Show Boat (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
Mississippi Riverboat, the "Cotton Blossom", arrives in a small southern town bringing excitement to the white & black parts of town in MGM's lavish 'Show Boat' (directed by George Sidney, & based on both the original Broadway show & a 1936 film version). Magnolia Hawks (Kathryn Grayson), daughter of the amiable showboat impresario Capt. Andy (Joe E. Brown) & his sourpuss wife Parthy (Agnes Moorehead), falls head over heels for the dashing, if irresponsible gambler Gaylord Ravenal (Howard Keel). When the show's married couple, leading lady Julie (Ava Gardner) & leading man Steve (Robert Sterling), are forced to leave when Julie's mixed race heritage is revealed to the sheriff by a rejected suitor (Leif Erickson), Magnolia & Gaylord assume their vacant stage roles & reap success.
They eventually marry over her mother's stern objections & enjoy marital bliss for a while. After experiencing some heavy gambling losses, however, Gaylord bolts; not knowing that sweet Magnolia is expecting their baby. With the help of her former showboat colleagues (Marge & Gower Champion) and now-tragic Julie, Magnolia gets work as a lowly cabaret singer in Chicago. Her New Year's Eve debut is nearly a bust but is saved by the help of her father, Capt. Andy, who shows up, quells some rowdy hecklers, & guides her through singing a lovely rendition of "After the Ball". Magnolia is accepted back by her father, & returns to the Show Boat. When Gaylord discovers through alcoholic Julie that he has a daughter named Kim, he returns to the fold ... but will he be accepted?
This version of 'Show Boat' - I haven't seen the 1936 film version, but loved seeing it on Broadway in the 1990s revival - is the type of entertainment that I highly enjoy, while still acknowledging its faults. I was surprised (yet not, given the time it was made, 1951) that a lot of the black and/or anti-racism sentiment was missing, here {the character of Queenie is nowhere to be seen!}. To me, that's fairly significant because the racial themes give substance to the story. Also, I am used to the big, upbeat, flashy versions of the songs sung from the Broadway revival. In this movie, everything is well-sung, but in a more low-key way. But my complaints basically end there. This film can be enjoyed for its spectacle, the dancing of Marge & Gower Champion, the amazing Hammerstein/Kern songs ("Ol' Man River", "Can't Help Lovin' That Man", "Make Believe", "Life Upon the Wicked Stage", "Why Do I Love You?", "Bill", etc.) & the performances.
Kathryn Grayson is an absolute doll as our lead actress Magnolia, & her soprano voice reaches the heavens. Howard Keel plays the gambling Gaylord Ravenal with a towering presence, devilish charm, & sings with a soothing baritone. Joe E. Brown is adorable & a hoot as peerless Capt. Andy. I love the way he looked adoringly at his daughter. And his joyous "HAPPPPy New Year!" makes me smile. Agnes Moorehead henpecks away as Andy's loving wife/Magnolia's concerned mama. But best of all is Ava Gardner who plays Julie - especially in the 2nd half of the film - with a real downbeat, tragic lilt. The way she holds herself, the way she sings, and that final shot of her as she blows the "Cotton Blossom" a probable last kiss goodbye brought tears to my eyes. Such a sad, but lovely moment.
Two other things bear mentioning. 1) One of the most powerful scenes in the entire film is when black stevedore Joe (William Warfield) bellows out his "Ol' Man River" on the banks of the muddy river in the misty dawn. His face, his voice, the way in which the sequence was photographed ... movie magic. I had tears streaming down my face. If only the rest of the movie had that unabashed magic. 2) Lena Horne was originally considered to play Julie because, well, she was a beauty, she was a fantastic singer, and she was ... part black. Perfect, right? Not so. MGM balked at it & hired her good friend Ava Gardner for the role instead. The two actresses were great friends, so no hard feelings ... but still. That's those wacky politically incorrect days of early Hollywood for ya.
'Show Boat' hits all the right notes, literally & figuratively, without being an artistic masterpiece. I mean, the singing is solid. The performances are good-to-very good. The Technicolor production is as grand as MGM could produce. The film chose to focus on the glamour & romance of the era of the Mississippi River gamblers (and not the meaty racial themes). The period designs & costumes are terrific; not to mention the amazing full-sized show boat with belching smokestacks to boot -- what a beauty! This warm American musical comedy was accepted by most critics of the time & was a box office success; paving the way for such musicals like Singin' in the Rain to be made. I enjoyed this movie greatly. I just wish it could have been more thematically potent & sung with a little more pizzazz.
They eventually marry over her mother's stern objections & enjoy marital bliss for a while. After experiencing some heavy gambling losses, however, Gaylord bolts; not knowing that sweet Magnolia is expecting their baby. With the help of her former showboat colleagues (Marge & Gower Champion) and now-tragic Julie, Magnolia gets work as a lowly cabaret singer in Chicago. Her New Year's Eve debut is nearly a bust but is saved by the help of her father, Capt. Andy, who shows up, quells some rowdy hecklers, & guides her through singing a lovely rendition of "After the Ball". Magnolia is accepted back by her father, & returns to the Show Boat. When Gaylord discovers through alcoholic Julie that he has a daughter named Kim, he returns to the fold ... but will he be accepted?
This version of 'Show Boat' - I haven't seen the 1936 film version, but loved seeing it on Broadway in the 1990s revival - is the type of entertainment that I highly enjoy, while still acknowledging its faults. I was surprised (yet not, given the time it was made, 1951) that a lot of the black and/or anti-racism sentiment was missing, here {the character of Queenie is nowhere to be seen!}. To me, that's fairly significant because the racial themes give substance to the story. Also, I am used to the big, upbeat, flashy versions of the songs sung from the Broadway revival. In this movie, everything is well-sung, but in a more low-key way. But my complaints basically end there. This film can be enjoyed for its spectacle, the dancing of Marge & Gower Champion, the amazing Hammerstein/Kern songs ("Ol' Man River", "Can't Help Lovin' That Man", "Make Believe", "Life Upon the Wicked Stage", "Why Do I Love You?", "Bill", etc.) & the performances.
Kathryn Grayson is an absolute doll as our lead actress Magnolia, & her soprano voice reaches the heavens. Howard Keel plays the gambling Gaylord Ravenal with a towering presence, devilish charm, & sings with a soothing baritone. Joe E. Brown is adorable & a hoot as peerless Capt. Andy. I love the way he looked adoringly at his daughter. And his joyous "HAPPPPy New Year!" makes me smile. Agnes Moorehead henpecks away as Andy's loving wife/Magnolia's concerned mama. But best of all is Ava Gardner who plays Julie - especially in the 2nd half of the film - with a real downbeat, tragic lilt. The way she holds herself, the way she sings, and that final shot of her as she blows the "Cotton Blossom" a probable last kiss goodbye brought tears to my eyes. Such a sad, but lovely moment.
Two other things bear mentioning. 1) One of the most powerful scenes in the entire film is when black stevedore Joe (William Warfield) bellows out his "Ol' Man River" on the banks of the muddy river in the misty dawn. His face, his voice, the way in which the sequence was photographed ... movie magic. I had tears streaming down my face. If only the rest of the movie had that unabashed magic. 2) Lena Horne was originally considered to play Julie because, well, she was a beauty, she was a fantastic singer, and she was ... part black. Perfect, right? Not so. MGM balked at it & hired her good friend Ava Gardner for the role instead. The two actresses were great friends, so no hard feelings ... but still. That's those wacky politically incorrect days of early Hollywood for ya.
'Show Boat' hits all the right notes, literally & figuratively, without being an artistic masterpiece. I mean, the singing is solid. The performances are good-to-very good. The Technicolor production is as grand as MGM could produce. The film chose to focus on the glamour & romance of the era of the Mississippi River gamblers (and not the meaty racial themes). The period designs & costumes are terrific; not to mention the amazing full-sized show boat with belching smokestacks to boot -- what a beauty! This warm American musical comedy was accepted by most critics of the time & was a box office success; paving the way for such musicals like Singin' in the Rain to be made. I enjoyed this movie greatly. I just wish it could have been more thematically potent & sung with a little more pizzazz.