MovieChat Forums > Show Boat (1951) Discussion > The end

The end

posted 17 years ago by forgetnorway
8 replies | jump to latest

I was dissapointed at the end.
Why'd she take him back? Silly Mousse!
sorry jst my opinion

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[–] mainecoon1995 17 years ago

Remember when she went back to the hotel to apologize, and he was gone? He left because she went off saying he disappointed her, he made them poor. He felt she was better off at this point without him, and would be better off with her parents. He didn't know she was pregnant. Later, he just wanted to see her and found out he was a father. They always loved each other.

[–] Dommy1952 17 years ago

Very touching ending, especially meeting his child and 'pretending' to be her father. The unnoticed reappearance of Julie in the final scene was a great, poignant touch. Masterfully directed conclusion to a fine film.

[–] JimsomWeed 17 years ago

it fit with the upbeat of the movie, plus it goes with Julie's song fish gotta swim. its be better then the 1936 ending when they come back together when they are older and Ravonal (check spelling) knew he was a dad. and mostly defiantly better then the origonal play ending in which Ravonal was killed over a gambling debt.

[–] yanogator-974-202803 8 years ago

I don't know what play you're talking about, but at the end of Show Boat (play), Ravenal returns to the boat and Magnolia after Kim has grown up and become a success on Broadway.

[–] funkyfry 17 years ago

What do you mean he didn't know she was pregnant? The kid was already born and in boarding school, he sings to her as he abandons them. What you're saying doesn't match up to any film or stage version.

Did I not love him, Cooch? MY OWN FLESH I DIDN'T LOVE BETTER!!! But he had to say 'Nooooooooo'

[–] justoldbill 17 years ago

You're thinking of the stage play and 1936 film. Indeed, in the 1951 film Ravenal leaves not knowing Magnolia is pregnant. The first we hear of it is in the scene between Magnolia and Andy backstage at the Trocadero.

"Birds gotta swim, fish gotta fry!"

[–] dmnemaine 15 years ago

In the novel, Gaylord Ravenal never comes back to Magnolia. His coming back when Nollie and he are much older is an invention of Hammerstein's for the 1927 stage play. The 1951 film fiddled even more with this by having Gay leave Nollie before she tells him that she's pregnant, and then coming back when they are still "young" to find out he has a daughter.

[–] BarryTrexel 15 years ago

The ending of the 1927 production has them reuniting when they are more mature, for sure. In the 1936 version, they reunite as senior citizens. In 1951, they have them reunite as youngsters which kills the theme of the piece. Edna Ferber was keen on themes where the female protagonists triumphed over adversity throughout the span of life. In 1951, I guess the river just stopped rolling along much earlier in their life span. Another thing I find wrong with the 1951 version is the character of Parthy. In all other versions, the character is strict but humorous, and it comes through that the character loves and cares for her family. In the 1951, version, she is just plain nasty and one dimensional throughout. It doesn't make sense at the end when she is happy that Gaylord returns to Magnolis. Until that last scene, she only exhibits hate for the man. The subject of racial prejudice that is so prevalent in all earlier productions is so whitewashed in the 1951 film, that the film is really reduced to a basic MGM musical love story with the usual lavish unreal MGM trappings. If one wants to experience a superior version of "Showboat" one should take the time to watch the James Whale 1936 version with Irene Dunne, Allan Jones, Helen Morgan, and Paul Robeson.