A Little More about Jerry Kern (by Laura Orem)

In response to the previous post, and in continuing honor of Jerome Kern's birthday, here are four versions (three video, one audio) of the remarkable song, "Ol' Man River," written with Oscar Hammerstein for the 1927 Broadway production of "Show Boat."  It is a seminal song in American music for many reasons. For one thing, it was meant to be sung as a bass solo by the character Joe. For another, the song expresses - without caricature and with deep sympathy - the interior lives of the black characters in the play. It acts as a leitfmotif throughout "Show Boat," which, despite its "happy" ending, is perhaps one of the most melancholy pieces in 20th century American musical theater: the two major characters are a woman abandoned for five years by her gambler husband and a woman ruined by the exposure of her true racial identity, drawn against a backdrop of the racism of the deep South in the late 19th century.

Kern and Hammerstein knew what they were doing with the song, and they were very nervous about how it would go over. There is a story of both of them sneaking out of the theater during the premier, lurking in the lobby because they were too jumpy about the audience's response. (It was originally sung by Jules Bledsoe [right], although the song is most associated with Paul Robeson's performance in the 1936 movie version.) As the song ended, there was a deep, unnerving quiet. Kern and Hammerstein looked at each other in alarm and finally worked up enough courage to take a peek. The audience was sitting in stunned silence, many of them quietly weeping, too moved to applaud, too moved to move.

Paul Robeson (left) is actually known for two versions of the song - the version sung in the 1936 James Whale movie, and a later version which is in a way a defiant response to the song's sentiment of resignation. In earlier productions, the character of Joe is a comic figure, resonant of minstrelsy and typical stereotypes of the time. Robeson changed the lyric - slightly but in important ways - in later perfomances to reflect his commitment to civil rights and his own sense of personal dignity.

Interestingly, the lyric had already been changed in each major production, indicative of what was acceptable language during each era. In the 1927 version, the lyric went: "Niggers all work on de Mississippi/Niggers all work while de white folks play." In the 1936, this was changed to "darkies;" in the 1946 revival (and in the 1951 movie), it became "colored folks."  Finally, in the 1946 movie, "Till the Clouds Roll By," a biopic of Kern's life, it morphed into "Here we all work on the Mississippi," sung by Frank Sinatra (above right) in a white tux against a white background, accompanied by a white orchestra and about a thousand white dancers all dressed in white. Apparently, no one got the irony.

Below are the three video versions. The first is the exquisite William Warfield (left) version from the 1951 movie, starring Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardener, Howard Keel, and Joe E. Brown. (The director George Sidney didn't seem to quite know what to do with the character of Joe. On the one hand, he gave "Ol' Man River" an incredibly beautiful, evocative, and moody setting in keeping with the sensibility of the song. On the other hand, Joe in the original is a figure of goofy stereotype. In the end, Sidney cut Joe as a character almost entirely from the movie.) The second is a 1994 performance at the White House by Aretha Franklin. And finally, a performance by Paul Robeson (commentary by Harry Belafonte), with his updated lyrics.

 

Comments

[Grace Cavalieri]

I treasure this Laura, however I object to you calling him JERRY. You hardly knew the man. GC

[Laura Orem]

Au contraire. We were very close.

[Stacey]

I can vouch for Laura, Grace. She and Jerry were a fixture on the club scene back in the day.

[DL]

Wonderful post. "Ol' Man River" is possibly the greatest song in the history of Broadway musicals, and there's a lot of competition. A very difficult song from the vocalist's point of view, it requires a leap of an octave and a half from the end of the release to the last notes. I believe Sinatra himself changed the wording to "Here we all work." His version of the song in that 1946 biopic -- well worth seeing, by the way -- is outstanding and showcases perfectly his amazing vocal ability. (Listen to how he sustains the note between the bridge and "I gits weary"). Jerry loved Sinatra's cover -- as did Louis B. Mayer, who was moved to tears when FS did it at the Hollywood Bowl. A toast to Jerry and Oscar!

[Laura Orem]

I totally agree that Sinatra had the vocal and emotional chops for the song - but, oy vey! That set! It's cringe-worthy. I prefer later Sinatra performances of it.

But I think I love the Warfield version best. His voice is like velvet and his performance is perfect.

They sure don't write 'em like this any more. Kern and Hammerstein were brave and brilliant.

[Laura Orem]

DL - do you know if the story about the premier of "Show Boat" is accurate?

[DL]

LO, I don't know whether or not the story's true. I do know that they monkeyed with the show an awful lot over the years, and not just the wording of "Ol' Man River," but whole songs were dropped and others added with each revival, so that in a sense there's no definitive "Show Boat" as there is, say, a definitive "South Pacific" and "Guys and Dolls."

[Stacey]

OK. So I'm a huge 'Retha fan but this interpretation is just too much. I just want her to sing the song!