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A show boat such as flourished years ago was reconstructed for the scenes which were taken along the Sacramento
River in California.
The Spell of tke Calliope
Up and down the Mississippi River its siren call brings old and young to the "Cotton Palace Floating Theater." This colorful story describes the filming of the novel "Show Boat."
Myrtle Gebhart
OIL lamps flickering, chains clanking, banners waving, calliope rending the air with its steamed melody, the Cotton Palace is efficiently joggled into its mooring place at the levee landing by its pug-s nacious little towboat, the Mollie Able. Farmers and plantation owners in wide-brimmed hats, gracious ladies of the South in voluminous silks, and buxom wenches in calico — a motley crowd has gathered to welcome the show boat.
Following the band, its vainglory bursting in loud, blaring tones, the Cotton Palace personnel debarks fog the parade in the dusk under kerosene torches, which precedes the evening's performance.
Enchanted by all this blatant ballyhoo, you meet the barnstormers of the bayous — the family of troupers whose joys and quarrels and drama make the pages of "Show Boat" tingle with action and color. Parthenia Ann Hawks, rigid in her aloofness, disapproving, managing with a firm hand that tolerates neither waste nor deviation from firm principles. Captain Andy Hazvks, genial, excitable, crackling orders in his high falsetto,
To Laura La Plante falls the honor of playing Magnolia.
'Photo by Seely
seeking to sneak around Parthenia' s rampartlike mien with tactful pleasantries and watchful waiting— a sly, humorous, old codger. Julie, indolent, careless, her strange brooding stung into vital fire only when tragedy sweeps her up — a mystery seems to lurk about her. Ravenal, moody, elegant even with his frayed linen, now highspirited, then sullen. In his broadcloth and pale-gray hat, a fastidious figure ; romantic amid banalities, remote from the coarseness of the river show folk. Ravenal, with his voice of such caressing cadence, his gentle, deferential manner, and his innate pride and irrfpermanence. Swinging his talisman, the ivorytopped malacca cane, which, pawned, tides him over waning fortunes, eying the crowd disdainfully.
You meet Magnolia the child and, watching her develop, you respond to the gay laugh flung by Magnolia the girl, and your sympathy is aroused by Magnolia the woman. Heart-tossed Magnolia, dramatic even in her suffering!
The boisterous child, always falling into and being fished out of the river. Always asking, at each bend in the river and in her own life, "What's next?" Versed, in the way that children sponge up things with grasping minds, in river lore. Starry-eyed and radiant Magnolia,