Hindsight

Classic kids or 100 films that the kids in your life have to see by 13 or else!

Day 96:  Show Boat (1936 in contrast to 1951 version)

Show Boat was an innovative Broadway hit, based on Edna Ferber's 1926 book.  This musical has some of the most beautiful melodies ever written with the music by Jerome Kern, and the script and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Besides the music the subtopic of miscegenation within the play was considered progressive at the time.  So far the musical has been filmed three times.  It would be great if the kid in your life could see two versions, the 1936 and the 1951; because, not only will they enjoy the beauty of the story, but also because they can see how different eras of production ended up making vastly different movies.  Interestingly the 1936 film, is more explicit and honest with the issue of racism; one would think the opposite.  In the 1936 film, the black actors still play major roles, and hold their own with the white characters.  Queenie, a black cook, a major character within the play and the 1936 version is reduced to basically a bit part in the later version. 

The role of Joe, the Stevedore, beautifully rendered by the oh-so-talented-I-Can't-Believe-it, Paul Robeson in the 1936 production is cut to basically the one song "Ol' Man River."  Even this song is played with, in the 30s version Robeson sings the line, "Don't look up and Don't look down; you don't dast make the white boss frown".  Also cut for the 1951 production is the African-American chorus, formed from a group of dock workers. Luckily, both films retain the lovely songs, such as "Bill" and "Make Believe."  

Themes:  Race, Mississippi River, Gambling, 

Media literacy Questions for Kids:  How are the two films similar and yet also very different from each other?  Why do you think this musical was so successful, but is rarely performed today?