shuffle, as Queenie -- the incomparable Hattie McDaniel [the first African-American ever to win an Oscar] -- remarks during "Can't Help Lovin' That Man"). Allan Jones is handsome and charming and more than vocally capable as the ne'er-do-well Gaylord. Helen Morgan tears at your heartstrings as she sings the torch song "Bill." And if anyone can offer a more definitive rendition of "Ol' Man River" than the immortal Paul Robeson, I'd like to hear it!!!
Get this film out on DVD ASAP!!!!!
Summary of Show Boat (1936)
Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II's Showboat, based on Edna Ferber's 1926 novel, is a seminal American musical, the first to explore serious themes (most notably racism) and to truly integrate song with story and character. The plot follows three generations of a theatrical Mississippi riverboat family from the 1880s to the 1920s. The 1936 film version, directed by Englishman James Whale (Frankenstein), is probably the one that best captures the spirit its creators intended. First and foremost, it features Paul Robeson as Joe. His indelible rendition of "Ol' Man River," delivered strong, straight, and without bathos, is a stunningly powerful anthem about the plight of African Americans in the United States. (The song is set against a fascinating expressionist montage in 1930s social realist style.) Other standout performances include torch singer Helen Morgan as Julie, the actress banished from the showboat for her "mixed race" ancestry. Her "Bill" and "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" are simply sublime. Hattie McDaniel (Gone With the Wind) is her usual outrageous self. Irene Dunne (The Awful Truth) is spunky and delightful as Magnolia Ravenal. Her most endearing moment occurs early in the film when she leads the company in a funky cakewalk, swinging her hips with joyful abandon. (She also does a number in blackface!) When Dunne and the narrative leave the riverboat for the big bad city, fame, and heartbreak, the movie loses much of its snap and substance and descends into rather conventional melodrama. Still, this film represents an essential moment in the American musical theater, one not to be missed. --Laura MirskyMusicals & Performing Arts VHS Video
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