Posted on 07/05/2010 1:45:12 PM PDT by Donald Rumsfeld Fan
One of three film versions of the classic Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein stage musical. Premiering in Washington's national Theatre in the winter of 1927, the show went on to continue its pre-Broadway tryout in a few East coast cities before finally making its Broadway debut at the Ziegfeld Theatre on 27 December, 1927. The original Broadway production was a huge success, playing over 500 performances. The show embarked on a nation-wide tour after it completed its Broadway run in 1929.
Norma Terris, Broadway's original Magnolia Hawks, went off to Hollywood to make films and actress Irene Dunne took over the role for the remainder of the national tour run, which ended in 1930. A revival of the original Zeigfeld production, which reunited much of the original cast and included the great bass Paul Robeson as Joe, was staged at the Casino Theatre on Broadway in 1932.
Also joining the production were Show Boat alumni Hattie McDaniel who had appeared in the 1933 West Coast production as Queenie; Paul Robeson for whom the role was actually written for as Joe; and Irene Dunne as Magnolia Hawks.
Film critics and enthusiasts consider this version the best and most faithful to the original stage version. In fact, it is almost word for word accurate with the exception of the much altered ending. A considerable amount of songs were cut due to time constraints (though they remain in the underscoring) but the show's most memorable numbers remain.
(Excerpt) Read more at youtube.com ...
Can you imagine the howls of indignation that would arise by Irenne Dunne's rendition of the "color folk shuffle". Notice her facial expression.....rolled eyes and protruding lips. Unimagineable today.
Obviously not a period correct corset or she would never have been making those moves.
What a tremendous talent Helen Morgan was. Superb voice and a truly great singer of torch songs.
Paul robeson was the son of a slave who was born and grew up in Princeton NJ. He was extremely smart, so much so that he applied and entered Rutgers University in New Brunswick NJ. He lettered in 4 sports and was All American in football. He attended church and it was here that his vocal skills were recognized. He graduated and was off to broadway! Quite a guy.
Irene Dunne invented the Moonwalk before Michael Jackson.
Until he went Red in his last years.
I saw that look as she danced and I absolutely loved it, pouty and bratty, I felt the real personality of the star shows thru here!
“What a tremendous talent Helen Morgan was. Superb voice and a truly great singer of torch songs.”
Yes she was great, as this clip proves.
Irene Dunne was also a great singer. Here’s evidence from Roberta(1935):
“Yesterdays”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sLAe5PDjvc&NR=1
Irene Dunne reportedly said her proudest achievement was having Jerome Kern write “Lovely to Look At” for her. This is the original performance of the song, from 1935.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAVKeIjrbYU&feature=related
“Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkQU-VQkhGw&feature=related
Irene Dunne was a lifelong Republican and devout Catholic, and also the most talented woman in Hollywood.
Thanks for posting !!!!!
One of the great, great shows of American musical theater, now sometimes maligned as “racist”.
bttt
If I’m not mistaken, he also joined the Communist Party and may have defected to the Soviet Union.
The greatest show of the American musical theater—wonderful music and some of Hammerstein’s best lyrics ever. I like the MGM version with Ava Gardner, Howard Keel, and Katharine Grayson. The Keel-Grayson duets give me goosebumps and the final scene with the down and out Ava Gardner watching the departing showboat breaks your heart. They don’t make them like that anymore.
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