|
By
NICK ZEGARAC
"Show Boat" was Jerome Kern's immortal gift to the Broadway stage. An instant hit upon its initial release, the movies just couldn't wait to capitalize on its success.
The plot concerns a tragic mulatto, Julie Lavern -- who passes for white until her secret is exposed. On board the Cotton Blossom, Julie develops a mentor relationship with Magnolia Hawkes (Kathryn Grayson), a naive teenager who discovers her own heart break when she marries gambling scallywag, Gaylord Ravenal (Howard Keel). This film version tempers the racial undertones and focuses more on the doomed romantic elements with baritone and schmaltz. One of the songs sung by Grayson, "After the Ball," is a song that was a standard around 1900 but not written by Kern. Despite the artistic liberties taken with the story the results a la MGM's sterling production values, are astoundingly beautiful. Dancers Marge (Ellie) & Gower Champion (Frank), comedian Joe E. Brown (Captain Andy) and stalwart Agnes Moorehead (Pathena Hawkes) also headline.
The transfer is very nice: A clean, bright, bold and beautiful print that is long on quality and short on digital anomalies. Blacks are solid and deep. Colors are rich and vibrant. Very few scenes illustrate that the original film elements are nearly sixty years old. Though there is some minor pixelization and edge enhancement neither distract from your viewing enjoyment. The audio is mono but remarkably well balanced.
There are no extra features, but this is a must have DVD! |
