The Mighty Mississippi

What? No clip of Paul Robeson singing "Old Man River?" No music from that wholly American instrument, the calliope? No mention of today's riverboat casinos? Tsk, tsk, tsk. The first tape in this two-parter covers the history of the Big Muddy from the Ice Age to the eve of the Civil War. The second tape details the river's history from the Civil War to the historic floods of 1993. Hal Holbrook does an excellent job as narrator, but if the devil is in the details, this video is pretty bedeviled. Maybe it is nit-picking to complain that "Oh Shenandoah" and "Sewanee River" are played in the background, but not "Old Man River" (even though showboats are discussed). Perhaps it isn't fair to wonder why steamboat Captain Doc Hawley was interviewed without including his renowned calliope playing (of which recordings have been made, for heaven's sake). However, it is legitimate to argue that photographs from the turn-of-the-century shouldn't be shown when discussing people in the antebellum era; assertions such as "Vicksburg was the most important battle" of the Civil War shouldn't have made the final edit; and viewers shouldn't see old film of Coney Island's Luna Park when hearing about the fabulous electric lighting at the St. Louis World's Fair. The video is strong when relating how the river is part of American history, and will be of interest to the general viewer and people living in the region. However, it shouldn't be considered a must-buy for school history collections. Recommended, with reservations. Aud: P. (R. Reagan)