Rating: 
Summary: A Wonderful Experience
Review: I saw this movie years ago in a drive-in with my parents. I have to admit that, being a little kid, I slept through most of it. Recently, I got to see it again on TCM and enjoyed it so much I ordered the DVD. Having seen the 1936 version, I can assure you the 1951 version is far superior. The singing is gorgeous, the beautiful technicolor photography adds to the enjoyment, and the sock-o ending of this version leaves the 1936 version in the dust. It's really true, they don't make 'em like this anymore! Buy and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Show Boat
Review: I thought the story and music were great, however, I was very disappointed with my VHS. It seemed like it was a copy of a copy and was very fuzzy. I did not know there was a DVD out on it or I would have bought that instead. I might do that any way. Thanks
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful musical treat!
Review: I very highly recommend this movie musical. The
songs and costumes are a real treat. They don't make them
like this anymore!
Rating: 
Summary: Not as Good As the 1936 Version
Review: If you want to enjoy Showboat, get the 1936 version. It is much better. The story in this version makes no sense and some of the best songs have been cut out.
Rating:
Summary: Does anyone have a torpedo handy?
Review: Oh, oh Kathryn Grayson--you are so far from anything resembling the character of Magnolia, it is almost comical (I can't write her off totally as a movie star, because she was actually good once...ONCE: in "Kiss Me Kate"). Anyway, onto this turkey. Like almost all 1950s musicals from MGM, it is colorful nothingness. There is no edge, no wit, plenty of misguided "style" and heaps of artificiality. There is not once convincing moment in this film, all it has going for it is beautiful color (and this DVD is indeed a wonderful transfer). Lets not forget that the 1936 version--with its to-die-for cast--was withdrawn from circulation for decades because MGM wanted this to be the ONLY version available. Perish the thought! Even the small Show Boat sequence in the film "Till The Clouds Roll By" is more memorable than this.
Rating:
Summary: Inferior Remake
Review: Okay, the movie does have that grand sense of MGM style that only that studio could bring to a musical. And Ava Gardner is wonderful as Julie. Having said that, this version pales before its magnificent 1936 predecessor because MGM decided to totally rip out the guts and substance of the original musical that has made it an enduring classic since 1927. All we're left with are the feel-good elements and that in the end makes this version of "Show Boat" something it should not be. What happened to Queenie, such a prominent character in the original? The wonderful angry middle section of "Ole Man River?" How can MGM be so stupid as to take out Capn'Andy's best part from the show, where he has to act out the melodrama singlehandedly (something that Joe E. Brown would have been born to do)? Why is Magnolia made less of an independent woman by having her go home instead of becoming a success? While the 1936 version was sadly truncated in some sections it at least managed to retain the essence of what makes "Show Boat" a musical classic. MGM's version only gives us a sugarcoated edition that has it's moments, but ultimately fails.
Rating:
Summary: I LOVE THIS MOVIE, AND SO WILL YOU
Review: So what if this isn't very faithful scriptwise. The story they did have, plus the music, plus the singing, kept me glued to my seat, unable to take my eyes off it. Not since West Side Story has a movie musical had this effect on me. I suppose that if you grew up seeing the stage play, you might be taken aback by the cuts, but how many of you would really be willing to sit and watch a movie for the four hours that the original play takes? You can't even sit through Gone With the Wind without taking a little "intermission." The singing is incredible. I love to hear Kathryn Grayson hit those oh-so-high notes, and I love to hear Howard Keel, well, anytime. After hearing the soundtrack I was kind of mad that they didn't let Ava Gardner do her own singing, but her wonderful performance makes you forget about it. One reason I am glad they changed the story for the movie is when we see Julie at the very end. It's the kind of bittersweet finishing touch that gets ya choked up no matter how many times you see it. So buy this movie, gosh darnit, and be prepared to sit back and enjoy a cinematic masterpiece.
Rating: 
Summary: SHOW BOAT A TECHNICOLOR DREAMBOAT!
Review: The 1951 film version of Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein's groundbreaking operetta, Show Boat, is one of the most beloved movie musicals of all time. The highest grossing picture of 1951, it has attracted several generations of appreciative audiences through countless theatrical re-releases and on home video. This DVD release showcases Show Boat's justly famous Technicolor cinematography better than any other previous video format. The opening sequence alone could well serve as a demo for the visual capabilities of the DVD medium. No motion picture, before or since, has the rich, incredibly saturated palette of colors displayed in Show Boat. Although this DVD version was made from the most recent Technicolor restoration of this film, there are still a few scenes (especially large blue speckles in the Ol' Man River sequence) which could benefit from digital cleaning and enhancement. Considering that Show Boat is approaching its fiftieth anniversary this year, these minor flaws do not seriously detract from the overall excellence of the image. Alas, the same can't be said for the sound. Although MGM recently did a surround stereo mix from the original multi track recordings of Show Boat, this DVD uses an older monaural mix, which while clean and dynamic, is no match for the superb picture. The current laserdisc version uses the surround stereo mix and it sounds truly awesome. The laserdisc also has running commentary by the film's director, George Sidney, which should have been included on this DVD. Warner Bros., the current owners of this film, should reissue Show Boat on DVD with a 5:1 mix derived from the surround stereo. Then the sound would equal Show Boat's spectacular picture quality. Also, Ava Gardner's own lovely vocals should be re-inserted into the picture in place of Annette Warren's dubbing. Today's audiences would find Gardner more convincing in the songs as her fine singing voice more closely matches her superb acting performance as the tragic Julie and an older audience grew up on Gardner's vocals, which were included on the best-selling Show Boat soundtrack album.Although this version of Show Boat has its detractors, especially among purists who prefer the stage and earlier black and white screen version, MGM's production is still an impressive achievement with several key sequences that are visually the most stunning examples of color art direction and cinematography ever committed to film. The score is performed beautifully by Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Marge and Gower Champion and especially William Warfield, whose definitive, magnificent, moving performance of the classic Ol' Man River, has become the standard by which all past, present and future renditions of this song will be judged. In fact, everyone associated with this matchless film should feel justifiably honored. And this DVD is the best way to experience Show Boat, short of a theatrical re-release.
Rating:
Summary: Show Boat
Review: There is little that can be said about the movie that hasn't already been said. It is a wonderful, vibrant and enchanting movie. Unfortunately, this DVD has a very poor picture and the sound frequently leaves much to be desired.
For example, During the "Old Man River" sequence there are large blue flickers that are distracting, the focus is not steady and the sound is "muddy" and not clear. In the "Can't Help Loving That Man Of Mine" sequence there is a constant color shift from white to yellow and back. There are other sequences where the picture is less than perfect, but these are the most noticable.
These problems, surprisingly, do not appear on the VHS copy.
Rating:
Summary: The VHS copy is better than the DVD
Review: There is little that can be said about the movie that hasn't already been said. It is a wonderful, vibrant and enchanting movie. Unfortunately, this DVD has a very poor picture and the sound frequently leaves much to be desired.
For example, During the "Old Man River" sequence there are large blue flickers that are distracting, the focus is not steady and the sound is "muddy" and not clear. In the "Can't Help Loving That Man Of Mine" sequence there is a constant color shift from white to yellow and back. There are other sequences where the picture is less than perfect, but these are the most noticable.
These problems, surprisingly, do not appear on the VHS copy.
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