- This movie is currently in the Turner library, since MGM bought the rights for the 1951 remake. The Turner Classic Movies Channel broadcast a 118-minute version, which included an Overture (i.e., the sound portion of the Prologue, and only part of it, at that) and Exit music. The Overture contained 2 of the 5 songs of the prologue ("Hey, Feller!" and "Bill") so you do get to hear Tess Gardella and Helen Morgan. Otis Harlan introduces those songs and then introduces "Ol' Man River," but that song is not heard. For some sections with lost sound dialog, subtitles are provided. Although we do hear a brief rendition of "Coon, Coon, Coon" sung by Laura La Plante as she rehearses, her scenes singing that song and 4 others on stage are totally silent. The only other songs sung were "The Lonesome Road", presumably by Jules Bledsoe dubbing Stepin Fetchit, and "Why Do I Love You" by an unidentified singer as part of the Exit music. None of the other vocals are included in the TCM print of the film.
- The version currently shown on Turner Classic Movies has a soundtrack obviously recorded in 1929, but it does not include Laura La Plante's vocals of "Deep River" or "I Got Shoes". Instead, we hear the songs played orchestrally, while we see her mouthing the lyrics. As of 2009, it is currently impossible to tell if the film was actually made that way or not, but all literature on it in reference books states that Ms. La Plante (dubbed by singer Eva Olivetti) was heard singing those songs in the original release of the film.
- On the version shown on Turner Classic Movies, the "The End" credit has a small M-G-M logo at the right-hand bottom of the frame rather than the Universal Pictures logo.
- When originally released, this film was shown in both a part-talking and singing version and in a totally silent one for theatres not yet equipped for sound. The silent version ran some thirty minutes shorter than the sound version (if one counts the elimination of the two-reel sound prologue).
- Universal had originally intended to release the part-talkie version with authentic black spirituals and work songs only. When they realized that this could potentially backfire on them, they obtained the rights to the Kern-Hammerstein musical, incorporated some of the score into the film, re-shot two scenes so that Laura La Plante could "sing" (with a dubbed singing voice) two hits from the score of the Broadway show, and filmed a two-reel prologue in which three stars from the stage version of "Show Boat" sang five numbers from the show, two of them being the ones that Ms. La Plante performed in the film. The strategy did not work, and the 1929 film version of "Show Boat" was not successful.
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