Show Boat

Update: some of the "lost" footage of the prologue has been found, both sound and picture, and this includes footage apparently not included in the Turner Classic Movies (TCM) edition of the film. Some of this once-lost footage is included in A&E's The Great Ziegfeld (1996) and a few scenes from this footage are now included in the three-part PBS documentary Broadway: The American Musical (2004). The discovered footage includes Jules Bledsoe singing "Ol' Man River" with the Dixie Jubilee Singers in full costume. Also featured on this "Biography" episode were scenes of Tess Gardella singing "C'mon Folks" and Helen Morgan singing "Bill." All of these scenes survive in only faintly tolerable sound and picture quality, but at least they survive.

When Nola is given the letter Gaylord has left for her telling her he is leaving her, she is shown holding and reading the letter with her right hand holding the letter near the top and her left hand near the bottom. In the next shot, her hands have changed positions.

All performers in the prologue are identified verbally.

This movie is currently in the Turner library, since MGM bought the rights for the 1951 remake. The Turner Classic Movies Channel broadcast a 118-minute version, which included an Overture (i.e., the sound portion of the Prologue, and only part of it, at that) and Exit music. The Overture contained 2 of the 5 songs of the prologue ("Hey, Feller!" and "Bill") so you do get to hear Tess Gardella and Helen Morgan. Otis Harlan introduces those songs and then introduces "Ol' Man River," but that song is not heard. For some sections with lost sound dialog, subtitles are provided. Although we do hear a brief rendition of "Coon, Coon, Coon" sung by Laura La Plante as she rehearses, her scenes singing that song and 4 others on stage are totally silent. The only other songs sung were "The Lonesome Road", presumably by Jules Bledsoe dubbing Stepin Fetchit, and "Why Do I Love You" by an unidentified singer as part of the Exit music. None of the other vocals are included in the TCM print of the film.

Featured in La canzone di Magnolia (1936)