Show Boat

This second film version of the Edna Ferber/Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein II musical Show Boat is considered by many film buffs to be the best of the three. Covering nearly four decades (was there ever an Edna Ferber novel that didn't?), the film stars Irene Dunne as Magnolia Hawks, a role she'd ...more

Show Boat lacks the production values and color cinematography of the 1951 remake, but it more than compensates with great performances and the remarkable work of director James Whale. Working with Universal at a time when the studio was severely short of cash, Whale uses a variety of camera tricks to keep the film visually interesting. The two best scenes both involve Paul Robeson's towering performance as Joe. First is the "Ol' Man River" sequence, in which Whale creates compact, non-linear ...more