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Nightclub singer Helen Morgan defined the important role of Julie. The interpolated song “Bill,” a signature moment in act two, was chosen specifically to match Morgan's existing persona as a singer of torch songs. Hammerstein changed Julie's character as described in Ferber's novel to match Morgan's public persona as a symbol of resistance to Prohibition. Morgan's difficulties with the law during Show Boat's Broadway run proved important to the show's continuing profitability. Julie's role in act one was written before Morgan was cast. She performed “Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man” in a manner that deflected issues of race surrounding her character. Morgan's approach to the song—singing in a “white” manner—is compared to the very different style adopted by blackface singer Tess Gardella who performed under the stage name Aunt Jemima.

Paul Robeson played Joe for just over a decade, appearing in the first London production in 1928, the 1932 Broadway revival, the 1936 Universal Pictures film, and a 1940 Los Angeles production. All these versions altered Show Boat to accommodate Robeson's presence. He was particularly important to Show Boat's success in London. Morgan remained the show's signature personality in the United States. The role of Queenie was definitively passed to black performers with the casting of Alberta Hunter in the part. In addition to the above versions, the 1929 Universal film is also discussed in this chapter, which focuses more generally on how the show's presentation of black performance and performers was adjusted in its first decade of remaking and how individual performers used Show Boat to further their larger careers.

Curtiz returned to Warner Bros. for The Helen Morgan Story (1957).The film, starring Paul Newman and Ann Blyth,wasa flop and turned out to be the director’s final picture for Jack Warner. He fathered a daughter with Jill Gerrard, whom he maintainedat arm’s length to prevent any interference with his film career, which was entering twilight. Sam Goldwyn Jr. hired him to film The Proud Rebel. The film was delayed because of Curtiz’s appendectomy, but it became a heartwarming success starring Alan Ladd and Olivia de Havilland.Hal Wallis tapped him to direct Elvis Presley in King Creole (1958).Taking a conciliatory approach, Curtiz coaxed a superior performance from Presley that the pop music star came to regard as his best in any film. Curtiz directed a pair of desultory pictures,The Man in the Net and A Breath of Scandal, as age and illness began to impair his ability to work effectively.A handsome but antiseptic version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for Sam Goldwyn Jr. closed out Curtiz’s films during the 1950s.

Paramount was the Hollywood studio whose artistic ambitions were most conducive to Mamoulian's vision of the medium's potential. When offered a chance to direct a film at the studio's Astoria, NY facility, Mamoulian learned the craft of filmmaking over several months before making Applause (1929), which revolutionized talking pictures and was startling for its invention of multi-track recording as well as using actual locations in New York City. It starred popular Broadway performer Helen Morgan along with non-professionals cast to enhance the production's sense of realism.

This chapter explores the groundbreaking production of Show Boat and the golden age it ushered in for Ziegfeld. Included are detailed stories about the backstage drama, the composers’ efforts to complete the score, and new commentary from Broadway historians on the impact Show Boat had on Broadway. It had controversial themes and broke racial barriers by bringing black and white entertainers together on the same stage. Also, the show was not a star-driven production, meaning it could be revived again and again for generations to come. Meanwhile, Burke has decided to manage her own career, rather than relying on Ziegfeld to find properties for her. Ziegfeld enjoys more success with a witty musical comedy, Rosalie, which boasts a Gershwin score and Marilyn Miller as the star. The chapter ends with Ziegfeld planning more shows that will be as popular as his latest hits. Ziegfeld’s self-assurance reflects the national confidence Americans enjoyed in the late 1920s.