Popular reviews

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  Review by theriverjordan ★★★★½ 17

  The musical genre receives its golden age epic in James Whale’s “Show Boat.” 

  An adaption of the groundbreaking stage musical penned by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II, “Show Boat” proved that song did not have to take away from the plot or pathos of a production. It could, in fact, add depths of emotion unreachable by speech alone. 

  The 1927 Broadway opening of “Show Boat” essentially marked the birth of a new genre; the American musical. Somewhere between vaudeville and operetta; Kern and Hammerstein added narrative where there had only been revue. 

  When brought to celluloid, the adaption was - still - decades ahead of most musicals of its era, which were often merely filmed versions of follies dance…

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  Review by Jim Morrow ★★★★★

  Watching the excellent Criterion Blu-ray presentation of James Whale's groundbreaking filming of Edna Ferber's equally groundbreaking novel turned musical, Show Boat, it made me ponder how ripe this is for a new production that could address the issues that Whale was unable to. This musical, and this production were pioneering in their time; the first musical to truly integrate a story, with songs that furthered character development, as well as the first with a story that tackled issues beyond “the show must go on” or light comedy/romance. Show Boat doesn't ignore the racial disparities of its time the way that “Gone With The Wind” did, only three years later. Still, what could be addressed in 1936, things like miscegenation laws,…

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  Review by kmarus ★★★½

  Not even the demise of FilmStruck (RIP) will interfere with my Irene Dunne marathon. Show Boat is a curious film. Its depiction of black life feels decidedly retrograde today (Dunnie's blackface number, while certainly authentic to the spirit of traveling theater troupes of the region, is a little embarrassing to watch), but I can imagine that, at the time, it was perceived as a positive showcase of black culture and even potentially transgressive for its fair treatment of Julie, a white-passing biracial woman who is illegally married to a white man. What really makes Show Boat worth remembering, however, is Paul Robeson, whose "Ol' Man River" refrain looms over the lives of these players like a long shadow cast on the Mississippi (even if its chief lament--our helplessness to the current of time--has a drastically different meaning in the lives of the musical's black characters than its relatively privileged white ones).

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  Review by Jack Often ★★★½

  In its treatment of Black characters, James Whale's Show Boat is both way ahead of its time and tragically dated. Paul Robeson's iconic moment, magnified by the astonishing work of John Mescall, is unforgettable. And the kitchen scenes alone would require a dissertation. But once we hit Irene Dunne's blackface number, and most of the Black cast members leave the story, the film falls flat. The central romance is a bore and the only things that keep the film alive are the character parts and the incredible work put in by Whale and Mescall.
  I'd never seen any version of Show Boat before so I was surprised, and disappointed, to realize that half the story doesn't take place on the boat at all and is mostly just tepid show business self-reflection. Still, every frame remains visually inventive and magnificently opened up from the stage production.

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  Review by Adryon Thomas ★★★

  Magnolia and Gaylord are the names of the main lovers in this film...

  boy, if this ain't the whitest shit...

  
  
  

  Also, James Whale should be a gay icon, but of course none of you uncultured swine know anything about film history so I guess we gonna sleep on him.

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  Review by Goran ★★★

  Show Boat or: Paul Robeson and the mildly entertaining white people

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  Review by Madison 🎭 ★★★½

  too much blackface not enough hattie mcdaniel

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  Review by Danny Webster ★★★½

  Director Project

  Director: James Whale (Final Film)

  First thing, this film was incredibly difficult to find and even then, was fractured into 16 or so parts; each of varying length and some of which took a while to get going. This is not ideal, and unfortunately affected my viewing experience.

  However as a viewing experience trying to take in the film; Show Boat is surprisingly good. I say surprisingly because I usually despise musicals or anything of their ilk; I'm not usually a fan but if I were to praise a film for nearly persuading me to enjoy a film of its genre, it'd be James Whale's Show Boat.

  Admittedly the performances aren't always the best from everyone, but they're…

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  Review by Jim Film ★★★★½

  Whale directed a musical!

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  Review by loureviews ★★★★★

  I L<3ve Musicals!

  Despite his great horror flicks, Whale directed this adaptation of Show Boat with some flair, and it is arguably his best work.

  Irene Dunne, Helen Morgan and Paul Robeson are excellent, Allan Jones could be better but is ok until the end sequences (they don't really work). The music is excellent, as you would expect with both Kern and Hammerstein involved with the film, it looks great, and it is greatly effective. One to cherish, and different enough from the remake in colour not to be overshadowed by it.

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  Review by Owen ★★★★

  Irene Dunne's Riverboat girl takes to the stage, falls in love and eventually becomes a grand old dame of the theatre.

  Over long, or rather very much a film that runs out of steam in it's second half this still has a whole lot to like about it. Irene Dunne is always a favourite and it was good to see her really sing, I still prefer her comedies but then I prefer them to almost anything in the world. Paul Robeson's Old Man River is incredible and is very well supported by James Whale's inventive direction. The miscegenation plot line was unexpected and powerful as was Julie LaVerne's final gift to Magnolia.

  Its a mixed bag of course and a lot of it is incredibly dated but I think there's a lot to like in pretty much everything James Whale made in the period and this is no exception.

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  Review by firewalker ★★★½

  This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

  and ol’ man river 
  he just keeps rolling along.

  it’s not quite “ragtime”, but this is a deeply affecting musical drama nonetheless. i would probably have given it higher if it weren’t for… well, i’ll get to that. but the romance is engaging, the music strong, the emotions enthralling.

  less gripping is the fact that this is the second musical i’ve watched this month with a sudden blackface sequence; and while this is a better movie than swing time, the scene is honestly even more out of place here. for one, it isn’t in the original musical, that song was written specifically to taint this movie and dunne’s performance in it i guess. but also… this movie grapples with racism,…