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Topic: Show Boat (1936 version).
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Stephen Furley
Film God
Posts: 3059
From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England
Registered: May 2002
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posted 02-02-2007 03:57 PM
I've never sen the stage show, nor read the book. The three films are all very different, and in my opinion the 1936 version is by far the best of the three. It's odd that three versions of a film should have been made in just twenty two years. And how much things changed, technically, in those few years! The 1929 film was mainly silent, except for the music on discs. The 1951 version was in colour, and not only in sound, but some of the original recordings were magnetic. This film really was the end of one era, and the beginning of another in technical terms; not only were some parts recorded optically, and others magnetically, but some original elements were nitrate, while others were triacetate, according the the notes which come with the Laserdisc box set.
The 1936 version, apart from being generally regarded as the best, is also the most interesting, though some scenes may seem somewhat offensive to modern eyes. I must get the Laserdisc out and have another look at it. There's also a good print of it in this Country; it had a rare screening at the NFT some years ago, as part of a Paul Robeson season.
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Warren Smyth
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 158
From: Auckland ,New Zealand
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 02-03-2007 12:46 AM
As one musical historian once said, "There is the American musical, and then there is Show Boat"
There is no doubt that it stands out as being one of best and possibly the first where the music was written for the story rather than just a bunch of tunes round which a story was woven. It is difficult for us to imagine now, just how daring it was for a story to be staged in the twenties, which dealt with racial issues. The music by Jerome Kern is some of the most beautiful ever written for musical theatre.
The stage version was so long that Ziegfield, the show's first producer, ordered it be shortened after the first performance. The result was that the opening number was deleted and only existed as a few dramatic bars at the start of the overture on subsequent performances.
The film versions were shortened from the original score although there was another song specially written for one of them. I agree that the 1936 version is by far the best although it was shot in monochrome.
For any Show Boat fan, I can recommend a twin CD set that was recorded by the London Sinfonieta conducted by John McGlinn. This is an excellent recording with performances by Teresa Stratas, Jerry Hadley and Frederica Von Stade. The remarkable thing about this, is that it includes ALL the music from the original manuscripts which were found a few years ago in a warehouse and thought to be lost. It also includes the extra music that was written for the film. I think it is available as a single cd but it is the twin cd set that represents the complete version. It conveys the absolute brilliance of Kern and Hammerstein who wrote the lyrics
A telvision documentary about the making of the recording called THE SHOW BOAT STORY is a really good watch. It includes some of the musical performances as well as a detailed history of the musical which originates from a book by Edna Ferber. Film clips from all films are included. Unfortunately, I cannot see any reference to it having been released on DVD.
I saw Show Boat on stage as a child and recently at the beautiful restored Regent Melbourne. It was worth the trip across the Tasman to see. It was a performance I'll never forget. Show Boat remains one of my favorite musicals. Let's hope we see a restored release of the 1936 film version on DVD soon. Until then, I will just have to put up with my very low resolution copy on VHS.
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Stephen Furley
Film God
Posts: 3059
From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England
Registered: May 2002
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posted 05-04-2007 03:44 PM
quote: Warren Smyth
There is no doubt that it stands out as being one of best and possibly the first where the music was written for the story rather than just a bunch of tunes round which a story was woven. It is difficult for us to imagine now, just how daring it was for a story to be staged in the twenties, which dealt with racial issues.
And then they made the 1951 version, which left out so much of the story. It also didn't have Paul Robeson in it of course, which is something else that the 1936 version had going for it. It's a pity he only made a few films; I think 'Show Boat' and 'The Proud Valley' are the best.
I don't know if 'Show Boat' has been shown on television in this country; if it has I haven't seen it, but it could have been on one of the cable channels which I can't get. I've seen it twice at the NFT, about twenty years apart, and on the Laserdisc version, which I'm watching again at the moment.
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