Show Boat, part 4 December 23, 2007
Posted by Jeff in 1929 through WWII, Jerome Kern, Movies, Musicals, Oscar Hammerstein II, Show Boat, Theater.1 comment so far
Helen Morgan (1902-1941), the original Julie LaVerne, is credited as the original “torch singer,” who perfected the style of leaning on the piano while she sang bluesy songs. In fact, she had to lean on the piano to stay vertical, as she was she was an alcoholic who was frequently drunk on stage. She died after collapsing on stage during a performance of George White’s Scandals. Ann Blyth portrayed her in a biographical movie in 1957.
Show Boat, part 3 December 22, 2007
Posted by Jeff in 1929 through WWII, Jerome Kern, Movies, Musicals, Oscar Hammerstein II, Show Boat, Theater.1 comment so far
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.
Show Boat, part 2 December 21, 2007
Posted by Jeff in 1929 through WWII, Jerome Kern, Movies, Musicals, Oscar Hammerstein II, Show Boat, Theater.1 comment so far
Show Boat has an unjustified association with financial ruin, and not just for Julie and Steve. The original production was blamed for Florenz Ziegfeld’s bankruptcy, although in fact it was a smash success. And the financial and critical success of this version wasn’t enough to prevent the founder of Universal Pictures, Carl Laemmle, from being forced out as studio head later that year.
Show Boat, part 1 December 20, 2007
Posted by Jeff in 1929 through WWII, Jerome Kern, Movies, Musicals, Oscar Hammerstein II, Peter Pan, Theater.add a comment
This month marks the eightieth anniversary of the original production of Show Boat, the work that ushered in the Golden Age of the Broadway musical and defined the genre for two generations. In honor of which, the non-blog does not present the movie that remains the defining Hollywood version.
“Nothing’s impossible, I have found …” September 4, 2007
Posted by Jeff in 1929 through WWII, Dance, Fred Astaire, Jerome Kern, Movies, Musicals.add a comment
The other best remembered dance number from Swing Time (1936), a movie originally titled Never Gonna Dance. And it certainly seems that way; here were are almost half an hour into the movie and believe it or not Fred and Ginger haven’t danced yet.
La belle, la perfectly swell romance September 2, 2007
Posted by Jeff in 1929 through WWII, Dance, Fred Astaire, Jerome Kern, Movies, Musicals.1 comment so far
From Swing Time (1936), a movie that was originally going to be named after this number — “Never Gonna Dance”. A dance to a song about not dancing, a love duet by two people who have just broken up.
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