A Few Words About A few words about...™ Show Boat (1936) - in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Suzanne.S]

I ordered directly from Criterion on Saturday and my package arrived today. I think I'm going to watch Show Boat tonight. It was a much quicker turnaround than I expected.

 

[OLDTIMER]

I'm still waiting here in Australia for my copy which shipped four weeks ago. I'm assuming it's delayed because of the Covid-19 problem.

 

[OLDTIMER]

Re previous post, no sooner said than it finally arrived. I'm absolutely delighted with the picture quality. Sound is good, too. I originally had Show Boat on Laser Disc. Watching this brilliant restoration is like seeing the movie for the first time.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Just watched this for the very first time last night. I went in completely cold as I haven't seen the MGM remake, nor familiar with the original play. This is such a great film! Plenty of catchy songs, every single performance is wonderful, and there's not a shot in the film that isn't beautiful. And while there's still one scene that's a little irksome, I'm astonished by how the film portrays racial issues of the day. Paul Robeson's performance stands out, with much of "Old Man River" being done in close-up and with stylized inserts. Irene Dunne and Allan Jones are equally wonderful (having only seen Jones in A Night in the Opera, I felt his was kind of wooden in that, but great here). And the scene with Charles Winnegger performing the rest of the play alone is genius.

Without having seen this before, I don't know what to compare the restoration to, but the film is flat-out gorgeous here. I assume there was a lot of optical work done originally (some times it's obvious), but most of the film just looks fresh out of the can. This is the sort of film you can show to someone to show how beautiful black and white can be.

Criterion has been knocking it out of the park this year!

 

[Jim*Tod]

Just watched the restoration tonight. It looks and sounds incredible. I saw this version way back in the early 70's at the Virginia Museum film society. Despite its flaws I would love to see the '51 version restored. I guess the restoration costs must outweigh any potential market for the blu ray.

 

[AnthonyClarke]

I too can't wait for Warners make good on their promise made ages ago to bring this to Blu ray.
Even a less than optimal restoration would be fine for me...

 

[edelweissflower]

This film is an amazing treasure. Don't miss it. There's nothing like it. Paul Robeson alone is a reason to watch it. Helen Morgan is basically playing her life out before our eyes. She died of alcoholism soon after. Irene Dunne is always fun and an amazing actress. It's like watching a time capsule of history of some of our greatest talents.

Was there any cuts to the final release print or was the final cut of the film left intact as its my favourite version of Showboat.

 

[warnerbro]

I believe the 1936 version on Criterion is intact as it was released. I also believe it is the best version. The MGM version is good, but the 1936 version is superior.

 

[cinemel1]

I believe the 1936 version on Criterion is intact as it was released. I also believe it is the best version. The MGM version is good, but the 1936 version is superior.

Paul Robeson & Hattie McDaniels duet is a highlight. The added song is a perfect addition to the score, not in the original. It was recorded on the complete recording of Show Boat on the Angel label in the Appendix CD (It Still Suits Me). Too bad it wasn’t in the 1950 version or in recent revivals. The other excellent added song is She’s in the Room above Me sung by Allan Jones & Irene Dunne. It’s rare that when songs are added to a B’way musical they are up to the quality of the original score.