Show Boat

Starring: Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ava Gardner, et al.

Product Description

From novel (by Edna Ferber) to Broadway smash (by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II) to three film versions (1929, 1936, 1951) to stage revivals. Like Ol' Man River, Show Boat just keeps rollin' along. Produced by Arthur Freed and directed by George Sidney, this 1951 version of the saga of riverboat lives and loves has glorious stars (Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel, Marge and Gower Champion) in Technicolor radiance, a made-from-scratch 170-foot paddle wheeler, timeless songs and an equally timeless outcry against racial bigotry. "This was music that would outlast Kern's day and mine," Ferber said in recalling her first reaction to hearing "Ol' Man River." She was right as rain.

• Format: DVD
• Language: English
• UPC: 012569509429
• Release Date: March 2005
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Publisher: Studio Distribution Services
• Director: George Sidney
• Starring: Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ava Gardner, Joe E. Brown, Marge & Gower Champion, Robert Sterling, Agnes Moorehead, Adele Jergens, William Warfield, Leif Erickson
• Runtime: 1 hour, 47 minutes
• Number of Disks: 1
• Other Video Info: multiple_formats
• Weight: 0.18 lbs.
• Dimensions: 5.4" x 7.5" x 0.7"

Customer Reviews

Has some merit.

The story is structured around love found, love lost, and love found again. What fills the structure is a bevy of well-known tunes; most of the tunes aged well, but others are just fillers. Maybe I am not the best person to review this, as I found it rather boring. However, the play is a classic based on the stage musical, so it is a must-watch. If you have limited time, you will need to watch the 1936 version with Paul Robeson as Joe; this is the classic “Ol' Man River Ol' Man River” (Jerome Kern - Oscar Hammerstein II). Once the 1936 version is seen, it is hard to compare with the 1951 William Warfield version. But I digress. This version has several major actors that you will want to see, such as Howard Keel and Ava Gardner, to name a couple. Ava may get her face on the cover, but she is just supporting the story that circles the main character, Magnolia Hawks, played by Kathryn Grayson. You may want to get out your hanky.