Show Boat
“HEAR Glorious New Music and Songs by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II:”
Synopsis
Sheltered beauty Magnolia Hawkes takes over as the leading lady on a Mississippi riverboat show when mixed-race Julie and her white husband are forced out of town by a prejudiced sheriff. Charismatic opportunist Gaylord Ravenal wins Magnolia's heart, but his gambling losses threaten to ruin their chances for a happy marriage.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
SHOW BOAT 1936 Faux Trailer
Type: Trailer • Published 2014-05-08
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Irene Dunne
Magnolia Hawkes
Allan Jones
Gaylord Ravenal
Charles Winninger
Cap'n Andy Hawkes
Paul Robeson
Joe
Helen Morgan
Julie LaVerne
Helen Westley
Parthenia "Parthy" Hawkes
Queenie Smith
Ellie May Chipley
Sammy White
Frank Schultz
Donald Cook
Steve Baker
Hattie McDaniel
Queenie
Francis X. Mahoney
Rubber Face
Marilyn Knowlden
Kim as a Child
Sunnie O'Dea
Kim - at Sixteen
Arthur Hohl
Pete
Charles Middleton
Sheriff Ike Vallon
Clarence Muse
Sam
E. E. Clive
Sir Arthur
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson
Boonville man speaking film's first line
Release History & Theatrical Window
New York City
Festival / Special Debut
May 17, 1936
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$1.2M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
Pending
Total global ticket sales
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- James Whale
- Screenplay & Story
- Oscar Hammerstein II
- Original Score
- Jerome Kern
- Original Title
- Show Boat
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 53m
- Production Budget
- $1.2M
- Production Studios
- Universal Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
James Whale
Oscar Hammerstein II, Edna Ferber, Jerome Kern
Jerome Kern
John J. Mescall
Ted J. Kent, Bernard W. Burton
Carl Laemmle Jr.
Department Leadership Roster
James Whale
Director
Oscar Hammerstein II
Screenplay
John J. Mescall
Director of Photography
Carl Laemmle Jr.
Producer
Ted J. Kent
Editor
Bernard W. Burton
Editor
Doris Zinkeisen
Costume Design
Vera West
Costume Design
Jerome Kern
Original Music Composer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Show Boat.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Show Boat.
Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
Musicals
Curated film musicals: songs and musical staging tell the story, express character and relationships, or create its fantasy/theatrical language. Includes classical, animated, backstage, rock and experimental musicals. Onstage songs can qualify; music-making or showcasing talent alone does not. Compiled from Time Out and BFI selections plus our own curation, filtered for this channel. Not an official publisher list. Sources: https://www.timeout.com/movies/best-movie-musicals-of-all-time ; https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/10-great-rock-musicals
ALLL MOVIESSS
list0
Musicals
Every film Wikidata tags as a musical film.
National Film Registry
Films preserved in the Library of Congress National Film Registry.
Similar Titles to Show Boat
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
7.6
6.5
8.2
7.3
7.3
4.2
6.2
5.3
7.7
7.5
6.7
8.1
9.0
7.0
More Like Show Boat
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About Show Boat
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Show Boat about?
Sheltered beauty Magnolia Hawkes takes over as the leading lady on a Mississippi riverboat show when mixed-race Julie and her white husband are forced out of town by a prejudiced sheriff. Charismatic opportunist Gaylord Ravenal wins Magnolia's heart, but his gambling losses threaten to ruin their chances for a happy marriage.
Who directed Show Boat?
Show Boat was directed by James Whale.
Who stars in Show Boat?
The principal cast of Show Boat includes Irene Dunne, Allan Jones, Charles Winninger, Paul Robeson, Helen Morgan.
When was Show Boat released and how long is it?
Show Boat was released in 1936 with a total runtime of 1h 53m.
Who composed the musical score for Show Boat?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Show Boat was composed by Jerome Kern.
Is Show Boat based on a book or true story?
Show Boat is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Edna Ferber", Book: "Oscar Hammerstein II".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Show Boat?
Show Boat holds official age classifications: US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).