SHOW BOAT (1936) *** When you have Paul Robeson there really shouldn't be enough musical lines to go around. Things must have come to a stop, even in Heaven, when he geared up for the homestretch of "Ol' Man River." Man had all the talent in the world, the smile of Solomon and his incredible sincerity-driven charisma. The scenes on stage are given meticulous attention they didn't receive in later versions, but the lead actors are always on the verge of being upstaged by Robeson or Charles Winninger. The production is tight, even gritty, but some of the vocals (particularly Irene Dunne) are the opposite.
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