I've been a Showboat fan for a long time. I've seen it live on stage 5 times as well as the 1936 version and the PBS version. After watching the MGM version again on TCM, I decided that it is almost impossible to make a satisfying version of a Showboat movie.

Its strange to say, but I think "opening up" the stage version took away some of the intimacy a live version has. Showboat's greatness does not come from the standard boy meets girl - boy loses girl - boy gets girl storyline. It comes from the music and on stage a number can start with one guy on the docks lamenting the suffering endured along the Mississippi and end with a chorus of voices singing about Ol Man River. The numbers themselves "open up" to fill the stage. But no movie can do that to the same effect.

But my biggest problem with this version is the abbreviation of the story and the musical numbers. The songs Kern and Hammerstein wrote deserve to be fleshed out in all their operatic grandeur. The first act contains what I consider the best back to back to back musical numbers in Broadway history with Make Believe - Ol' Man River - Can't Help Lovin Dat Man and the movie rearranges them out of order and only River is fleshed out. Can't Help should be an 8 minute number with the chorus joining in at the end instead of the barely noticed number in the movie.

Because the music is among the best ever written, it is really hard to make a bad version of Showboat. I'll watch this movie whenever it is on TV but if you really love Showboat, get the EMI 3 CD recording with Frederica Von Stade and Jerry Hadley. And go see it live when you have the chance.

This is a great splashy color musical in the MGM tradition. If that is what you are looking for then look no further. If you are looking for a story that more closely follows the dramatic line of Edna Ferber's novel you want to watch the 1936 version. Edna Ferber's heroines usually had some weakness or problem that they tried to solve by leaning upon a man. Ferber would remove the crutch (the man) from the heroine's life and, only once the woman had grown strong as a person, would she be reunited with the man upon which she had once leaned... or not. That was true in the novel Showboat, but not here. In this film Magnolia is only separated from her gambling husband Gaylord for a very few years before he returns. They both still have their youth and their daughter is quite young and almost everyone has a MGM happy ending. And the biggest surprise - Magnolia's mom turns out to have a heart of gold when, in the novel, her ill temper and constant sniping at first aimed at Magnolia's father and then at her husband, helped precipitate many problems in the first place. To eliminate any talk of controversy and keep this a big happy musical Lena Horne did not get the part of tragic figure Julie. Instead that part went to Ava Gardner.

If you are going to do a musical in the 1950's Howard Keel has a strong wonderful voice and strikes a powerful pose, but that is exactly why he is totally wrong for the part of Gaylord Ravenal. I could believe in the 1936 version when Allan Jones slinks off and leaves Magnolia - he seemed like a credible rat. Not so Howard Keel. He looks every inch a gentleman and does not seem like a coward and a quitter at all, not even if he is practically pushed away.

I'm giving this six stars because it is a cinematically beautiful film with a talented cast performing great musical numbers. Just don't expect the hard edges of the 1936 version.

I'm not a huge fan of musicals, but I like this one. It isn't so much that I love the story but appreciate the quality of film as well as some of the songs. The acting, cinematography, and every other aspect of this film just screams "quality", as it's a gorgeous and well put together film--though I must admit that the costumes are often rather garish. What I really I love about the film is hearing OLD MAN RIVER. In this case it's NOT sung by the legendary Paul Robson--who sang it on Broadway as well as in the previous sound version of the movie. Still, although it's not Robson, the man singing just blew me away with his brilliant voice and soulful rendition. What the original film lacked was color and high quality singing and production values. It was good, but this remake just jumped out of the screen! So, even without the legendary Robson, the remake is simply better.

By the way, although the film is quite good, it does promote the 'happy slave' myth--especially when you see very happy, well-fed and non-sweaty slaves running from the fields to meet the show boat. Where are the overseers with whips? Where are the hungry, barefoot children? Not in this film, that's for sure. That's why although I liked the film, I can't give it better than a 7.

UPDATE: I finally got around to seeing the 1936 version by Universal Studios. Although it was in black & white, the film was superior overall. In particular, it retained much of the controversial plot involving interracial love and marriage. It's sad, but this earlier version was much more brave and ahead of its time than the later MGM version. However, and I know this will sound like sacrilege, I preferred the rendition of "Old Man River" in the 1951 version--even though Paul Robson (who made the song famous on Broadway) was in the 1936 film. He was great--but the 1951 version was just greater to me.