MovieChat Forums > Show Boat (1951) Discussion > Yvonne De Carlo in the role of 'Julie,'...

Yvonne De Carlo in the role of 'Julie,' anyone?

posted 17 years ago by copper1963
6 replies | jump to latest

Does anyone else think Yvonne De Carlo would have been a good choice to play this pivital part? Ironically, a few years later, she would play Amantha Starr, a woman of mixed-race, in the Civil War drama Band of Angels--a part Ava Gardner turned down. Miss Decarlo was schooled as a singer and had a unique tone and quality to her voice. She sang in many of her films and would later triumph on Broadway in the musical "Follies." She even cut a bluesy album with the great film composer John Williams. It's also interesting to note how closely their (Ava's and Yvonne's) careers paralled one another. They both started in 1941, enjoyed lenghty (23 credits each) stints playing bit parts (hat check girl, secretary, show girl, sales girl, etc.) before getting their big breaks in 1945. They both played opposite Burt Lancaster in classic film noirs directed by Robert Siodmak. MGM wanted Ava Gardener to do the musical Sombrero. She turned it down. Yvonne took the part and used it as a springboard to getting her most famous film role: "Sephora" in The Ten Commandments. They were both up for the same role in The Barefoot Contessa. Ava won. So Yvonne, not to be outdone, flew off to France and made The Contessa's Secret. Eerie, huh? And both took mini-sabbaticals around the same time in 1960, only to emerge a few years later (in 1963) in big productions (Seven Days in May and McClintock) and with big names (Lancaster/Douglass and John Wayne). They (also) each made one science fiction film: Ava made On the Beach and Yvonne made the Power. Only in their later careers and in their private lives did their choices differ significantly. Ava married Frank Sinatra, Mickey Rooney and Artie Shaw. Yvonne married a stunt man.

[–] misspaddylee 17 years ago

That's an interesting idea and a good one. Yvonne could certainly have played the role of Julie beautifully. However, Ava in that last scene breaks my heart.

"It's as red as The Daily Worker and just as sore."

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] xylonian-1 16 years ago

I think she did a great job as well, but find the Yvonne De Carlo idea interesting as well. As far as movies go, only know her from "The Ten Commandments"

"A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five."

[–] Rob_Dan 13 years ago

agree... Yvonne would have made a great Julie. I have her solo album from the Fifties... She has a great singing voice.

[–] Beckford (25) 4 years ago

Just watched Warner Archive's new Blu-ray of the 1951 "Show Boat" and it's a dandy. Sound and color are amazing. And the movie remains a winner on all levels. For one thing, I like everyone in the cast. This is the film that introduced me to Kathryn Grayson and I've been a fan ever since. There've been lots of attractive onscreen sopranos over the years but none so meltingly pretty as Grayson. Always thought she seemed like Snow White come to life. As for Ava Gardner, well this is the role that cemented her superstar status at Metro. The picture was a huge moneymaker and audiences fell in love with her marvelous performance as the tragic Julie. No wonder. It's an emotional role and she's very moving in it.
I wouldn't change the casting myself. But the above poster's suggestion of Yvonne De Carlo for the part is excellent; she could sing, had recently scored with a sensational dramatic turn in the hit noir "Criss Cross" and was a good physical fit to play a beautiful mixed race woman passing for white in the 19th century south. I'd add the name of Dorothy Lamour, another singing actress who had the right sultry look.
Director George Sidney, remembers (in his Bluray commentary) that the studio was at one point leaning heavily toward Dinah Shore and that Sidney tested both her and band singer Ginny Simms for the part. These two were certainly top vocalists but I doubt they'd have come anywhere near the emotional levels reached by Ava Gardner in the role.
The studios seldom hesitated to dub musically challenged stars. As it happens, MGM ultimately dubbed Ava (though her own surviving tracks are - to my ears and many others -superior to the ones used onscreen). In fact, it was Ava's recordings that were actually on the popular soundtrack album.
If we're imagining non-singers for the part, how about Linda Darnell and Faith Domergue? Both on the scene at the time and both potentially fascinating choices. But - as I said -Ava's perfection in "Show Boat".

[–] marktayloruk (2507) 3 years ago

Unfortunately her voice was dubbed - which I totally oppose.