i have be a showboat fan for a long time . i have see it live on stage 5 time as well a the 1936 version and the pbs version . after watch the mgm version again on tcm and i decide that it be almost impossible to make a satisfying version of a showboat movie . it strange to say and but i think open up the stage version take away some of the intimacy a live version have . showboat greatness do not come from the standard boy meet girl boy loses girl boy get girl storyline . it come from the music and on stage a number can start with one guy on the dock lament the suffering endure along the mississippi and end with a chorus of voice sing about ol man river . the number themselves open up to fill the stage . but no movie can do that to the same effect . but my big problem with this version be the abbreviation of the story and the musical number . the song kern and hammerstein write deserve to be flesh out in all their operatic grandeur . the first act contain what i consider the best back to back to back musical number in broadway history with make believe ol man river can not help lovin dat man and the movie rearrange them out of order and only river be flesh out . can not help should be an 8 minute number with the chorus joining in at the end instead of the barely noticed number in the movie . because the music be among the best ever write and it be really hard to make a bad version of showboat . i will watch this movie whenever it be on tv but if you really love showboat and get the emi 3 cd record with frederica von stade and jerry hadley . and go see it live when you have the chance .