Show Boat, part 3 December 22, 2007

Because of the film’s length and cost, Universal subjected Show Boat to some fairly drastic cuts before its release. The most glaring is the song “Why Do I Love You?”, which was in the scene with Nola, Gay and Kim in the automobile (in the last video of today’s section). Ellie’s big number, “Life Upon the Wicked Stage”, is also missing although it plays over the scene of the audience leaving after Gay’s first performance. Some posters for the first release still refer to these songs. The studio added “I Still Suits Me” to beef up the role of Joe for Paul Robeson.

Irene Dunne, who understudied Norma Terris, the Broadway Magnolia, was thirty-seven when she made the movie; Allan Jones, playing Gaylord Ravenal, was twenty-nine.

(NOTE: today’s section runs 27:08)

================================

Cap’n Andy saves the show; “Gallivantin’ Around”

“You Are Love”; the wedding; “I Still Suits Me”

Kim’s birth; Gay takes Nola to Chicago

Gay and Nola live the high life; Gay abandons his family

================================

Technorati tags: Show Boat, Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II, Edna Ferber, Florenz Ziegfeld, James Whale, Irene Dunne, Allan Jones, Charles Winninger, Paul Robeson, Helen Morgan, Helen Westley, Queenie Smith, Sammy White, Donald Cook, Francis X. Mahoney, Hattie McDaniel