by Steven LaVigne
Although it didn’t happen often enough, several movie musicals managed to capture the brilliance of their stage beginnings. This production of Show Boat, brought to the stage in 1927 by Florenz Ziegfeld and considered the first great musical of the Twentieth Century is a perfect example.
Released by Universal, the 1936 version was adapted from the novel by Edna Ferber, with its screenplay by librettist and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II and featured its glorious score by Jerome Kern.
By 1935, director James Whale, known for such horror classics as Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man and The Old Dark House, had tired of the genre, and while many thought he was the wrong choice, he was assigned to direct and he proved them wrong. Charles Winninger as Captain Andy, Paul Robson as Joe and Helen Morgan as Julie were brought in to recreate their memorable performances in the 1932 revival. Irene Dunne who’d toured as Magnolia joined them, as did Allan Jones as Gaylord Ravenal, fresh from his success with The Marx Brothers and Kitty Carlisle in A Night at the Opera (1935). Hattie McDaniel was featured as Queenie, with Helen Westley, Queenie Smith and Francis X. Mahoney in featured roles.
The film opens with cutouts on a revolve, showing illustrated versions of characters and the boat itself. It takes its time so audiences have no trouble reading the credits as the overture plays in the background. The story covers a half-century of life on the Cotton Blossom, a show boat that travels up and down the Mississippi, stopping along the way to perform the popular melodramas of the era.
Magnolia Hawks meets gambler Gaylord Ravenal. They fall in love, marry and move to Chicago, where, at first, they live the high life. Following the birth of their daughter, Kim, poverty sets in.
Gaylord disappears and forced to raise her daughter alone, Magnolia becomes a successful performer. In a parallel story, Julie Laverne, a black actress and the star on the boat is a victim of Jim Crow Laws, because her marriage to Steven Baker, a white man, is illegal in this part of the country. She’s forced to leave and she, too, moves to Chicago, where her life falls apart. Julie succumbs to alcoholism.
As Kim gets older, she becomes an actress and when she opens on Broadway, she’s reunited with her family. Unbeknownst to her, Ravenal is now the stage-doorman she calls “Pops.”
Due to the racism of the time, there are several things wrong with this film. There are dance moves that Dunne performs which might be considered racist and at one point she wears blackface because her specialty is “Negro” songs.
Considering the time frame in which this movie was made, the quality of the production and especially what a remarkable score, this is the better film version of the story.
MGM remade Show Boat 14 years later in color. The boat built for the film is the most expensive prop of all time. Casting the production was still difficult. Lena Horne would have been perfect for the role of Julie, although when the film was shown in the South, her footage would’ve been edited out. That wouldn’t be easy because it’s so vital to the story. Ava Gardner was cast and she did well in the role, even though they dubbed her singing.
With songs like “Why Do I Love You?,” “Ol’ Man River,” “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man of Mine,” “Make Believe,” and “Bill” which have all become standards, along with the great care that Whale, Hammerstein, Kern and orchestrator Richard Rodney Bennett put into the production, the music’s a joy to behold. Edna Ferber’s concerns about historic accuracy and Whale’s sense of period are strongly presented as well.
Some of you may be unfamiliar with members of the cast. African-American actor Paul Robson was a graduate of Rutgers, who played football, baseball, basketball, and ran track and field. He was class valedictorian, and attended Columbia University law school. His wife convinced him to do a play at the Harlem YMCA, and he went onto a long stage and film career, originating roles in the early works of Eugene O’Neill. Robson was renowned for his performances as Othello, and was a popular public speaker. Later, Robson was blacklisted by the HUAC, so in order to work, he relocated to Europe. He passed away at 77 following a stroke.
Helen Morgan was a popular torch singer whose success on the stage led to a film career which included Go Into Your Dance co-starring Ruby Keeler and Al Jolson; You Belong to Me with Lee Tracy; Roadhouse Blues with Charlie Ruggles and the Burlesque movie musical, Applause. Sadly, she had a drinking problem and was only 41 when she passed away from cirrhosis of the liver. Polly Bergen played her on television and later, Ann Blyth played her on film in The Helen Morgan Story. (The TV version is superior to the movie version).
Three years after this film, Hattie McDaniel would become the first African-American actress to win an Oscar for her role as Mammy in Gone With the Wind. She was always a pleasure to watch in such films as Imitation of Life, Alice Adams, The Little Colonel, I’m No Angel and Nothing Sacred. She also appeared on television as Beulah the first series featuring an African-American performer. This prompted McDaniel to say that she’d “rather play a maid than be one.” She passed on at the age of 59, after surgery for breast cancer.
Allan Jones was a popular stage performer of the era and Show Boat was only his second film. He’d appeared onstage in Roberta and Bittersweet before appearing in Rose Marie, Everybody Sing, The Boys from Syracuse and Larceny with Music. While his film career was reasonably short, he starred onstage in Man of La Mancha, Paint Your Wagon, Guys & Dolls and Carousel. He’s also the father of singer Jack Jones.
Charles Winninger was a stage and film actor, who became so identified with this role as Captain Andy that he played variations of it on radio. His film career includes Night Nurse, Three Smart Girls, Nothing Sacred, Destry Rides Again, Ziegfeld Girl and the first film version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s State Fair.
If ever there was an actress who embodied versatility, it’s Irene Dunne. She could play comedy, drama and musicals and was considered one of the finest actresses never to win an Oscar. Her films include Anna and the King of Siam, The Awful Truth, My Favorite Wife, I Remember Mama, Life with Father, Love Affair, A Guy Named Joe, Irene and the 1935 Magnificent Obsession. When film roles dried up, Irene Dunne was chosen by President Eisenhower as a delegate for the UN. She was awarded for her philanthropy, including honorary doctorates. She was honored by the Kennedy Center in 1995. If I was to make a list of the greatest movie musicals ever made, the 1936 Show Boat would have an honored place!