The Helen Morgan Page

May 12, 1936

Ninety years ago today, Universal’s 1936 film version of Show Boat premiered at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood.

The film would open in other large U. S. markets later that week – San Diego, San Francisco, and most famously at Radio City with a live stage show that included Robert Weede …

… but the booking at the Hollywood Pantages was the first.

James Whale’s film version of the beloved stage musical also marked several “lasts” as well.

This Show Boat proved to be the last film produced by Carl Laemmle Jr. The Laemmle family lost control of the studio Carl Laemmle Sr. founded just two months before the launch of one of their greatest triumphs.

Nevertheless, the outgoing, as well as the incoming, management knew they had something special on their hands, as their special Show Boat stationary illustrates.

Other “lasts”:

James Whale would continue to direct feature films for another five years – but without Junior Laemmle’s patronage, Whale’s career went into decline.

Technically, Show Boat also marked the last film appearance of Helen Morgan.

Why “technically”? Show Boat was the last film Morgan shot, but the long-aborning Frankie and Johnnie rode the coat tails of its more famous cousin into many U.S. markets … but not all. In fact, Frankie and Johnnie went into limited release a month before Show Boat, beginning at Miami’s State Theatre on April 12, 1936.

Most of Frankie and Johnnie‘s early bookings were in smaller markets (Racine WI, Sioux City, Allentown, Clinton IN, etc.) but folks in Pittsburgh, Kansas City, and Tampa had the opportunity to see Morgan’s Frankie before comparing it to her Julie.

Sadly, trailers to both films are not known to survive, but some enterprising person whipped up this:

There are worse things you could do today than to give the 1936 version of Show Boat a viewing, be it for the first or 90th time.