Show Boat

Synopsis: The "Cotton Blossom", owned by the Hawk family, is the show boat where everyone comes for great musical entertainment down south. Julie LaVerne and her husband are the stars of the show. After a snitch on board calls the local police that Julie (who's half- African-American) is married to a white man, they are forced to leave the show boat. The reason being, that down south interracial marriages are forbidden. Magnolia Hawk, Captain Andy Hawks' daughter, becomes the new show boat attraction and her leading man is Gaylord Ravenal, a gambler. The two instantly fall in love, and marry, without Parthy Hawks approval. Magnolia and Gaylord leave the "Cotton Blossom" for a whirl-wind honeymoon and to live in a Pl: fantasy world. Magnolia soon faces reality quickly, that gambling means more to Gaylord than anything else. Magnolia confronts Gaylord and after he gambles away their fortune he leaves her - not knowing she is pregnant. Magnolia is left penniless and pregnant, and is left to fend fo
Genre: Drama, Family, Musical
Director(s): George Sidney
Production: MGM Home Entertainment
  Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.0
Rotten Tomatoes:
89%
APPROVED
Year:
1951
108 min
1,223 Views


Cotton Blossom

Cotton Blossom

Captain Andy's floating show

Cotton Blossom

Cotton Blossom

Hey, the show boat's coming.

Come on, mule. Git!

Show boat. Show boat.

Here comes the show boat.

Show boat.

See the show boat

It's old Captain Andy's Cotton Blossom

Will you go?

Are you coming to the show?

'Twill be delightful

And quite rightfully we say

There's not a better show

From New Orleans to St. Jo

Captain Andy has gathered a troupe

In the greatest of dramas

And jolly comedies

Stephen Baker

The handsomest leading man

And beautiful Julie LaVerne as well

Cotton Blossom, Cotton Blossom

Captain Andy's floating show

Thrills and laughter, concert after

Everybody's sure to go

Leave the lumber in the sawmills

Leave the cotton on the stalks

Come and meet him

Come and greet him

Captain Andy Hawks

Ladies and gentlemen,

it is with exhilarating gratification...

...that I bring once again

my theatrical offering...

...to your fair community.

I want you to meet

some of the greatest artists...

...that ever played the river towns.

Miss Ellie May Shipley!

The toast of Cairo, Illinois.

Next, I want y'all

to meet Frank Schultz!

Mr. Schultz is the villain in our play.

But off-stage he wouldn't hurt a fly.

And he's stuck on Ellie.

That's the way they always are, folks.

Just one big happy family.

And I'm their father.

And Parthy here is their mother.

I worked in a new one, didn't I? We're

the parents of one big happy family.

You're a big bellowing catfish.

Now get these handbills started.

Now I want you to meet the

little sweetheart of the South.

Our songstress and leading lady...

...Miss Julie LaVerne!

Hiya, Miss Julie!

She gets prettier every year.

Just to know her

is to love her, folks.

Here, I want you to know

the handsomest leading man...

...in the Middle West.

The famous Mr. Stephen Baker!

A sample of

soul-stirring emotion, folks.

No, Hamilton, I cannot accept you,

for I am not worthy of your noble desires.

On my mother's name, tell me why.

Look into this room and

view the secret of my downfall.

Have to see the play tonight,

folks, to learn her secret.

Tempest and Sunshine.

Beautiful drama of tears and laughter.

And then after that,

the grand concert.

Songs and dances beyond description.

Frank and Ellie, just a sample.

Just a sample, folks.

More! More!

Frank and Ellie. Frank and Ellie.

Just a little bit more.

Are you in business for your health?

Get finished and

get these things started.

Go on. Take them. Go on.

Stephen, my boy. Pass those out

among the adoring young ladies.

All right, captain.

Hey, where'd you get that?

Stole it, huh?

I ain't stole nothing.

Miss Julie give it to me

out of the kindness of her big heart.

- What's the idea of giving my present...?

- Get away.

Something you don't understand,

zebra gal.

I told you. Stay away from my wife.

She's nothing but a...

Here. Frank, take him aboard.

Well, folks, I guess

we fooled you that time.

The boys just played you another

little scene from one of our shows.

Well, folks, don't forget tonight.

Lucky puncher.

Yes, sir, get your tickets now.

Beautiful songs, beautiful people.

Come along, everybody.

Please, Mr. Pete, don't get

yourself all riled up over it.

Mr. Steve and Miss Julie,

they got to play performances here.

Yeah? I know a thing or two.

We'll see how many performances

they play in this town.

Hey, where's the sheriff?

Down there.

Nineteen.

Stud.

That's over $2000 you've lost.

You're unlucky.

Only a temporary condition,

I assure you.

Here's a boat ticket to

New Orleans. Playable?

Suits me. Leave you sort

of stranded, won't it?

You are presupposing

a calamity, sir?

- I'll stand.

- Say 18.

You presupposed perfectly.

- Sorry.

- Good day.

A lot of water down there, eh, boy?

Yes, sir. From where he all come?

Same place it's going, son.

'Tis, huh?

Who cares if my boat goes upstream?

Or if the gale bids me go

With the river's flow

I drift along with my fancy

Sometimes I thank my lucky stars

My heart is free

And other times I wonder

Where's the mate for me?

Ticket for tonight, mister?

Possibly. Does this boat

go to New Orleans?

Yep. Winds up there.

I'd like to speak to the owner.

They're all in town

giving the street concert.

I'll wait for them.

The driftwood floating over the sea

Someday finds a sheltering lea

So somewhere there surely must be

A harbor meant for me

I drift along with my fancy

Sometimes I thank my lucky stars

My heart is free

And other times I wonder

Where's the mate...?

Is there no mercy in your evil soul?

No kindness in your ugly heart?

Oh, sir, what manner

of foul jackal are you?

Coming into our humble home,

rich as you are...

...yet reeking of the carrion

of the fleshpots?

Oh, sir, I plead with you

on bended knee...

...from the torn and wretched heart

of a mother.

Stop giving my little daughter

diamonds and go home to your wife.

Bravo. Bravo. Now that's just

what the scoundrel needs.

Yes. Is there anything

I can do for you?

More of the same. Magnificent.

Well...

I'm afraid I just can't.

You see, I'm...

I really should be airing these

clothes. Brushed and aired.

Isn't that menial work

for a leading lady?

Oh, but I'm not the leading lady.

You're not? That's hard to believe.

You certainly look it.

I'm not even a member

of the company.

- No?

- No. Well, I mean, not professionally.

I'd say that's a desire

that your heart is set on.

At least you're right there.

- Why do you want to be an actress?

- Why?

Well...

Well, the ordinary person

wouldn't understand.

I mean... That is, a person

outside the profession.

No? Well...

You want to be an actress

because it makes everything come true.

Every exciting thing

you've ever dreamed about.

Even if it's make-believe.

Isn't that it?

Yes, that is it. How did you know?

For instance, right now,

we could be Romeo and Juliet...

...or Elizabeth and Essex, or...

Or Lady Southwaite

and Hamilton Barsdale.

Or Lady Southwaite... Who?

Oh, they're in the

Tempest and Sunshine.

Oh, yes, of course.

As a matter of fact, we couldn't be

anybody talking like this.

We haven't been properly introduced.

Well, that makes no difference

in make-believe.

Well, I suppose that's true.

So we could make-believe that

we've just fallen in love at first sight.

Only make-believe I love you

Only make-believe that you love me

Others find peace of mind

In pretending

Couldn't you, couldn't I, couldn't we?

Make-believe our lips

Are blending

In a phantom kiss

Or two or three

Might as well make-believe

I love you

For to tell the truth

I do

The game of just supposing

Is the sweetest game I know

Our dreams are more romantic

Than the world we see

And if the things we dream about

Don't happen to be so

That's just an unimportant technicality

Though the cold and brutal fact is

You and I have never met

We need not mind conventions

P's and Q's

If we put our thoughts in practice

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John Lee Mahin

John Lee Mahin (August 23, 1902, Evanston, Illinois – April 18, 1984, Los Angeles) was an American screenwriter and producer of films who was active in Hollywood from the 1930s to the 1960s. He was known as the favorite writer of Clark Gable and Victor Fleming. In the words of one profile, he had "a flair for rousing adventure material, and at the same time he wrote some of the raciest and most sophisticated sexual comedies of that period." more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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