Not only is her acting good here, but she's utterly, utterly mesmerizing to look at.
I agree with the other thread, that she is the best thing about this movie.
http://i.acephotos.org/images/orig/z/n/zne9w4ymp65995m.jpg
I agree. I think this is one of her best performances and she is unbelievably beautiful, especially during "Bill." To this day I don't understand why they dubbed her. Her own voice was beautiful. She was such an understated actress with such natural grace.
Decorate yourself from the inside out. -Andrei Turnhollow
Back then, since they were producing a product for the masses, the big budget films' stars, subjects and design choices were usually given a kind of homogonized gloss. Nothing was to be too jarring, or (the financers thought) it could scare away customers. They wanted to appeal to everyone in America.
Gardner's vocals are very appealing, and sound really good today. But MGM wanted a very pure, silky sound...that actually ends up lacking in character. All those dubbing jobs they did are so "clean" they don't have any depth or originality.
It's just the way it was :(
If anyone hasn't heard Gardner's version, here's the footage with her original vocal track laid over it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CK0g4qRTmI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0Ks0_tifek&NR=1
It all matches smoothly because this was the way it was PLANNED and FILMED...the re-dubbing was just added later, at the last minute.
Just finished watching Ava Gardner's version of "Bill". All I can say is "wow". Not only did her rendition of the song have all the emotion and character necessary to put it over, but she could actually sing. I've heard her "Can't Help Loving That Man" before too, and that's just as good. MGM messed up when they dubbed her.
shareMGM messed up when they changed the entire purpose of the song. "Can't Help Lovin Dat Man" was originally meant to add dramatic tension to the fact that the character of Julie was part black with a song that only blacks are supposed to know. The fact that she is devoted to Steve is secondary. Making it a romantic book song of love makes it more one dimensional. Ava Gardner was certainly beautiful, but the version as written for the stage show, and performed brilliantly in the 1936 James Whale version is priceless. The 1951 version of "Showboat" is one of the blandest adaptations of a legendary ever produced. One can name over a dozen things that are wrong with it that was done so right in the 1936 version.
shareBummer, the video police have blocked it.
But you ARE Blanche ... and I AM.
Here are some newer links to Ava's versions of Bill & Can't Help Lovin Dat Man. I agree that it's hard to understand why MGM dubbed for her. These are good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCsYSS6ddT4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFev0w7VgK8
Ava Gardner looks gorgeous in this movie
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