What happens
Ravenal, a gambler, falls in love with Magnolia, the leading lady of the showboat Cotton Blossom, and the two marry after he joins the company. Their life grows difficult as his luck at cards turns and their money runs out. Their troubles deepen when Magnolia and Ravenal are separated, and the story follows the careers and fortunes of the other members of the company. This episode of Lux Radio Theatre presents a radio adaptation of Show Boat, the musical story based on Edna Ferber's novel, and it was first broadcast on 1952-02-11 with a cast drawn from the film version. The episode is a partial account and does not reach the ending.
A Mississippi River showboat, the Cotton Blossom, and the river towns and cities it visits, including Chicago.
Characters: Magnolia, Ravenal, Captain Andy, Julie, Steve, Pete, Joe, Frank
Listen for: The musical numbers performed in the show, and the moment Magnolia and Ravenal meet and fall in love.
Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.