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In this Studios Year by Year episode, we witness the changing of the guard at Universal in 1936, in which James Whale's\xa0Show Boat\xa0brings down the Laemmle Era, and Deanna Durbin's first feature, Three Smart Girls, ushers in the Bankers Era. We find good things to say about both, but we're not gonna lie, most of the episode is devoted to Edna Ferber/Kern and Hammerstein/Whale's\xa0Show Boat\xa0and its combination of quiet radicalism, family melodrama, and musical entertainment. Musical entertainment is just about the only link between the two films. Dave and Elise marvel at 14-year-old Durbin's terrifying energy and confidence, and Elise is very happy to see 29-year-old Ray Milland, even if he probably shouldn't be quite so happy to see 18-year-old Barbara Read.\xa0

Time Codes:

0h 01m 00s:\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 \xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 SHOW BOAT [dir. James Whale]\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0

0h 55m 15s:\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 \xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 THREE SMART GIRLS [dir. Henry Koster]\xa0 \xa0 \xa0

Studio Film Capsules provided by The Universal Story by Clive Hirschhorn

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* Marvel at our meticulously ridiculous Complete Viewing Schedule for the 2020s

* Intro Song: \u201cSunday\u201d by Jean Goldkette Orchestra with the Keller Sisters (courtesy of\xa0The Internet Archive)

* Read Elise\u2019s latest film piece on Preston Sturges, Unfaithfully Yours, and the Narrative role of comedic scapegoating.

* Check out Dave\u2019s new Robert Benchley blog \u2013 an attempt to annotate and reflect upon as many of the master humorist\u2019s 2000+ pieces as he can locate \u2013 Benchley Data: A Wayward Annotation Project!\xa0

*And Read lots of Elise\u2019s Writing at\xa0Bright Wall/Dark Room,\xa0Cl\xe9o, and\xa0Bright Lights.*

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Write to us at therebuggy@gmail.com

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