Show Boat (1951)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

George Sidney

Writers:

John Lee Mahin (screenplay)
Jerome Kern (immortal musical play "Show Boat") ...
(more)

Release Date:

24 September 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

It's NEW!

Plot:

The daughter of a riverboat captain falls in love with a charming gambler, but their fairytale romance is threatened when his luck turns sour.

Plot Keywords:

Riverboat | New Year's Eve | Based On Musical | Christmas | Famous Score

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

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 (as Lief Erickson)
William Warfield	...	Joe
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Boyd Ackerman	...	Chorus boy (uncredited)
Bette Arlen	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
Mary Bezemes	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Carol Brewster	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Peter Camlin	...	Croupier (uncredited)
Sue Casey	...	New Year's Eve Cutie (uncredited)
Chick Chandler	...	Joe - Trocadero stage assistant (uncredited)
Linda Christian	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
Sheila Clark	...	Kim Ravenal, age 4 (uncredited)
John Crawford	...	Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Frank Dae	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Nova Dale	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
Roy Damron	...	Chorus boy (uncredited)
Anne Dore	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
Michael Dugan	...	Chorus boy (uncredited)
Marietta Elliott	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
Lisa Ferraday	...	Renee (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
George Ford	...	Chorus boy (uncredited)
Robert Fortier	...	Chorus boy (uncredited)
Dan Foster	...	Deckhand (uncredited)
Mary Jane French	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
William Hall	...	Bouncer (uncredited)
Len Hendry	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Earle Hodgins	...	Riverboat bartender (uncredited)
Shep Houghton	...	Specialty dancer (uncredited)
Tom Irish	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
Claude Jaeger	...	Chorus boy (uncredited)
Joyce Jameson	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
Adele Jergens	...	Cameo McQueen (uncredited)
Edward Keane	...	Hotel manager (uncredited)
Helen Kimbell	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
Marilyn Kinsley	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
Fuzzy Knight	...	The Trocadero piano player (uncredited)
Judy Landon	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
John Phillip Law	...	Extra (uncredited)
Norman Leavitt	...	George (the calliope player) (uncredited)
Meredith Leeds	...	New Year's Eve Cutie (uncredited)
George Lynn	...	Blackjack dealer (uncredited)
Ian MacDonald	...	Drunken sport (uncredited)
Alice Markham	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
Alphonse Martell	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
Owen McGiveney	...	Windy McClain (uncredited)
Louis Mercier	...	Poker player (uncredited)
Ida Moore	...	Little Old Lady (uncredited)
Anna Q. Nilsson	...	Seamstress (uncredited)
Emory Parnell	...	Jake Green (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	...	Player (uncredited)
James Pierce	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Tao Porchon	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
Allan Ray	...	Elevator Operator (uncredited)
Charles Regan	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Al Rhein	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Suzanne Ridgeway	...	Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
Bert Roach	...	Drunk (uncredited)
Joseph Roach	...	Chorus boy (uncredited)
Jean Romaine	...	New Year's Eve Cutie (uncredited)
Harry Seymour	...	Riverboat piano player (uncredited)
George Sherwood	...	Trainer (uncredited)
Carl Sklover	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Bob Stebbins	...	Bellhop (uncredited)
William Tannen	...	Man with Julie (uncredited)
Regis Toomey	...	Sheriff Ike Vallon (uncredited)
Dee Turnell	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Mitzie Uehlien	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
Annette Warren	...	Julie LaVerne (uncredited) (singing voice)
Frank Wilcox	...	Gambler Mark Hallson (uncredited)
Lyn Wilde	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
Frances E. Williams	...	Queenie (uncredited)
Marjorie Wood	...	Landlady (uncredited)

Directed by
George Sidney

Writing credits
John Lee Mahin		(screenplay)
Jerome Kern		(immortal musical play "Show Boat") and
Oscar Hammerstein II		(immortal musical play "Show Boat")
Edna Ferber		(novel "Show Boat")
Jack McGowan		screenplay unused (uncredited)
George Wells		screenplay unused (uncredited)

Produced by
Ben Feiner Jr.	....	associate producer
Arthur Freed	....	producer
Roger Edens	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Charles Rosher		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John D. Dunning		(as John Dunning)

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons
Jack Martin Smith

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Walter Plunkett

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair styles designer
William Tuttle	....	makeup designer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roger Edens	....	director, "Ol' Man River" sequence (uncredited)
Carl 'Major' Roup	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Richard Pefferle	....	associate set decorator (as Richard A. Pefferle)

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording supervisor

Special Effects by
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Man Ray	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Music Department
Alexander Courage	....	additional orchestrator
Adolph Deutsch	....	musical director
Conrad Salinger	....	orchestrator
Robert Tucker	....	music arranger: vocal arrangements
Robert Franklyn	....	additional orchestrator (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt	....	additional orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Robert Alton	....	dances by
Peter Ballbusch	....	montage sequences
James Gooch	....	technicolor color consultant
Henri Jaffa	....	technicolor color consultant
Alex Romero	....	assistant choreographer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1951) (USA) (theatrical) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1962) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1972) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print Technicolor)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

UK:U | Australia:G | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Eddie Foy Jr. and Mildred Natwick were once considered for the roles of Cap'n Andy and Parthy.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: In the "Ol' Man River" sequence, after the boat has stopped moving to allow Ravenal to climb on board, it begins moving again and passes other dock workers on rafts. Joe is seen in long shot, standing on the deck of the show boat and singing to them the words "You an' me, we sweat and strain...", etc. During that specific moment, his voice is not quite synchronized with his arm and lip movements (he shakes his fists for emphasis). Then, on the line "Ya get a little drunk", he is shown in medium shot, and his voice matches his lip movements perfectly.

Quotes:

Drunken sport: [on hearing Magnolia try to sing at the Trocadero] Take her back to the river... hee, hee, hee!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Changing Stages" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Life Upon the Wicked Stage

Forget the story, enjoy the singing...

Don't worry about comparisons with the original, supposedly weak story line, etc, etc - just suspend belief and enjoy it as a musical.

The key vocalists are absolutely first rate: Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson and William Warfield were at the tops of their games here. The superb, effortless vocals from Keel and Grayson are lessons on how to sing - you'll never hear 'Make Believe' sung better than this.

William Warfield's version of 'Old Man River' is just magic. People usually talk about Paul Robson in the same breath as 'Old Man River' but none of Robson's renditions can match this performance. Warfield is a true bass (Robson was a bass-baritone) and delivers this song with magnificent power and resonance. Warfield is The Man.

Sit back and enjoy the music...