Show Boat isn't much of a showstopper. Almost all the musical numbers in this movie are sleepy, slow songs. Ava Gardner, Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, and William Warfield all have beautiful singing voices, and the dancing is enjoyable to watch, but this movie is lacking in energy. The plot is also fairly bland, with no real character arcs and no big surprises. The story just kind of meanders along, like a paddleboat drifting down the river. Watching Show Boat isn't an unpleasant experience, it's just not as impressive as it could have been. And yet it's the second highest-grossing movie of 1951.
Review of Show Boat
