IMDb > Show Boat (1951)
Show Boat
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Show Boat (1951) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
6.9/10   2,236 votes »
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Down 53% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
George Sidney
Writers:
John Lee Mahin (screen play)
Jerome Kern (based on the immortal musical play "Show Boat" by) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Show Boat on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
24 September 1951 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Drama | Musical | Romance See more »
Tagline:
It's NEW! See more »
Plot:
The daughter of a riverboat captain falls in love with a charming gambler, but their fairytale romance is threatened when his luck turns sour. Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 2 nominations See more »
NewsDesk:
(31 articles)
Universal Pictures: Celebrating 100 Years
 (From Backstage. 16 May 2012, 3:22 AM, PDT)
Garrett Morris Journeys from 'SNL' to '2 Broke Girls'
 (From Backstage. 2 April 2012, 6:30 AM, PDT)
DGA Awards vs. Academy Awards: Odd Men Out George Cukor, John Huston, Vincente Minnelli
 (From Alt Film Guide. 9 January 2012, 7:14 PM, PST)
User Reviews:
gorgeous See more (40 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Kathryn Grayson ... Magnolia Hawks

Ava Gardner ... Julie LaVerne

Howard Keel ... Gaylord Ravenal

Joe E. Brown ... Cap'n Andy Hawks

Marge Champion ... Ellie May Shipley
Gower Champion ... Frank Schultz
Robert Sterling ... Steven Baker

Agnes Moorehead ... Parthy Hawks
Leif Erickson ... Pete (as Lief Erickson)
William Warfield ... Joe
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Boyd Ackerman ... Chorus Boy (uncredited)
Bette Arlen ... Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Mary Bezemes ... Minor Role (uncredited)
Carol Brewster ... Girl (uncredited)
Peter Camlin ... Croupier (uncredited)
Sue Casey ... New Year's Eve Cutie (uncredited)
Chick Chandler ... Trocadero Stage Assistant (uncredited)

Linda Christian ... Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Sheila Clark ... Kim Ravenal - Age 4 (uncredited)
John Crawford ... Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Frank Dae ... Doctor (uncredited)
Nova Dale ... Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Roy Damron ... Chorus Boy (uncredited)
Anne Dore ... Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Michael Dugan ... Chorus Boy (uncredited)
Marietta Elliott ... Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Lisa Ferraday ... Renee (uncredited)
Bess Flowers ... Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
George Ford ... Chorus Boy (uncredited)
Robert Fortier ... Chorus Boy (uncredited)
Dan Foster ... Deckhand (uncredited)
Mary Jane French ... Chorus Girl (uncredited)
William Hall ... Bouncer (uncredited)
Len Hendry ... Minor Role (uncredited)
Earle Hodgins ... Riverboat Bartender (uncredited)
Shep Houghton ... Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Tom Irish ... Bellboy (uncredited)
Claude Jaeger ... Chorus Boy (uncredited)
Joyce Jameson ... Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Adele Jergens ... Cameo McQueen (uncredited)
Edward Keane ... Hotel Manager (uncredited)
Helen Kimbell ... Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Marilyn Kinsley ... Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Fuzzy Knight ... Trocadero Piano Player (uncredited)
Judy Landon ... Chorus Girl (uncredited)

John Phillip Law ... Extra (uncredited)

Norman Leavitt ... George the Calliope Player (uncredited)
Meredith Leeds ... New Year's Eve Cutie (uncredited)
George Lynn ... Blackjack Dealer (uncredited)
Ian MacDonald ... Drunken Sport (uncredited)
Alice Markham ... Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Alphonse Martell ... Headwaiter (uncredited)
Owen McGiveney ... Windy McClain (uncredited)
Louis Mercier ... Dabney - Poker Player (uncredited)
Ida Moore ... Little Old Lady (uncredited)
Anna Q. Nilsson ... Seamstress (uncredited)
Emory Parnell ... Jake Green (uncredited)
Gil Perkins ... Player (uncredited)
James Pierce ... Doorman (uncredited)
Tao Porchon ... Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Allan Ray ... Elevator Operator (uncredited)
Charles Regan ... Minor Role (uncredited)
Al Rhein ... Minor Role (uncredited)
Suzanne Ridgeway ... Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
Bert Roach ... Drunk (uncredited)
Joseph Roach ... Chorus Boy (uncredited)
Jean Romaine ... New Year's Eve Cutie (uncredited)
Harry Seymour ... Riverboat Piano Player (uncredited)
George Sherwood ... Trainer (uncredited)
Carl Sklover ... Minor Role (uncredited)
Bob Stebbins ... Bellhop (uncredited)
William Tannen ... Man with Julie (uncredited)
Regis Toomey ... Sheriff Ike Vallon (uncredited)
Dee Turnell ... Minor Role (uncredited)
Mitzie Uehlien ... Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Annette Warren ... Julie LaVerne (uncredited) (singing voice)
Frank Wilcox ... Gambler Mark Hallson (uncredited)
Lyn Wilde ... Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Frances E. Williams ... Queenie (uncredited)
Marjorie Wood ... Landlady (uncredited)
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Directed by
George Sidney 
 
Writing credits
John Lee Mahin (screen play)

Jerome Kern (based on the immortal musical play "Show Boat" by) and
Oscar Hammerstein II (based on the immortal musical play "Show Boat" by)

Edna Ferber (from the novel by)

Jack McGowan  screenplay unused (uncredited)
George Wells  screenplay unused (uncredited)

Produced by
Ben Feiner Jr. .... associate producer
Arthur Freed .... producer
Roger Edens .... associate producer (uncredited)
 
Original Music by
Adolph Deutsch (uncredited)
Conrad Salinger (uncredited)
 
Cinematography by
Charles Rosher (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
John D. Dunning (film editor) (as John Dunning)
 
Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons 
Jack Martin Smith 
 
Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis 
 
Costume Design by
Walter Plunkett (costumes by)
 
Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff .... hair styles designer
William Tuttle .... makeup creator
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roger Edens .... director (sequence "Ol' Man River") (uncredited)
George Rhein .... assistant director (uncredited)
Carl 'Major' Roup .... second assistant director (uncredited)
 
Art Department
Richard Pefferle .... associate set decorations (as Richard A. Pefferle)
Matty Azzarone .... construction (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Douglas Shearer .... recording supervisor
 
Special Effects by
Warren Newcombe .... special effects
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Man Ray .... still photographer (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joan Joseff .... costume jeweller (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Alexander Courage .... additional orchestrations
Adolph Deutsch .... musical direction
Conrad Salinger .... orchestrations
Robert Tucker .... vocal arrangements
Alexander Courage .... composer: additional music (uncredited)
Robert Franklyn .... additional orchestrator (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt .... additional orchestrator (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Robert Alton .... dances
Peter Ballbusch .... montage sequences
James Gooch .... technicolor color consultant
Henri Jaffa .... technicolor color consultant
Miriam Golden .... ballet dancer (uncredited)
Alex Romero .... assistant choreographer (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
See more »
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
108 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification:
UK:U | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (PCA #15118) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Netherlands:18 (original rating) (1951) | Netherlands:AL (re-rating) (1951) (passed with cuts) | Australia:G | Finland:S
Filming Locations:
Backlot, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USASee more »
Company:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)See more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
The showboat built for the film (known as the Cotton Blossom) became an amusement park attraction in 1973, after MGM sold many of its props at an auction. Unfortunately, in 1995, it was dismantled and torn apart. For this film, the Cotton Blossom was built on top of a flat-bedded barge so that it could be towed into position by underwater cables for the musical number which opens the film. Even though the Cotton Blossom was built to exact specifications and was fitted with a stern paddle-wheel, the thrust of the paddle wheel would have been too strong to maneuver the boat in the studio lake. Too little thrust would have moved the boat very slowly if it moved the boat at all. Hence, it was necessary to move the boat into position by underwater cables. This underwater towing technique also made it easier for the boat to move into its mooring position at exactly the right moment when the musical number came to an end.See more »
Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): At one point, Magnolia (Kathryn Grayson) refers to Lady Southweight and Hamilton Barsdale as being characters in "Tempest and Sunshine", a melodrama adapted from a then-popular novel. There are no such characters in that play. In the scene in which Cap'n Andy (Joe E. Brown) introduces the show boat actors to the crowd, Julie (Ava Gardner) and Steve (Robert Sterling) make another reference to Hamilton, and Cap'n Andy then says: "You have to see the play tonight folks, to learn their secret - "Tempest and Sunshine", beautiful drama of tears and laughter".See more »
Quotes:
Cap'n Andy Hawks:(hearing of Magnolia's engagement to Ravenal) Son, I hope it's not Saturday night one minute, with a cold Monday morning to follow. Whatever happens, Nollie, always remember to smile.See more »
Movie Connections:
Featured in "MGM: When the Lion Roars" (1992)See more »
Soundtrack:
Finale: Ol' Man RiverSee more »

FAQ

What is the biggest difference between the original show and this film version of "Show Boat"?
How much of this film was really shot in Mississippi?
How different, overall, is this 1951 film from the original show as well as the 1936 film?
See more »

User Reviews

   (Review this title)
15 out of 20 people found the following review useful.
gorgeous, 25 October 2000
Author: didi-5 from United Kingdom

The plot may be changed a little, but it is still wonderful stuff, with a cast to die for. A great weepy love story, some fantastic dance sequences from the Champions, a sweet couple of leading ladies in Grayson and Gardner, and a high dose of comedy along the way. All this and Ol' Man River. The perfect Sunday afternoon wallow.

Was the above review useful to you?
See more (40 total) »

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Show Boat (1951)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Kim ken479
The most underrated musical sequence in the film kathyselden
Not the perfect 'Show' at all... churei
What happened to Joe and Queenie? dmnemaine
Marge and Gower Champion shalmayan-1
Love Howard Keel gkeith_1
See more »

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