Great songs, terrific performances, beautiful Technicolor photography
“Show Boat” is based on the 1927 stage musical by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II and the 1926 novel by Edna Ferber from which it was adapted. Two previous film adaptations were made, in 1929 and 1936, before Arthur Freed’s unit at MGM gave the project the full lush Technicolor treatment in 1951 with an all-star cast under director George Sidney.<br /><br />The Cotton Blossom show boat paddle-wheels up and down the Mississippi River, stopping at Southern towns to present plays of song, dance and melodrama. Captain Andy (Joe E. Brown) and wife Parthy (Agnes Moorehead) rely on their headliners: beautiful leading lady Julie LaVerne (Ava Gardner), handsome leading man Stephen Baker (Robert Sterling), and dance team Ellie May and Frank (Marge and Gower Champion).<br /><br />Because it’s the post-Civil War South, when word gets out that Julie is a mulatto passing for white and married to Stephen, a white man, they are forced to leave the Cotton Blossom. Capt. Andy’s daughter, Magnolia (Kathryn Grayson), replaces Julie and gambler Gaylord Ravenal (Howard Keel), who’s taken a shine to young Magnolia, becomes the new leading man. The relationship between Magnolia and Gaylord deepens and eventually they marry and leave the boat on their honeymoon. Things go well for a time until Gaylord’s luck changes for the worse and the marriage deteriorates.<br /><br />The script is darker than most musicals of the time, centered on martial responsibility, gambling addiction, alcoholism, and racial prejudice, but it balances these themes with glorious songs. The musical is a bridge between old-style operetta and the modern book musical, in which songs are integrated into the plot.<br /><br />“Make Believe,” sung by Gaylord and Magnolia when they first meet, tests the waters by using lots of “ifs” and “woulds” to show how they’d react if they were, indeed, in love. Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel also duet on “You Are Love” and “Why Do I Love You” and Grayson solos on “After the Ball.” Keel’s only solo is “Where’s the Mate for Me?,” sung just before he encounters Magnolia on the deck of the Cotton Blossom. “Show Boat” was the first of three musicals co-starring Grayson and Keel, and they make a fine romantic team.<br /><br />William Warfield sings “Ol’ Man River,” a song in the style of a Negro spiritual that’s a metaphor for life’s disappointments and sadnesses and the need to muddle through and “just keep rolling along.” It’s a powerful song, movingly delivered in Warfield’s bass-baritone.<br /><br />Marge and Gower Champion have two peppy song-and-dance numbers in “I Might Fall Back on You” and “Life Upon the Wicked Stage,” with clever choreography that showcases the couple’s athletic as well as terpsichorean abilities.<br /><br />Ava Gardner’s songs are “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man” and “Bill,” the former sung aboard the Cotton Blossom, the latter in a dive where Julie’s had to earn a living after falling on hard times. Julie is, by far, the most interesting character in the movie, and her role has been expanded from earlier versions. Gardner beautifully sells Julie’s earthiness and sensuality. Though she disappears for quite a while, she provides a powerful plot thread. Times being what they were, the studio bypassed its own contract player, Lena Horne, who would have been perfect as Julie, because the studio feared that a Black actress in the role would alienate Southern audiences.<br /><br />Many Hollywood musicals, such as “Good News” (recently reviewed here) are sheer cotton-candy fun. Others have a strong story, such as “Singin’ in the Rain” and “West Side Story.” “Show Boat” deals with troubled individuals, which gives the film an edge, but it never really explores their issues in depth. Screenwriter John Lee Mahin introduces conflict, but just enough to assure viewers that things will work out in the end.<br /><br />This version of “Show Boat” hardly acknowledges the presence of African Americans. With the exception of William Warfield and a fleeting glimpse of two minor Black characters towards the beginning of the film and a group of men and women picking cotton, the South in MGM’s concept is practically all white. The 1936 version did a much better job of  showcasing both Black characters and talent. Though the film tries to handle racism deftly, the extent of Southern bigotry is relegated to the story of Magnolia and Gaylord.<br /><br />Bonus materials on the unrated Blu-ray release include a director’s audio commentary, the “Show Boat” sequence from “Till the Clouds Roll By,” Ava Gardner’s vocals on two songs, a radio broadcast, song selection menu, and the film’s theatrical trailer.<br /><br />“Show Boat” is MGM at its finest in terms of star power and technical quality. It opens up the story visually while streamlining it to its essentials. The movie provides great entertainment, terrific staging of the Kern- Hammerstein songs, touching performances, and a nice blend of humor, romance, and pathos.
The movie title "Show Boat [Blu-ray]," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.7 from 1802 reviewers. 
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This title falls under the categories of Movies & TV, Featured Categories, Blu-ray and Drama. 
The additional details include the following in key-value format :
 {"Genre": "Drama, Musicals & Performing Arts/Musicals/General", "Format": "NTSC, Subtitled", "Contributor": "Joe E. Brown, Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson, Agnes Moorehead, William Warfield, Robert Sterling, Gower Champion, Leif Erickson, Ava Gardner, Marge Champion, George SidneyJoe E. Brown, Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson, Agnes Moorehead, William Warfield, Robert Sterling, Gower Champion, Leif Erickson, Ava Gardner, Marge Champion, George Sidney   See more", "Language": "English", "Runtime": "1 hour and 48 minutes", "MPAA rating": "NR (Not Rated)", "Product Dimensions": "0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 2.08 Ounces", "Director": "George Sidney", "Media Format": "NTSC, Subtitled", "Run time": "1 hour and 48 minutes", "Release date": "February 23, 2021", "Actors": "Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel, Joe E. Brown, Marge Champion", "Studio": "Warner Archives", "Country of Origin": "USA", "Number of discs": "1"}

Here is a brief synopsis of the title : From novel (by Edna Ferber) to Broadway smash (by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II) to three film versions (1929, 1936, 1951) to stage revivals. Like Ol' Man River, Show Boat just keeps rollin' along. Produced by Arthur Freed and directed by George Sidney, this 1951 version of the saga of riverboat lives and loves has glorious stars (Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel, Marge and Gower Champion) in Technicolor radiance, a made-from-scratch 170-foot paddle wheeler, timeless songs and an equally timeless outcry against racial bigotry. "This was music that would outlast Kern's day and mine," Ferber said in recalling her first reaction to hearing "Ol' Man River." She was right as rain..