Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #195039 in DVD
• Format: NTSC
• Running time: 113 minutes

Amazon.com
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 Mirsky

Customer Reviews

As close to the original as we'll get
This film version of "Show Boat," while not perfect, is the best one available. Not only does it follow the story more closely (except for the end) but it also preserves three performances by members of the original Broadway cast -- Sammy White, Charles Winninger, and Helen Morgan. White is very good, his frenetic dancing a highlight, and Winninger is a real winner as Andy. However, Morgan's performance is a revelation -- we get a chance for once to sample a bit of musical theatre history first-hand. She is what Kern and Hammerstein originally intended, a frail, touching, tender Julie, who also sings her songs in the original soprano keys. In addition to this, Irene Dunne as Magnolia is lovely (she took over the role on Broadway from Norma Terris, the original Magnolia), and we are truly lucky to have Paul Robeson's Joe, the original choice for the role. You can hardly get closer to authenticity than this cast, and the entire production was supervised by Kern and Hammerstein themselves. This film is the one to own if you want the best "Show Boat."

Miraculous movie.
I'm grateful now that I saw the Keel-Grayson version from the 1950s
first. Had I seen it after the 1936 version, I'm not sure if I could
have handled the letdown. Remarkably, the recent film based on the
life of James Whale, director of the original
"Frankenstein," made little mention of this film, one
Hollywood's historic achievements. This film has charm, pacing, a
blend of cinematic and musical values, and above all a supreme
performance by one of Hollywood's underrated, virtuosic actresses,
Irene Dunne. Her version of "Can't Help Loving the Man"
came as a revelation, capturing all of the bluesy, folksy charm of the
tune and setting it in the African-American context Kern had in mind.
Those viewers who are so indoctrinated by "political
correctness" as to experience knee-jerk reactions to any
"white" intepretations of the pain/joy of black culture will
simply have to remain content in their segregated righteousness. The
musical is about the integration of the races, and Dunne's
"shuffle dance" celebrates her innocent joy over black
traditions and her assimilation of them, to the approval of those
characters who assumed such music and dance was off-limits to white
folk. The musical is also about the assimilation of musical styles,
and Dunne's rendition of "You Are Love" is a lovely
expression of Kern's operatic, European roots. The only major
disappointment in this fast-paced film is the omission of the
standard, "Why Do I Love You"?

The Definitive Show Boat
Movie musicals in the 1930s still were experimental, but I feel that the "Show Boat" of 1936 was and is still the definitive of all of the versions and revivials. This black and white version is almost a word-to-word reproduction of the stage show, unlike the overrated 1951 version which is choppy and much shorter.

Helen Morgan, the original Julie, reprises her role for the last time. By 1936, Miss Morgan was an alcoholic and performed most of her scenes either leaning or sitting down. Fortunately, her voice was still there, and her renditions of "Can't Help Lovin Dat Man" and "Bill" are breathtaking. Unfortunately, Helen Morgan died an alcoholic in 1940. much like her character of Julie.

Irene Dunne, is magnificant as Magnolia. I truly wish that Dunne would of made more musicals than she did. I believe this is Ms. Dunne's last musical before moving to dramas and light comedies. Allan Jones, the father of Jack Jones, is a bit stiff in his role, but still conveys depth and warmth. Unfortunate stars Paul Robeson and Hattie MacDaniels round out the cast as well. Robeson died in proverty after being branded a Communist, and even though MacDaniels won an Oscar in 1939, she was killed when a car hit her in 1949.

Even with the steller cast, it is the Hammerstein and Kern score that makes "Show Boat" what it is. Even 64 years later, this grand old musical keeps on rolling along...