Stunning, astounding achievement for 1930s Hollywood cinema. An early talkie musical that boasts excellent sound and breathtaking cinematography that points the way to the modern era of movies, including closeups and all sorts of rolling and perspective shots that were new in their time. This adaptation of the legendary Broadway musical (considered the first modern musical) is shortened somewhat to keep it around two hours, so the plot often seems to race through some pretty dramatic events. Veterans from the stage version appear in key roles, including Charlie Winninger as Captain Andy, Paul Robeson as Joe and Helen Morgan as Julie. While there are several cringe-worthy "Negro" moments, including Irene Dunne performing in black face, at the very least Robeson is handled with respect throughout. I must be honest and admit I am not crazy about Dunne as Magnolia, although Allan Jones makes a fine Gaylord Ravenal. I think Universal might have found someone a bit softer around the edges to play Magnolia, as much as I admire most of Dunne's film work. This is an almost perfect movie, and it is amazing that it was shot on back lots. As with Edna Ferber's stories, on which it is based, SHOW BOAT will transport you to another time and place, at least for two hours.
Add a Review
-
ctomvelu16 May 2012
-
I may be a bit partial to the 1951 remake of Show Boat because I saw it first (and liked most of it). Nevertheless, the original 1936 film version of the famous Kern-Hammerstein musical is still good and, yes, probably better than the remake. It does have more fully rounded characters, is a lot more unsentimental, and the story is presented a bit more satisfyingly, (and apparently, more faithfully to the Broadway show). There were four big differences I caught between this version and the remake (Spoilers will be revealed!): 1) Queenie and Joe have bigger roles. 2) After singing "Bill" and seeing Magnolia audition, Julie walks out and does not appear again after that. 3) Magnolia and Gaylord's daughter is born before he leaves, and she grows up and becomes a stage star following in Magnolia's footsteps. 4) Magnolia does not go back to the show boat, instead continuing her singing career, becoming a star. Also Cap'n Andy and Parthy leave the boat and live with her. I guess these just make this one better, (though I did miss Julie's later appearence) and more in the spirit of the stage version. No problem at all with the acting and singing, though I did wish they didn't rush through "Ol' Man River" and "can't Help Lovin' Dat Man." (Paul Robeson and Helen Morgan nevertheless were great!) Also, fine performances from Irene Dunne, Charles Winninger, Hattie McDaniel, and whoever played Parthy. Yes, the scenes wher Magnolia "shuffles" and performs in blackface are a bit uncomfortable, but more in the spirit of the time they were taking place in. All-around a pretty good production. At least equals the remake, but probably tops it. Now I've got to see this show on stage!
-
ccthemovieman-15 August 2006There are a couple of famous, great songs in the opening 15 minutes of this film that hooked me in to watch the entire two-hour film.
I don't think the two-hour production ever wound up matching those early minutes but I still enjoyed it enough to give it "8 stars." Also, I still think it's better than the more-famous 1951 color re-make. It's a shame this 1936 film is not available on DVD, at least at this point here in the U.S.
Funny, but I did not particularly care for the two leading actors voices - Irene Dunne and Allan Jones. They are just two high-pitched for my tastes. I preferred the deep voice of Paul Robeson and was pleasantly surprised how well Hatie McDaniel sang.
The fun part of the film, however, wasn't the music but the story. It's pretty entertaining and a key reason for that was Charles Winniger, who keeps it alive with good humor. All the characters, except for Helen Westley's, are "good guys." and nice to follow. The story has a good mixture of drama, humor, sadness, sentimentality and song.
Also, there is some nice closeup photography with some great facial expressions. Some just make you laugh right out loud.
I am in agreement with those who think "Show Boat" was the best-ever and very good feel-good film. -
Sadly not available yet on DVD, the classic black-and-white 1936 version of the seminal 1927 Oscar Hammerstein-Jerome Kern musical is rarely seen these days since it's been overshadowed by the far more elaborate 1951 MGM color remake (which is on DVD). That's a shame since this one is like a piece of cameo jewelry from a bygone era, a sublimely entertaining piece of Americana so naïve in its approach that its pervasive use of racial stereotypes comes across more as quaint than demoralizing.
Directed by James Whale (the protagonist of 1998's "Gods and Monsters" and most famous for his 1931 classic, "Frankenstein"), it's a multi-generational story that starts with the Hawks family who runs a variety entertainment showboat in the 1880's. The jovial Captain Andy is the boat's impresario who is constantly goaded by his mean-spirited wife Parthy. They have a musically inclined daughter Magnolia who is best friends with the show's star, mulatto chanteuse Julie LaVerne. The local sheriff forces Julie out of the show for being half-black. Andy has Magnolia take her place just as gambler Gaylord Ravenal comes to town and becomes recruited as the show's leading man. Gaylord and Magnolia fall immediately in love, marry, move to Chicago and have a girl they named Kim. There, he gains and loses a fortune and then leaves Magnolia and Kim. Over the years, Magnolia becomes a big stage star and passes the torch to Kim.
The music, of course, is unbeatable with standards, chief among them "Make Believe", "Can't Help Lovin' That Man" and "You Are Love". Even though Irene Dunne was in her late thirties when she made this film, she amazingly gets away with the first half where she plays Magnolia as an ingénue. What's more, she was the rare actress who could act and sing (quite beautifully) at the same time, even when she is required to perform in blackface in "Gallivantin' Around". Allan Jones is a fine singer as Gaylord, though not as interesting an actor especially in the second half when misfortune takes over. When they sing "You Are Love" together, it's still quite magical.
What a treat to be able to see the redoubtable Paul Robeson as Joe singing "Ol' Man River" so powerfully (and filmed with an intriguing montage of woeful images), as well as legendary torch singer Helen Morgan play Julie and perform her signature song, "Bill", so touchingly. Familiar character actor Charles Winninger probably has his best role as Captain Andy, while Hattie McDaniel plays Joe's forceful wife Queenie in a performance as good as her Mammy in "Gone With the Wind". The film is really an intriguing mix of melodrama and great music with socially relevant observations regarding racism, alcoholism and gambling addiction. -
Kalaman1 October 2002What an exquisite and enjoyable film! Along with "The Great Garrick"(1937), "The Old Dark House"(1932) and "The Bride of Frankenstein"(1935), "Show Boat" is one of James Whale's loveliest and most enduring classics. By far, the best "Show Boat" ever captured on film. The plush 1951 MGM remake is a cartoon by comparison.
Like Whale's "The Great Garrick," the film is a delicate, self-reflexive study about the entrancing possibilities of the theater, or for that matter acting. Acting as a metaphor for life. One of delights of "Show Boat" is that it does not avoid depicting either the joy of make-belief (the basis of the theater) or its inevitable heartbreak. In this regard, it invites comparison to Jean Renoir's exquisite "French Cancan"(1955), another back stage musical that understands, accepts, and celebrates the difficulties and ultimately the magic of the theater.
In addition to being an honest and frank celebration of miscegenation, "Show Boat" is also a genuinely felt evocation of a stage actress (wonderfully played by Irene Dunne in one of her greatest performances ever), who goes from a stagestruck teen to a mature woman seriously dealing with the consequences of a marriage to a gambler(played by the occasionally bland Allan Jones).
Paul Robeson's extraordinary, melodious rendition of "Ol' Man River" is the highlight of the film, occasioning in great and inventive montage sequence.
A great film. -
When we talk about adaptions of Show Boat for the screen, we talk first about this one and then the others. If for no other reason than it gives us a chance to see three of the original performers from the original Broadway cast, Charles Winninger, Helen Morgan, and Francis X. Mahoney. Their performances on stage and on the screen became career roles for each.
Also Allan Jones and Irene Dunne are as perfect a Gaylord Ravenal and Magnolia Hawkes as you'll ever find. Irene was THE Jerome Kern girl on the silver screen, she was lucky to be in three musical adaptions of his shows, this one and Roberta and Sweet Adeline. His songs and her voice seem to be made for each other.
Ravenal's part is one of the most difficult to do in musicals. In the 1951 Show Boat Howard Keel sang wonderfully, but he projects too strong an image for the part. Gaylord Ravenal is a charming, but a very weak character. Allan Jones was the one who really got it right and it's on Ravenal's performance that the whole plot of the show turns on. He really rings true in Hattie McDaniel's assessment of him as the kind of gentlemen it's a pleasure to wait on.
James Whale as director really captures the spirit of 20 years on each side of the turn of the last century with warts and all. Show Boat as a play was bold in its day in tackling racism and miscegenation. Even when this was produced first in 1927 there were still miscegenation laws on the books. He gave Helen Morgan the career role she was most identified with.
Helen Morgan personified the phrase torch singer. From 1927 until this film she had descended into alcoholism and five years from this film she would have passed away from the effects of same. She had a career in Hollywood as well as Broadway and this was her final effort. How fortunate we are to have a filmed record of her performance and her singing of Can't Help Lovin' That Man and Bill.
Ravenal and Magnolia are given three great ballads to sing, classics all, Make Believe and You Are Love and Why Do I Love You. The first two are sung by Jones and Dunne and the third was eliminated from the film although it is heard on the soundtrack. Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein wrote another song I Have the Room Above which is also a most charming duet.
Of course no discussion of Show Boat is complete without Paul Robeson and Ol' Man River. Believe it or not Robeson wasn't in the original Broadway cast. The Broadway opening was delayed and Robeson had some other contractual commitments in 1927. Another black baritone concert singer named Jules Bledsoe introduced Ol' Man River, arguably the greatest song Jerome Kern ever wrote. It became a signature song for Paul Robeson in both stage performances of Show Boat and in this film. His presence in singing Ol' Man River is another reason for this being the greatest Show Boat of all.
Robeson also has a duet with Hattie McDaniel in I Still Suits Me another song Kern and Hammerstein wrote for this film. It's a nice comedy duet. In fact I would say that Show Boat and Annie Get Your Gun are the two shows with the most hit songs in them ever written.
Show Boat is a grand American classic. Somewhere as I write this review there is a company performing right now on this planet. It will be so for generations to come. -
This film begins several years after the Civil War with a Mississippi River show boat called the Cotton Blossom arriving on the docks of a town in Mississippi. Although its appearance causes quite a sensation trouble develops back stage when a local sheriff arrives and levels a charge of miscegenation against the leading actress "Julie LaVerne" (Helen Morgan). Fortunately, she and her husband "Steven Baker" (Donald Cook) manage to successfully evade the charge but they are forced to leave the show boat for reasons of racial prejudice. This creates an opening in the play which is then filled by a river boat gambler by the name of "Gaylord Ravenal" (Allan Jones) and a young woman named "Magnolia Hawks" (Irene Dunne) who happens to be the daughter of the man who owns the show boat. Not long afterward both Gaylord and Magnolia become attracted to one another which causes great concern with Magnolia's mother "Parthy Ann Hawks" (Helen Westley) who disapproves of Gaylord due to fears that he is unreliable. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that I thought that this was a splendid musical-comedy which managed to capture the Mississippi Delta area remarkably well. It also featured several good songs with my two favorites being "Old Man River" and "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man". Along with that, I especially enjoyed the performance of Hattie McDaniel (as "Queenie") who was absolutely hilarious. Likewise, Paul Robeson (as "Joe") and the aforementioned Irene Dunne also performed quite well. On the flip side, however, I should mention that there are some scenes which are definitely not politically correct in this day and age so there may be some who might be offended. Be that as it may, I liked this film and have rated it accordingly. Above average.
-
B2418 June 2006I was too young to see this version until well after the 1951 one had fixed a certain standard in my brain. It took a TCM rerun to open my eyes. Mind you, I still like the 1951 production very well indeed, but there is a depth of story, song, and character in this one that makes it overall the better of the two (and the "best" of a larger lot).
First, you have Paul Robeson and Helen Morgan. Both are icons who needed no dubbing no matter where or when they sang standards like "Old Man River" and "Just My Bill." Then there is Hattie McDaniel in a role largely skipped in the 1951 movie. And a greater selection of minor songs prevails as well. Indeed, the inclusion of many black people who are missing from the later film give it a unique richness.
Black and white never looked so good. -
gavin694212 September 2016Despite her mother's objections, the naive young daughter of a show boat captain is thrust into the limelight as the company's new leading lady.
Although musicals are not really my thing, I feel like this one was pretty good. Directed by the legendary James Whale and written by Edna Ferber (who grew up five miles from my house), it is a wonderful tale with a great cast. A mostly unknown cast today, but that may be a good thing.
The most interesting thing is the race factor. On one occasion, there is a stance for interracial marriage. At least, sort of. And the black actors, while still playing stereotypical parts, are given some great songs. Allegedly Paul Robeson's role was expanded just for him. But there is also a blackface number, so it is hard to say this is a completely enlightened film. -
The BEST version ever of the musical. It follows a show boat and the family that runs it through three generations concentrating on Magnolia (Irene Dunne) and her husband Ravenel (Allen Jones).
Some people have complained that Dunne's high-pitched singing voice is TOO high-pitched...they're not completely wrong. Still she sings in tune and her "Make Believe" duet with Jones is just great. Actually all the songs are great and belted out by the cast--highlights are "Can't Help Lovin' That Man", "Bill" and the great Paul Robeson doing "Old Man River". The movie also is very faithful to the stage play--it has almost all the songs and manages to fit a 3 hour play into a 2 hour film. The last section with Kim seems rushed but that's understandable.
Dunne is just great as Magnolia--very sweet and lovable. The only strange point is her dancing to "Can't Help..."--the dress is way too constricting and she has a strange look on her face. Jones is wooden but but has a wonderful singing voice. Helen Morgan was taken from the stage show to recreate Julie. She stops the movie TWICE with "Can't Help..." and "Bill". She has a beautiful voice and is a superb actress. Her character disappears completely halfway through...but it's the same in the stage play. In the book her character ends up working in a house of prostitution--there was NO way they could have gotten that on the screen back in 1936! Everybody else is great and the movie moves very quickly.
It's much better than the 1950s version. The 50s version IS in color and opens with a great number...but most of the singing is overdubbed, the story is brutally cut down and "Can't Help..." is thrown away!
This has it all over that one. Also director James Whale reportedly liked this one above all his other films--he did a few other little films like "Frankenstein" and "Bride of Frankenstein"! Beautiful songs, some truly lovely photography (the moonlight scenes on top of the showboat are dreamlike) and a quick story. Just simply one of the great Hollywood musicals. A must see! -
rdoyle2913 October 2017The second film version of the musical based on Edna Ferber's novel stars Irene Dunne as the daughter of a show boat captain who falls in love with a gambler and marries him, suffering through hard times as a result. Although James Whale might seem like an odd choice to direct this, he does a pretty amazing job, and you can see that he brings the same outsider sensibility that he brought to the "Frankenstein" films. By modern standards, the treatment of the black characters will hardly seem enlightened (Dunne even has a musical number in black face), but by the standards of 1936 it actually was. The film got a special dispensation from the Hayes Office to keep the miscegenation plot line in the film, and the film very decidedly defends mixed race marriages. Paul Robeson's shiftless, lazy black man character is not enlightened, but Robeson brings this character to vivid life and he's clearly one of the most sympathetic and memorable characters in the film. As a musical, it suffers from the sort of overly operatic singing you get in a lot of films from this period, but it has great songs and is a pretty compelling drama on its own terms.
-
I had seen the 1951 version of Show Boat many times and I liked the movie a lot. Then, when I was about 30, I finally saw the Whale version of Show Boat and it was a revelation.
The '51 version has a much bigger budget and more sophisticated production values than the '36 version AND it boasted the talents of the incomparable Marge and Gower Champion and Joe E. Brown BUT...
The 1936 version is superior as both a movie and as a musical. While Ava Gardener is fine as Julie in the '51 version she is a poor second to the immortal Helen Morgan in the same role, a role which she had played, to great acclaim, on Broadway. Morgan IS Julie, world weary and melancholy yet determined to press on. It is a performance so charismatic that, once seen, cannot be forgotten. The same can be said for a very young Irene Dunne's effortless turn as Magnolia, the show's central character.
And what can be said of the great Paul Robeson that hasn't already been said? His "Ol Man River" is, quite simply, one of the best performances in the history of film or Broadway. The quality of his performance cannot be described - it must be seen and heard. Splendid and magnificent and so much more, Robeson will "own" that song forevermore. Oscar Hammerstein himself said that Robeson had taken the song away from him and had given it to the ages. One could not have higher praise than that.
Still, the movie isn't perfect. It suffers from the rewrite necessary to remove the more salient script points of the Broadway production that were forced upon the producers. Remember, this was 1936 and race relations were almost a taboo subject. That the "myscegenation" (race mixing) scene is almost wholly intact is a miracle. That much of the play's other less subtle references to race were left out is a shame but understandable given the times. And, it must be said, the 1936 production is FAR bolder than the 1951 version.
All movie versions suffer when compared against the Kern/Hammerstein original and they (both the play and the movies) are a far cry from Edna Ferber's wonderful but overwritten book. See the movie for what it is - the best that could be done in 1936 AND a showcase for two of the most remarkable talents in the history of entertainment, Paul Robeson and Helen Morgan. -
JoeytheBrit21 April 2020The naive daughter of the owner of a showboat marries a likeable young man who has a secret gambling problem. Enjoyable musical in which the deep-voiced Paul Robeson stands out amongst the high-pitched warbling of his singing co-stars, particularly when belting out the legendary Ol' Man River. The film also boasts some fine comic moments - best of which is Charles Winninger acting out the rest of a play that is abruptly curtailed when a drunken audience member tries to shoot the leading man. Irene Dunne just isn't a good fit as the innocent young daughter, though, and things get a little too sentimental in the final reel.
-
Ishallwearpurple16 May 2013Show Boat (1936) Irene Dunne, Allan Jones, Charles Winniger, Paul Robeson, Helen Morgan. Awful version of the play. Dunne is okay but what's with that shufflin' dance she does. And the black-face part of the show is disturbing and bad. Morgan may be famous for her rendition of "My Bill" but it is staged and acted better by Ava Gardner in the '51 version. And what is that warble in Jones voice. Sounds like he can not hold a note. Howard Keel is a much more dashing Ravenal. And sings better too. Of course, Kathryn Grayson is more age appropriate as Nolie. Childlike in the beginning, she is wonderful in "Make Believe" with Keel. Robeson is fine as Joe, but I heard him many times on radio when I was growing up singing "Old Man River" so it was a treat to see how it was filmed in this version. And this one does age the characters as in the original play, which is fine. But I like the '51 version much more, and the final scene with Ava blowing a kiss to the Show Boat and Nolie always has me in tears. This one has a fade out with Gay and Nolie together again at the theater watching their daughter - all grown up and a stage success. Not nearly as affecting, at least to me. 5/10
-
Steeber26 September 1999No question that this is the Show Boat with soul. The '51 version has some lovely chorus numbers, including a beautiful opening sequence, but it is entirely safe and a predictable piece of MGM-dom.
On this 1936 version, I found myself thinking "There isn't a dull moment in this thing".
The pacing is fast and most unsentimental. The editing is so curt as to be almost surreal, and songs are suddenly launched out of nowhere, which is curiously satisfying. To be truthful, the film's strongest cohesive stretch is its first third, after which the story-telling becomes a bit rushed (presumably) to keep the film to a tolerable length. Hattie McDaniel and Paul Robeson are magical. McDaniel's first scene is positively electric and Robeson is given to a pleasant, warm demeanor, and both he and McDaniel seem surprisingly modern during a time in which blacks were seldom portrayed as such, especially in a mixed cast.
Charles Winninger shows his Vaudeville roots here, and he does a most riveting take on the Show Boat stage, portraying a melodrama for two. His timing is perfect, and his energy is inspiring throughout the picture.
Magnolia's blackface peregrinations do ring true to the time (more 1870's, than 1930's), but the wince-worthy scenes are more those of the black river boat hands who must constantly be shown bucking and winging their way to the irresistible music, eyes rolling.
The ending has some satisfaction to it, and is lightened considerably by the fact that Gaylord Ravinal is not completely humiliated by story's end. This last scene must have somehow anticipated "A Star Is Born", with undying love and honor being its undercurrent theme.
George Gershwin once stated on network radio that Kern's [Show Boat] score was the finest light opera in American history. It may still be. Just the bridge to "Only Make Believe" is heart stopping stuff. -
juanandonly1219 June 2007This movie is a wonderful stage-to-screen musical film. It stuck to the original musical play and had wonderful stars. Irene Dunne as the young innocent Magnolia Hawks, Allan Jones as the charming gambler Gaylord Ravenal, Charles Winninger as Cap'n Andy Hawks, Paul Robenson as Joe, and Helen Morgan, in the role she originated on stage, as Julie LaVerne. This film is a musical drama with comedy and racial references. This film is a great musical about racial differences and the reactions of people, back then, with different races. That is what makes this film a landmark musical and also one of AFI's 100 Years of Musicals and was #24 out of 25 musicals. This version of "Show Boat" is known to be the best movie version of all three movie versions. The 1929 version was not done very well because it was a very early talkie and the numbers weren't heard correctly. The 1951 version was much too sanitized and it took out the value of the whole show. "Show Boat" is a very entertaining and beautiful film.
-
funkyfry23 February 2008This was my second time through with this version of Oscar Hammerstein and Jerome Kern's classic stage adaptation of Edna Ferber's "Show Boat." Last time I mostly enjoyed just the musical aspects and I was disappointed that director James Whale kept the camera intimate so much of the time and didn't have more of an epic sensibility. This time around I enjoyed Whale's direction much more; there's those startling montages of faces, and the intimacy of his camera in general reinforces the story's drama. The characters here have substance because of it -- look at the expression on Joe's (Paul Robeson) face while Julie (Helen Morgan) and her husband Steve (Donald Cook) are being accused of miscegenation and specifically when the husband talks about "negro blood." It's one of the most powerful scenes in the play and it's handled really well here. One aspect that interests me is that it's placed into the context of a terribly cheesy melodrama scene that Julie and Steve are playing while Cap'n Andy (Charles Winninger) directs them. In the middle of the scene someone slips Steve the news and he whispers it to Julie, who breaks down and cannot finish the scene. The way Hammerstein set this up makes the subsequent "miscegenation" scene even more startling, particularly to contemporary audiences of the 20s and 30s, because a drama with a story of this type would never have been presented on a showboat. So there's a strong feeling of irony in the scene; it also introduces perhaps the show's major theme -- entertainment or the play itself as a perverted version of reality, and vice a versa. "Show Boat" is heightened melodrama -- an attempt to use melodramatic conventions (most importantly, the self-sacrifice of Julie's career) to make a comment on the artifice of how we live our lives. Consider that this was the first play in Broadway history to feature black and white actors singing together on stage, and at the same time makes a melodramatic device out of the concept of interracial marriage. This was an extremely provocative play, and Hammerstein obviously oversaw the production of this film as well because it's quite liberal for its time in how it depicts black characters in general (the blackface scene being a very unfortunate and hard to explain exception).
Whale was very liberal also, and I think he captured a lot of the transgressive racial humor of the play, as well as the majesty of Robeson singing "Old Man River" placed against the context of a startling montage of slave labor images. For preserving Robeson in this performance this movie is an irreplaceable classic if for no other reason. Even more popular with contemporary audiences, and equally a treat for fans of classic Broadway, is the nice version of Helen Morgan singing her torch song "Bill." She is the definitive Julie; she brings sensitivity and grace to the performance that just breaks your heart. Paul Robeson and Hattie McDaniel are hilarious fun, I love their patter number (written for the film, I believe). Charles Winninger is hilarious, again the original and definitive Cap'n Andy; his scene where he finishes the play for the audience after the actors run away is knock-down funny. You'll see the frightening visage of Charles Middleton of "Ming the Merciless" fame as the sheriff. Irene Dunne and Allan Jones are in my opinion very excellently cast in their roles. Jones has a tough role, a guy who leaves his wife and kid but you're still supposed to feel sorry for -- kind of like Billy Bigelow in "Carousel" except not as harsh.
Hammerstein had a thing for protagonists with traits that are hard to forgive -- another example would be Nellie Forbush's racism in "South Pacific." Hammerstein condemned racism his entire life, and he didn't just avoid showing racism in his plays, instead he put it out there as a theme and exposed it for its weaknesses and inhumanity. The original version of the play doesn't say "Darkies" work on the Mississippi, it says the dreaded "N" word. And he used it because he wanted to provoke thought and discussion, not because anything in the play or in the lyric suggests racism. Certainly various aspects of the film's depiction of black people could be considered offensive today, but this 1936 version overseen by Whale and Hammerstein is actually less racially offensive IMHO than the 51 version by MGM. In the MGM version all the black roles are reduced from what they are here, the Queenie character and the Joe character aren't nearly as well developed and the lyrics are further changed again to be even less provocative in various places. Just watch the way the scene at the very beginning with Queenie and Pete is handled -- in the 36 version Queenie (Hattie McDaniel) talks back to Pete and refuses to give him the jewelry or tell him who gave it to her ("ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies!"). In the 51 version, he simply snatches it off her body as she cowers in fear.
Also I want to single out Kern's score; he's one of the greats and this is his masterpiece, even better than anything Richard Rodgers ever did with Hammerstein.
This is the version people should seek out and watch for so many reasons. So many members of the original cast, a more faithful version of the script written by Hammerstein himself, plus the dance scenes in this one are actually appropriate to the period and not just big random extravaganzas of athletic 50s movie dancing. Hopefully this will be released soon on DVD so everyone can see "Show Boat" the way it should be seen. The original play is gone forever but this film is a testament to its uniqueness and innovation, and a stunning piece of cinema from James Whale as well. -
durby-3194630 December 2019I have never understood why IMD has this 1936 version rated higher than the 1951 version. Although a solid film with Irene Dunn, it's a pale comparison to MGM's 1951 version with Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel and, Marge and Gower Champion.
-
tjfishstix24 June 2005Show Boat was an excellent movie. The best performances are by Charles Winninger, Queenie Smith, and Sammy White as Captain Andy, Ellie, and Frank. The musical numbers are also wonderful, especially "Goodbye, My Lady Love", "Can't Help Loving That Man", and "Make Believe". This movie is far better than its 1929 predecessor and its 1951 remake. Although Irene Dunne and Allen Jones felt director James Whale was an inappropriate choice as director for this movie, because he was British, the fact that he was an outsider and could therefore view the work from a different dimension was arguably one of the film's best assets. I highly recommend this movie for people over the age of ten (younger children, although may enjoy the music, may be frightened or bored).
-
HotToastyRag1 January 2021My heart will always lie with the 1951 remake of Show Boat, but I'm still glad I went back and watched the original a couple of years ago. It made me appreciate all the changes the remake made! All kidding aside, if you love Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein's music as much as I do, you'll want to watch both versions.
Instead of Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel showing off their beautiful voices and great chemistry, Irene Dunne and Allan Jones don't even appear to like each other very much. Irene is the daughter of a show boat captain, Charles Winninger (reprising his Broadway role). Her mother, Helen Westley, doesn't want her daughter cavorting with riff raff actors. When a drifter (Allan) gets picked up and put in the show, Irene can't help falling for him. You'll still get to hear all the great songs, but the movie doesn't have the same oomph as the remake. It's not just Technicolor that adds to the excitement; it's the only version that changes the story from Edna Ferber's novel - for the better!
The highlights in the original include Paul Robeson's rendition of "Ol' Man River" and a couple of songs that weren't included in the remake. Anyone want to hear Hattie McDaniel sing? She sings a duet with Paul Robeson, and assists Helen Morgan in the chorus of "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man." I was glad to see Helen Morgan in a film, since I'd seen the 1957 biopic of her life; Show Boat was her last movie. If you're going to see the highlights, you're going to have to sit through the lowlights, which are some ridiculously embarrassing racial scenes, including Irene Dunne giving a performance in blackface. See what I mean about sticking with the remake? -
James Whale's outstanding 1936 film version of "Show Boat" is indeed a musical film that others must aspire to.His slick direction brings out not only the pathos of the piece,but the humor and dramatic chemistry as well.As with most screen adaptations of Broadway musicals there are some missing songs.Most sorely missed is Ravanal's stirring 'Till Good Luck Comes My Way" and Queenie's haunting "Misery's Comin Around",but even with these omissions its a great film.
Hammerstein's script is full of meaning and power.The cast is up for the chalanging subject matter. Original broadway cast members Charles Winninger as Capn Andy and Helen Morgan as Julie along with the London Joe,the legendary Paul Robeson, win best of film honors. Winninger's Andy is full of comedic humor well balanced with quiet tenderness.Morgan as Julie,although past her prime still commands the stage emotionally as the tragic Julie, and Robeson gives us a well layered performance as the easy going,but wise Joe. His "Old Man River" still sends chills down one's spine.
The rest of the cast is no less polished. Allan Jones and Irene Dunne as the central figures,Ravanal and Nola create a wondeful bond. their chemistry,both vocal and emotional is right on the mark.Hattie McDaniel is a delightful Queenie and shines in her partnership with Robeson (particularly in their duet,'Ah Still Suits Me").
The themes of Hammersteins' script still are valid today,Racisim,Spousal abandonment,Bigotry and Financial Hardship. This is what makes this film a classic.It still has something to say in today's so called "advanced" society. -
SAMTHEBESTEST7 January 2022Show Boat (1936) : Brief Review -
This most faithful remake of a socially important novel floats safely on good musicals but sinks towards the climax. James Whale was by far a well known director by 1936 and he was almost done with his monster classics that are still called Iconic films (including my personal opinion). He had tried his hands in different genres and I am not sure how successful he was. In the romance genre, the best work of his I remember is 'Waterloo Bridge' (1931) and after that, I guess, Show Boat is his most known/loved film in this romance genre. I hate to say this but it drags. Almost sinks while trying to reach the shore by moving round and round again at the same place. It has so many long-time events passing like in-a-minute and it all ends up being just like a forced happy ending. Yes I agree it holds the social importance of racial prejudice but the tragic romance it tries to show is too weak. Those two people leave their wives just like that, I mean, no hard stuff man. And then reunion at the end as if nothing really happened for years. Was it a child's game to abandon the wife and daughter? Or was he not smart enough to understand the need for money before when he was making good dough? It all went illogical for me. Anyways, I loved the musical numbers and the beautiful romance they offer in the first half of the film. The performances are good too. Irene Dunne, Allan Jones, Helen Morgan, Charles Winninger and Helen Westley are among the noteworthy names here. Whale had such fab films one after another till 1935, it's just so annoying to know that he decided to remake this story which had been controversial almost a decade ago. It was too late, I mean to go for a racism topic by then because many silent era films had done it way back in the 1910s decade only. Anyways, he tried and made a somewhat watchable flick and that's fairly enough. Overall, a decent film for all but has a bit more for the musical lovers.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest. -
jim-34417 March 2009Having read Ferber's novel and seen both the 1936 and 1951 cinema versions, as well as the live theater revival of the late 1990s (saw it in Boston) I can say that the 1936 film has captured the true spirit of Ferber's original intention. She was trying to illustrate, through the vehicle of "show-biz" as reflected in the circa 1885-1927 biographies of players and owners of a river showboat, the changing American scene, including race relations, the institution of marriage, unemployment, alcoholism, paternal/spousal obligations, etc. The most glaring change from the novel, is that in Ferber's book, Gaylord deserts Nolie in Chicago and never surfaces again. Hammerstein's libretto has the two reconcile. The 1936 film is more true to Ferber's intention, since it is uncertain regarding the effects of Gaylord re-entry into Nolie and Kim's life. The 1951 film has Gaylord fully integrated with the life aboard the Cotton Blossom, though the time frame is quite fuzzy in this version. We might assume that Gaylord and Nolie somehow resume their relationship, but in 1936, the re-union aboard the Cotton Blossom is left up in the air.
I believe that Edna Ferber was still around to have some in-put or oversight for the 1936 film, but it is unlikely she would have approved of the liberties taken in 1951---including the absurdly huge Titanic-proportioned Cotton Blossom of the later film. The showboat in the novel was barely large enough to contain some crew cabins for family and cast and a central theater seating perhaps a couple of hundred guests per night at most. -
snelling19 September 2018This is one of the worst musicals I have ever seen. I don't mind old-timey racism a la "Gone With the Wind" or "Song of the South" but no one ever mentions this pile of garbage and the talk of "darkies" throughout. The only decent song was "Old Man River" and I enjoyed that small part. The women shuffling during "That Man of Mine" were embarrassing. I defy anyone to watch this for the first time and enjoy it. After all the four-star reviews I have heard for many years, I cannot believe I had to force myself to watch the whole thing. I am now still watching it and am now at the blackface part. Kill me now. Gallivanting around.
-
Superb casting, wonderful music, and simple but literate dialogue. Paul Robeson's rendition of Old Man River is captivating, and this film is the only time I've heard the second stanza of the song which I'm sure many people would feel is not politically correct for our day. This really is an elegant production.