RichMurphy
Supporting Actor
And the Criterion release is of exceptional quality. TallPaulinKy should order it at once.The '36 version was released by Criterion last March
And the Criterion release is of exceptional quality. TallPaulinKy should order it at once.The '36 version was released by Criterion last March
Ordered it, thanks for the heads-up I missed that.And the Criterion release is of exceptional quality.
Grayson was 29 when she played Magnolia in 1951. Irene Dunne was 38 when she played the same role in 1936. It never occurred to me that either one was "too old." Maybe that's the mark of two great performances.I've always preferred this version to the Universal, which I also own. Production values are bar none exceptional. And Ava Gardner is heartbreaking here. I think Grayson was a tad too old to reprise Magnolia, she did it first in Till The Clouds Roll By, and looked the part of the ingenue then. She's still in fine voice, but much too adult to be believed as the naive 'green' girl whose heart is captivated by the scandalous Gaylord. Otherwise, this Show Boat's a comin' to my home video on a day one purchase!!!! Can't wait.
Grayson was 29 when she played Magnolia in 1951. Irene Dunne was 38 when she played the same role in 1936. It never occurred to me that either one was "too old." Maybe that's the mark of two great performances.
Warner Archives may not have been able to put together this ideal package, as the original Showboat was originally distributed by Universal. Do note, I have no idea if Universal is still holding the rights.I wish they had put the 1936 version on there as a bonus. the 1936 is widely accepted as the best and most faithful of three screen versions of the Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammerstein II musical. As the DVD market shrinks, seems like putting "alternate" versions on the release would sweeten the pie.
MGM bought the rights to the 1936 Show Boat (and the 1929 one) before they made their film. I'm sure they didn't want Universal re-releasing their movie to ride on the coattails of their big hit.Warner Archives may not have been able to put together this ideal package, as the original Showboat was originally distributed by Universal. Do note, I have no idea if Universal is still holding the rights.
Blu-ray.com shows Feb.9thThe release date for this Blu-ray is February 23rd.
Portions of this were included with the Criterion '36 version.Showboat (1929). It seems to me that there would be an interest in our having a BD of this first version, as well. So, will it be WAC or Criterion? Indeed, who of the two will make it happen?
It's very good; to my ears it's far superior to the mono audio which is present on the DVD. From what I remember reading of the liner notes of the laserdisc, they did use original audio stems to fashion that stereo track.
I think it would be better if they included the Showboat sequence from 'Til the Clouds Roll By - as that film was "restored" by Turner/Warner Bros and released as part of a set of Musicals by WB on DVD'I wish they had put the 1936 version on there as a bonus. the 1936 is widely accepted as the best and most faithful of three screen versions of the Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammerstein II musical. As the DVD market shrinks, seems like putting "alternate" versions on the release would sweeten the pie.
It's listed in the press release above:I think it would be better if they included the Showboat sequence from 'Til the Clouds Roll By - as that film was "restored" by Turner/Warner Bros and released as part of a set of Musicals by WB on DVD'
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- as it it generally thought of as being Public Domain, it probably would not get a release on it's own on blu-ray.