Summary
In 1890, the Show Boat is a paddleboat which transports a troupe of
talented performers from town to town along the Mississippi
River. When he learns that his singer, Julie, is of mixed
race, Andy Hawks, the boat’s owner, has no choice but to dismiss her
and replace her with his daughter, Nollie. The latter attracts
the attention of Gaylord Ravenal, a playboy gambler who decides to join
the Show Boat so that he can be near to Nollie. The couple marry
but within no time Gaylord loses his entire fortune through his
gambling. He abandons Nollie, not knowing that she is pregnant
with his child...
Review
The third screen adaptation of Edna Ferber’s celebrated stage play is
the most visually impressive, shot in glorious Technicolor with some
stunning location sequences featuring a specially constructed full-size
paddleboat. Although the film is less highly regarded than the
second (also a musical, made by Universal Pictures in 1936) it is an
enchanting work, with glorious renditions of the songs written by
Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein for the Broadway musical, first
performed in 1927. The highpoint is the Ol’ Man River sequence, which has a
visual and aural poetry of its own, vividly setting the film in its
geographic and historical context.
The Afro-American singer-actress Lena Horne was considered for the part of Julie, but studio bosses were reluctant to offer such a major role to a non-white performer and so Ava Gardner was cast instead. For similar reasons, the themes of racial intolerance and inter-racial marriage which were central to the original play, are significantly toned down, so as not to cause offence to a contemporary American audience.
Although Gardner was to have sung all of her songs, her vocal work was judged to be unsatisfactory and so her songs were dubbed by Annette Warren, although Gardner’s rendition made it onto a soundtrack album. Despite being one of MGM’s most highly regarded musicals, the film won no Academy Awards, although it was nominated in two categories (Best Cinematography and Best Musical Score).
The Afro-American singer-actress Lena Horne was considered for the part of Julie, but studio bosses were reluctant to offer such a major role to a non-white performer and so Ava Gardner was cast instead. For similar reasons, the themes of racial intolerance and inter-racial marriage which were central to the original play, are significantly toned down, so as not to cause offence to a contemporary American audience.
Although Gardner was to have sung all of her songs, her vocal work was judged to be unsatisfactory and so her songs were dubbed by Annette Warren, although Gardner’s rendition made it onto a soundtrack album. Despite being one of MGM’s most highly regarded musicals, the film won no Academy Awards, although it was nominated in two categories (Best Cinematography and Best Musical Score).
© filmsdefrance.com 2009
Write a review for this film...User Comments
Useful links
- Best French films of 2011
- Best French films of the 2000s
- Best of the French New Wave
- Best of French film comedy
- The best 100 French films
- The most successful French films
- Great French filmmakers
Related links
- Other American films of the 1950s
- The best American films of the 1950s
- Other American romantic films
- The best American romantic films
- Biography and films of George Sidney
To buy this film
Check DVD and Blu-ray availability:
Credits
- Director: George Sidney
- Script: John Lee Mahin, Oscar Hammerstein II, Edna Ferber, Jack McGowan, George Wells
- Photo: Charles Rosher
- Music: Jerome Kern
- Cast: Kathryn Grayson (Magnolia Hawks), Ava Gardner (Julie LaVerne), Howard Keel (Gaylord Ravenal), Joe E. Brown (Cap’n Andy Hawks), Marge Champion (Ellie May Shipley), Gower Champion (Frank Schultz), Robert Sterling (Steve Baker), Agnes Moorehead (Parthy Hawks), Leif Erickson (Pete), William Warfield (Joe)
- Country: USA
- Language: English
- Runtime: 107 min
Similar films
If you like this film you may also like the following:- A Farewell to Arms (1932)
- The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
- Anchors Aweigh (1945)
- Heaven Can Wait (1943)
- Holiday (1938)
- Holiday Inn (1942)
- How to Steal a Million (1966)
- In a Lonely Place (1950)
- Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
- People Will Talk (1951)
- Rebecca (1940)
- Suspicion (1941)
- They Live by Night (1948)
- Wild River (1960)
To buy Show Boat:

Drama / Musical / Romance






