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Show Boat (1951)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
24 September 1951 (USA) moreTagline:
It's NEW! morePlot:
The daughter of a riverboat captain falls in love with a charming gambler, but their fairytale romance is threatened when his luck turns sour. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 2 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(8 articles)
Jennie Eisenhower Cast In The Media Theatre's Show Boat 9/30-11/1 (From BroadwayWorld.com. 1 November 2009, 1:00 AM, PST)
Photo Flash: Rebecca Luker Celebrates Greenwich Time at Barnes & Noble
(From BroadwayWorld.com. 23 October 2009, 4:41 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Spared No Expense more (33 total)Cast
(Complete credited 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 |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
107 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)Filming Locations:
Backlot, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA moreFun Stuff
Trivia:
This was the first film shown on a television network in 1972. It made its network television debut on "NBC Monday Night at the Movies", on the night of January 3 of that year. (No films were shown on January 1 or January 2nd because of the football.) moreGoofs:
Factual errors: In some prints, Leif Erickson's name is misspelled (as Lief Erickson) in the opening credits. moreQuotes:
Cap'n Andy Hawks: (hearing of Magnolia's engagement to Ravenal) Son, I hope it's not Saturday night one minute, with a cold Monday morning to follow. Whatever happens, Nollie, always remember to smile. moreSoundtrack:
Make Believe moreFAQ
Is "Cotton Blossom", the opening number, sung the same way in this film as in the show?How different, overall, is this 1951 film from the original show as well as the 1936 film?
What was so controversial about the opening number in the original stage version?
more
more (33 total)
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When MGM acquired the rights to Show Boat for the Arthur Freed unit, no expense was spared in making this one of the most expensive films the studio had ever produced. A whole riverboat was constructed as well as the Natchez landing was completely built on a location on a lake which served as turn of the last century Mississippi river locale.
No doubt also that Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson sang beautifully together. Those three Jerome Kern ballads, Make Believe, Why Do I Love You? and You Are Love were just written for their voices.
Ava Gardner is a beautiful and fetching Julia. Annette Warren's dubbing of Julie LaVerne's songs Can't Help Loving That Man and Bill perfectly matched Ava's speaking voice.
The problem I've always felt with this version is that Howard Keel is too strong a character to be playing Gaylord Ravenal who is essentially a weak personality. Allan Jones in the 1937 version perfectly captured Ravenal's frailty.
That 1937 version also had two people from the original Broadway production who made those parts all their own, Helen Morgan as Julie and Charles Winninger as Captain Andy. And it had the incomparable Paul Robeson though William Warfield is a fabulous Joe.
The singing of the Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammerstein II score is in the major leagues. The rest of the film however is in a minor key when compared with the earlier sound version with Allan Jones and Irene Dunne.