7.6/10
2,304
58 user 25 critic

Show Boat (1936)

Despite her mother's objections, the naive young daughter of a show boat captain is thrust into the limelight as the company's new leading lady.

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1 win & 1 nomination. See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Queenie Smith ...
Sammy White ...
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Francis X. Mahoney ...
Rubber Face
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Sunnie O'Dea ...
Arthur Hohl ...
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Comic-Con 2017: All Aboard the IMDboat

Entertainment news, trailer drops, and photos abound at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con. Check out IMDb’s coverage, featuring Kevin Smith as our host, celebrity interviewer, and captain of the IMDboat, July 20 to 22.

Browse Our Guide to Comic-Con

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Storyline

Adaptation of the Broadway musical. Magnolia Hawks is the lovely but protected, and thus very naive, daughter of Cap'n Andy Hawks, the genial proprietor of a show boat that cruises the Missisippi, and his nagging wife, Parthy. She is best friends with the show boat's star, Julie LaVerne, but Julie and her husband Steve are forced to leave when it is revealed that Julie has "Negro" blood in her, thereby breaking the state law by being married to the white Steve. Magnolia replaces Julie as the show boat's female star, and the show's new male star is the suave gambler Gaylord Ravenal. "Nola" and Gaylord fall in love and marry against Parthy's wishes. They and their young daughter lead the high life when Gaylord is lucky in gambling, but live like dirt when he's unlucky. During one such unlucky streak, a broken Gaylord leaves Nola, and she is forced to start over by returning to the stage. Like Old Man River, as the famous song from this show goes, she just keeps rollin' along. Written by Tommy Peter

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Here Comes the Grand and Glorious "Show Boat" (version of 1936) See more »


Certificate:

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Parents Guide:

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Details

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Release Date:

17 May 1936 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Magnólia  »

Company Credits

Production Co:

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Noiseless Western Electric Recording)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Because of copyright problems involving a real "Cotton Blossom" show boat sailing the Mississippi in the 1930's, the name of the showboat in the film had to be changed to "Cotton Palace". This required omitting the second half of the opening chorus, in which the townspeople sing about the boat while the stevedores continue singing about their daily work, and the "cotton blossom" growing on the levee. The section sung by the stevedores is still heard in the film. See more »

Goofs

During the scene in which Cap'n Andy introduces his actors to the crowd, a young woman looks off to the side absent-mindedly as the captain begins to introduce Ellie. As soon as he mentions Ellie's name, the young woman seems to snap to attention and automatically smiles broadly and gives out a loud cheer along with the rest of the crowd. See more »

Quotes

Ellie May Chipley: Nolie, what's the matter? Is Gay hurt?
Magnolia: No. Ellie, you read it. I may believe it if I hear somebody else say it.
See more »

Crazy Credits

For the opening credits, we see a cardboard cutout display of a show boat parade, with cutout paper townspeople watching it, on a moving turntable. The parade revolves past the camera carrying cardboard banners on which are printed the title and other credits to the film. Most of the parade figures are simply figures, but among them we can discern cutouts of Paul Robeson and Helen Morgan (the appearance of these figures does not coincide with the appearance of their names onscreen). In the background can be seen the shadows of a paddlewheel and a riverboat. See more »

Connections

Version of Great Performances: Show Boat (1989) See more »

Soundtracks

Life Upon the Wicked Stage
(1927) (uncredited)
Music by Jerome Kern
Played by the show boat brass band
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
I Agree: This Is The Preferred Version
5 August 2006 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

There are a couple of famous, great songs in the opening 15 minutes of this film that hooked me in to watch the entire two-hour film.

I don't think the two-hour production ever wound up matching those early minutes but I still enjoyed it enough to give it "8 stars." Also, I still think it's better than the more-famous 1951 color re-make. It's a shame this 1936 film is not available on DVD, at least at this point here in the U.S.

Funny, but I did not particularly care for the two leading actors voices - Irene Dunne and Allan Jones. They are just two high-pitched for my tastes. I preferred the deep voice of Paul Robeson and was pleasantly surprised how well Hatie McDaniel sang.

The fun part of the film, however, wasn't the music but the story. It's pretty entertaining and a key reason for that was Charles Winniger, who keeps it alive with good humor. All the characters, except for Helen Westley's, are "good guys." and nice to follow. The story has a good mixture of drama, humor, sadness, sentimentality and song.

Also, there is some nice closeup photography with some great facial expressions. Some just make you laugh right out loud.

I am in agreement with those who think "Show Boat" was the best-ever and very good feel-good film.


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