Show Boat

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Joel H Show Boat isn't much of a showstopper. Almost all the musical numbers in this movie are sleepy, slow songs. Ava Gardner, Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, and William Warfield all have beautiful singing voices, and the dancing is enjoyable to watch, but this movie is lacking in energy. The plot is also fairly bland, with no real character arcs and no big surprises. The story just kind of meanders along, like a paddleboat drifting down the river. Watching Show Boat isn't an unpleasant experience, it's just not as impressive as it could have been. And yet it's the second highest-grossing movie of 1951. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 11/03/23 Full Review steve d really dull musical. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review david f While the talent behind this movie and the production values are top-notch, I found the plot, characters, and music to be very dated and not very entertaining. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member So much better than what could be done today -- hence, a good rating -- but there are many flaws here. The William Warfield rendition of "Old Man River" is the only redeeming virtue of the needed black influence MGM edited out. But the show still works, although never approaching the brilliance of the 1936 version. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Well shot, but dated. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member MGM's loving, lovely Technicolor adaptation of the groundbreaking stage musical retains most of Jerome Kern's music and strengthens the role of Julie, poignantly played by Ava Gardner; William Warfield also does well singing "Ol' Man River." Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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