Tag Archives: katharine hepburn

Katharine Hepburn is Awesome

Posted on by under blogathon, carrie's faves, summer under the stars

Today, Summer Under the Stars on TCM features Katharine Hepburn–all day, all night, hooray! It would be wise to set your DVR to record the entire day or, better yet, just cancel any plans you may have. Get some snacks and a blanket and just get comfortable in front of the television.

ADAM’S RIB (1949)

It’s no mystery to regular readers of this blog how much I love Katharine Hepburn. She’s my hero. Her skill, her demeanor on screen, and her indomitable energy made her famous for generations. It’s only fitting that she is honored with a Summer Under the Stars tribute day.  More information than I could ever compile on the actress’ life and storied career is available and aesthetically presented on TCM’s fabulous Hepburn SUTS page.

MARY OF SCOTLAND (1936)

The lineup begins with Christopher Strong at 6AM EST, one of three films today from 1933.  The movies on the schedule run from 1933 to 1969. The schedule includes two of my favorites: Adam’s Rib (1949) and Woman of the Year (1942). I see that Brandie’s favorite, Bringing Up Baby (1938), comes on at 12:15AM EST; I’m sure she’ll be watching. The lineup further includes important films such as Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967); 1933′s Little Women (which I really like, even though I didn’t care for the novel–I find this version to be the best, but I’m perhaps biased); and her shining performance as Mary Stewart in 1936′s Mary of Scotland (we’ll forgive the fact that it’s a depressing story).

BRINGING UP BABY (1938)

Renowned for her sharp wit and intelligence, Katharine Hepburn was an uncommon starlet. Her legacy endured through several eras of film and numerous changes in the nation with class and spirit.  Her charming performances in romantic comedies belied her excellent capabilities as a dramatic actress. I’ve discussed her eerie and complex performance in Suddenly, Last Summer (1959) in a previous post, and I believe it is worth comparing that film to those on the list today. In that movie, she’s elegant and regal, while being subtle and completely terrifying. The more you pay attention, the more terrifying she is. Phenomenal.

SUDDENLY, LAST SUMMER (1959)

Frankly, I was surprised not to see The Philadelphia Story (1940) on the list today, but perhaps the schedulers at TCM thought it too obvious. Still, I felt it worth mentioning here, as the role was written for her, and it is one of the most popular of her films. As much as I love the 1956 musical remake High Society, even Grace Kelly could not bring the same spirit to her character that Katharine Hepburn did. The entire film has a different tone and feeling.

So, enjoy today, all day. You’re assured first-rate performances in comedy and drama. Thank you to Katharine Hepburn and the producers of Summer Under the Stars on TCM for indulging our love of this always wonderful actress!

 

This post is an entry in the “2012 TCM SUTS Blogathon” hosted by Sittin’ on a Backyard Fence and ScribeHard on Film. More Kate-centric posts can be found on their sites throughout the day!

Therapy Thursday: Suddenly, Last Summer

Posted on by under carrie's faves, from stage to screen, lit adaptations, therapy thursdays

As I mentioned yesterday, today’s Therapy Thursday post will showcase Suddenly, Last Summer, with Katharine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor.  Oddly, I haven’t been able to come up with a good topic for this series in weeks upon weeks … I just had nothing. Then, yesterday, doing a brief tribute to Elizabeth Taylor, this movie came to mind and it was an obvious choice. It’s a great topic for this series, but the universe is an odd place, and this timing is better than had I done it earlier anyway. Now to the point.

Suddenly, Last Summer is adapted from the play by Tennessee Williams. I actually saw the play staged before I saw this movie. While I don’t typically find a filmed version of a play or book an improvement, this is one of the seldom exceptions. They add to the play significantly, but it really adds something to it. Should it have been done this way on stage? Probably not. The film had some acting talent  we seldom see, and the cast combination was pure magic. While on stage, the point of view is a little ambiguous: we clearly should identify with Dr. Cukrowicz (Montgomery Clift); as we meet Mrs. Violet Venable (Hepburn), we would probably identify with him, even if he had been poorly portrayed. However, this is not the case. Clift plays a rather good role as Dr. Cukrowicz.

Meeting with Catherine

Listening to Ms. Violet is quite the experience. At first, we see eccentric and aristocratic, but the more we listen, we can develop an idea of how completely insane she is. Her speech is kind of linear, and yet, not remotely linear. Before long, we begin to think “delusion,” perhaps. She explains to Dr. Cukrowicz that Catherine Holly (Liz Taylor) is insane, and she wants her to have a lobotomy (eerily, this sort of thing is true to life–some family members would push for lobotomies of other family members, for various reasons). The more Ms. Violet talks and tells her story, the more the careful ear can pick up that she and George Holly had had an enmeshed relationship; that she is very controlling–and not just with her money; that she creates her world purely as she wants it; that she is manipulative, and frankly, is good at what she does. Somewhere midway, I felt afraid … she was scary. Now, later scenes are more designed to be frightening and make the film a thriller, in the sense we usually consider. However, I personally found her much more frightening than the more visual scary scenes.

She sets us up beautifully for the second section of the movie as well. Her story is full of facts and plausiblilities, but her telling of it is so weird, so odd, so circular, and yet so convinced that we are willing to believe Catherine’s story, with its outrageous sounding content, because she tells the story in an actual line. If we were to simply look at the content, of course Catherine is insane–it’s an outlandish story.

And so, we meet with Catherine. In the play, this mostly is a single scene, but it’s expanded and spread out in the film a little more. We get an interesting picture of the hospital, the structure of the mental health system, and the idea of lobotomy. Elizabeth Taylor did an amazing job throughout this entire process; however, I am going to emphasize her telling of her own story (the part that is crucial in the play as well).  As the film progresses, we identify more with Dr. Cukrowicz, and we want to do so. He’s endearing, and Violet is scary. But then something happens “suddenly”–we identify with Catherine. This is unusual in film–usually point of view is pretty consistent, but here we make a massive switch. Elizabeth Taylor’s performance certainly convinces us, the audience, that she is traumatized–we’d expect nothing less, but she goes further than that. She pulls us into her character, and from nowhere, we now identify with Catherine, and hope that Dr. Cukrowicz will help her out. When I watched this the first time, her artistry with the scene, particularly her amazing monologue (I looked for it on YouTube, but didn’t have much luck) and thought, “Wow.”  It was easy to appreciate as a great scene, but when I looked at it some more, I began to realize how completely brilliant is really was. She doesn’t stop at convincing the audience, but involves them (and of course, we believe her story, which we normally … wouldn’t. Clearly, she’s the truthful one, and completely traumatized by actual events, and possibly this crazy Violet woman). That is what I believe they mean when they say “movie magic.”

Why do I love this movie? It’s not a happy one, that’s for sure. The basic “psychology” of it is interesting and fairly well done. Typically, that’s what I talk about in this series. But this film is rare in the way it involves the audience, pulling them into the family, into the insanity, and making them players, too. That is the work of brilliant acting. Then, for me, the roles of both of the primary women in the film fit real family dynamics so perfectly that I’m in awe. It’s simply impressive, and there’s no other way to put it.

Wacky Wednesdays: A Cary Grant pictorial.

Posted on by under pictorial, screwball legends, wacky wednesdays

 

Few actors (at least in my mind) have ever been able to match the comedic physical prowess of the former Archibald Leach. When the athletic young Brit rechristened himself as the smooth, charming Cary Grant, he balanced his new romantic persona with a seemingly endless streak of youthful exuberance that shone through even the most serious of his roles. Though Grant is perhaps best remembered today as a debonair ladies’ man in a number of classic romances, some of his argunably best work emerged from the realm of screwball comedy.

In a series of films throughout the 1930s and 40s, Grant displayed a skillful affinity for physical comedy that was honed on the vaudeville circuit in his younger days. At the age of fourteen, he began performing in various vaudevillian formats ranging from mime to stilt-walking, an itinerant way of life that would last for nine years. The lessons learned from vaudeville–the sense of comic timing, the willingness to make a fool of himself onscreen, the skillful pratfalling–would serve him well as he began to transform himself from mere “eye candy” supporting player into the self-assured leading man who would fuel a million fantasies (oh, come on, you know you’ve been there).

In many ways, Grant was one of the kings of the screwball comedy. Not only could he deliver the zaniest of lines with panache and good humor, but he seemed to relish the prospect of throwing his body about on-screen in hilarious–and sometimes painful–ways. Take, for instance, his acrobatics in 1938′s Holiday, in which Grant plays Johnny, a free-spirited young man who tends to express himself through tumbling stunts, including a fantastic handstand/backflip combo at the end of the film.

Yes, that is a blurry Grant, suspended in mid-air in a screen capture from the film. And yes, that is Katharine Hepburn, his Holiday co-star, approaching in the background–in the film, her appearance causes Grant’s character to lose focus and bellyflop flat on the ground.

Ouch!

Pratfalls aside, Grant knew how integral facial expression was to the overall effect of a screwball sensibility.

Hamming it up in 1937's The Awful Truth

A captive Grant in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

An unwilling--and grumpy--"crossdresser" in Bringing Up Baby (1938)

And Grant always played well with a partner, his most effective of which being Irene Dunne, in three films including The Awful Truth …

… and Katharine Hepburn, in four films including Bringing Up Baby …

… and his single on-screen pairing with Rosalind Russell, in 1940′s fast-talking His Girl Friday.

These films are just the tip of the oh-so-funny iceberg. There are several more films in Grant’s repertoire–among them Topper (1937), My Favorite Wife (1940), and The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947)–that highlight the self-deprecating, antic humor that made the actor so appealing to a broad spectrum of moviegoers. Even his more serious roles, such as his four turns for director Alfred Hitchcock, emphasize the wittier side of his suave demeanor. Cary Grant was, in a word, just plain FUNNY.

So tell me–what are some of your favorite moments of Cary Grant hilarity? Any scenes (or entire films, for that matter) that are particularly rib-tickling or memorable for you?

P.S. If you’ve never seen it, one of the best tributes to Grant comes courtesy of TCM and the wonderful Tony Curtis, one of the actor’s self-proclaimed biggest fans.

Therapy Thursday: Holiday

Posted on by under 4-star films, best.films.ever., therapy thursdays

I thought I’d pick things up a bit this week and talk about Holiday with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn.  As a quick review, I loved this movie. It’s fun. It’s charming. It’s Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn. I really don’t need to say much more than that, do I?

I’d like to look into Katherine Hepburn’s character Linda, in particular. Linda is the family black sheep, refusing to obey their “rules.” The family works to make more money, and that seems to be their primary goal. Linda wants a freer life and is more focused on  how you can use money to live a fun life instead of using money to beget more money.

Linda spends a great deal of time in their old playroom, reminiscing and enjoying the toys, while she dreams about her mother, who was, according to Linda, a free-spirit. The playroom was her mother’s idea. She is greatly attracted to Johnny (Grant), because he represents the freedom in life and openness to experience that she has craved for years. She proclaims that he brings life into the house.

The time Linda spends in the playroom is pretty indicative of her character. On some level, she is an adult who simply won’t grow up. Because in her world, growing up or being an adult means working in a stifling job and focusing only on money. Fun has no place in adulthood, so she refuses to participate. She holds the fun for the family. By staying in the playroom, she can try to recapture those old feelings. Proponents of the “inner child” would say that Linda nurtures and encourages all of the inner children in the family, especially her own. It’s clear in that she wants her siblings to enjoy the playroom with her, wants to give her sister Julie and engagement party and marry Johnny and be happy, wants so much for the family members to actually enjoy themselves and participate in her world, much as a child would.

Johnny provides her that very outlet. He is very willing to participate in her inner childhood, and also has the ability and inclination to put both childhood and adulthood together in some sort of cohesion. So, when she goes with Johnny she may grow up and merge childhood and adulthood, because in his world, it is safe, acceptable, and possible to do just that.

SUtS: Katharine Hepburn

Posted on by under 5-star films, best.films.ever., brandie's faves, carrie's faves, classic pairings, hahas, magnificent musicals, screwball legends, summer under the stars

Brandie’s choice: Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Airing at 12:00AM EST

There are a handful of movies I would personally label the funniest films of all time, and Bringing Up Baby would be near the top of that list. In fact, when I endeavor to introduce someone to the world of classic film, this is one of the first films I recommend viewing. It just sucks you in–in the very best way. And screwball comedy–of which this movie is one of the supremest examples–is always a great way to introduce a reluctant party into the world of classic cinema because … well, who doesn’t love to laugh?

Baby stars Katharine Hepburn as a dizzy heiress, Susan Vance, who falls head over heels in love with a hapless paleontologist, David Huxley (a sexily disheveled and bewildered Cary Grant). Through her machinations, David loses a very valuable bone–the “intercostal clavicle”–that belongs to the skeleton of a brontosaurus. Susan also inadvertently jeopardizes David’s attempts to secure a million dollars’ worth of funding for his museum. And to add to the craziness, Susan has recently received a rather intimidating gift–a large leopard named Baby–which she plans to take to her family’s farm in Connecticut, of all places. Add in a nosy aunt, a bumbling big-game hunter, a concerned psychiatrist, and an idiotic constable, and you can imagine the chaos that ensues.

Considering how hilarious and utterly charming this film is, it’s amazing to think today that this movie was once considered a notorious flop, even contributing to star Katharine Hepburn’s assignation as “box office poison” in the late 1930s. Hell, it’s difficult to think of a time when Kate Hepburn wasn’t considered a monumental success and a pinnacle of movie stardom. Her legendary career came complete with four Academy Awards for Best Actress–a feat unmatched by any other actress (or actor!) in the history of film–and a litany of iconic film roles opposite some of the biggest names to ever grace the screen. But once this film was completed, Hepburn, in the midst of a string of unsuccessful films, chose to buy out her RKO contract to avoid being cast in the low-budget drama Mother Carey’s Chickens (which had been assigned to Hepburn as a sort of studio punishment because of her poor box-office performance). She would spend the next two years on the stage until her triumphant return to the screen in 1940′s wildly popular The Philadelphia Story (also co-starring Grant; see Carrie’s rec below).

Hepburn and Grant made a total of four films together; in addition to Baby and Philadelphia, these included the delightful Holiday (1938) and the cross-dressing romantic comedy Sylvia Scarlett (1935). In each of their pairings, Hepburn and Grant are a wonder to behold–not only do they play off of one another very well, but their on-screen interactions demonstrate a true camaraderie and mutual respect that only heightens the chemistry between them.

And that chemistry was never more sparkling than it was in Baby. Grant, whose career began in vaudeville, takes a page from acrobatic silent screen legend Buster Keaton and throws his body around without reservation, all in pursuit of a laugh. And Hepburn is right there with him, shattering the normally reserved persona she had crafted in previous films and demonstrating a comedic timing that had heretofore only been hinted at in her career. Each brings out the best in the other, and neither was ever really able to capture that same effortless, effervescent magic with another co-star (though Hepburn came close with some of her later screen partnerships with Spencer Tracy, particularly 1949′s Adam’s Rib).

The film is not all about Hepburn and Grant, however; there are some great supporting performances, too. Charlie Ruggles is delightful as the befuddled Major Horace Applegate, who can’t understand why he’s hearing leopard calls in the middle of Connecticut. Walter Catlett, who plays the overzealous constable, Slocum, and May Robson, who plays Susan’s Aunt Elizabeth, are both sharply funny. And classic film fans might recognize the little terrier playing George, the dog who steals David’s bone: the same dog, Skippy, also played Asta in the Thin Man movies and almost stole the show in 1937′s The Awful Truth (also co-starring Grant).

It’s not hyperbole to say that Bringing Up Baby is one of the BEST DAMN FILMS ever made. If you have never had the opportunity to see this movie, this is your chance. You won’t stop laughing until the final credits roll.

Carrie’s choice: The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Airing at 2:00AM EST

I’m so excited- it’s Katharine Hepburn Day!!!!  Katharine Hepburn is one of my biggest heroines. She’s amazing, and I flat out adore her. The spunk. The attitude. The coolness. Her well-honed sneer and smooth sarcasm served her well in Hollywood, and especially in The Philadelphia Story.

I love this movie, and oddly, I love the remake High Society. It took me a while to decide which I preferred, and I’d like to take you through my debate very quickly. Actual debate took a number of years.

The Philadelphia Story has Katharine Hepburn playing a snide, wealthy young woman whose father has been discovered in a scandalous affair. To save face, her wedding (second marriage) is now open to the press, in particular a sleazy operation–with pictures. To make matters worse, her ex-husband is hanging around, “not” sabotaging the wedding. Father  believes he has done nothing wrong-no remorse–and Tracy (KH) wants to torture them all. Yes, cast KH, because, let’s face it, no one knows how to emotionally destroy with pitch-perfect style and class quite like her.  For this reason, she’s an awesome Tracy. Add to this that she’s starring …

… between Cary Grant and James Stewart, and the  most casual reader of this blog needs no further comments on the matter.

High Society: Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra

Later, High Society does well, but Tracy, played by Grace Kelly (also talented and lovely, no argument) is not quite as, say, conniving and snarky as KH. Tracy is a little softer in this version, which has the added musical charms of Bing Crosby (Dexter, the ex), Frank Sinatra (Mike, the reporter) and Louis Armstrong (as himself, added to the plot because, let’s face it–he’s Louis Armstrong, and why not?) Because that trio is a trio I also adore, points to High Society. I also prefer the little sister (two different names in the different movies–go figure) in High Society. She’s just hilarious, and possibly a bit of a stronger character.

Yet, my winner is still The Philadelphia Story.  Don’t get me wrong–I’ll watch High Society any time I see that it’s on, and I own it. It’s great, but there is one essential element (other than the obvious–KH) that makes The Philadelphia Story work for me more than High Society.  That is a detail in the plot.

In the end (I guess a spoiler …), Tracy apologizes for her behavior and basically accepts a human fallibility. In High Society, she does this to her father, and while forgiving him and thus having a release would be acceptable, she actually capitulates and admits that she really is at fault and shouldn’t be angry that he humiliated the family by publicly cheating on Mother, even though he has never asked for forgiveness or admitted any wrong-doing. This bothers me. A lot. It always did bother me, but I pushed it aside.

Then I paid due attention to The Philadelphia Story. In this film, Tracy makes her admission to Dexter, who has actually done good things for her, and possibly was judged unfairly. He actually is there for Tracy and has some redeeming qualities, despite his imperfections.

Now, we can play philosophy a little here, for those who have seen these films. Part of the theme is loving someone unconditionally, even if unworthy. That’s great. Perhaps Tracy apologizing to her father was to solidify that, showing Tracy’s growth. She made a mistake and is still lovable, and so it’s a two-way street–Dad is lovable, too. Now, I’m great with forgiveness–it’s healthy. But they still went a little far. Tracy falls only short of condoning his behavior; she blames herself for how she felt about it and that actually seeing a problem with his long-term cheating is wrong, all the while actually taking responsibility for her single indiscretion. It does tie their parallels together, but not in any kind of realistic, human, very believable, or particularly healthy way (IMHO).

So, with her apology to Dexter, who actually is redeemed throughout the movie and who actually does show her unconditional love (which her father fails to do), I have to give the best of the two to The Philadelphia Story.

That said, definitely watch both. They’re fabulous.  And without question, make time for The Philadelphia Story. The lines are fabulous. The acting is fabulous. It’s a real winner and is Katharine Hepburn in a role written with her in mind–it simply can’t miss!

“And after you shot your husband, how did you feel?” “Hungry!”

Posted on by under 31 days of oscar, 4-star films, brandie's faves, classic pairings, hahas

Adam’s Rib (1949)

March 3rd, 11:30AM EST

Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy starred in nine films together, some of them quite good (1942′s Woman of the Year, incidentally their first on-screen pairing),  some quite forgettable (the same year’s Keeper of the Flame, anyone?), and still others slightly overrated (1967′s Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, incidentally their final pairing). Even the less enjoyable films in their shared repertoire, however, still have more sparkle and heart than some of the crappy excuses for rom-coms being churned out by Hollywood these days. More than perhaps any other couple in screen history, Tracy and Hepburn had a sharp, witty repartee that did not overshadow or disguise the genuine, mutual respect and love that existed between the pair, both on and off the screen.

The funny, yet moving partnership of these two is perhaps most evident in what I believe to be their best pairing, 1949′s Adam’s Rib, a riotous comedy in which they play husband-and-wife attorneys arguing opposite sides of a case. When Doris Attinger (Judy Holliday) shoots her cheating husband (Tom Ewell) at his lover’s apartment, the ensuing case attracts lawyer Amanda Bonner’s (Hepburn) attention. Though her husband, Assistant District Attorney Adam Bonner (Tracy) is assigned the case at trial and discourages her from interfering, Amanda decides to defend Doris in order to challenge societal double standards attached to male and female behavior (which Amanda sees as the root of the case). Throughout an increasingly nutty trial, Adam and Amanda continue to challenge one another, both in the courtroom and at home afterward, each trying to get the other one to admit that their line of thinking just might be wrong.

The credit for the film’s amazing verbal volleys belongs to husband-and-wife writing team Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon, who loosely based the story on a real-life case: actor Raymond Massey’s 1939 divorce. Massey, who is perhaps best remembered for playing Cary Grant’s scary brother Jonathan in 1944′s Arsenic and Old Lace, had been married to stage actress Adrianne Allen for ten years when they sought to end their union. After the divorce was finalized, their husband-and-wife attorneys then divorced each other, and each of them proceeded to marry one of the Masseys. Obviously, that plot line didn’t make it into the film, but the idea of sparring, legal-eagle spouses provided great inspiration, and the guiding hand of George Cukor, one of Hepburn’s favorite directors, helped make the movie a great success for its stars.

Not only is the film hilarious, it seems somewhat ahead of its time in its depiction of Hepburn’s Amanda as a so-called “New Woman,” demanding equality with men and deriding society’s ingrained patriarchal bent. Her argument in the closing statement of the trial sounds almost revolutionary for 1949:

“An unwritten law stands back of a man who fights to defend his home. Apply the same to this maltreated mother. We ask no more. Equality! Deep in the interior of South America, there thrives a civilization older than ours, a people known as the Loreanoes, descended from the Amazons. In this vast tribe, members of the female sex rule and govern and systematically deny equal rights to the men, made weak and puny by years of subservience–too weak to revolt. And yet how long have we lived in the shadow of a like injustice?”

Tracy’s response throughout the film is interesting, too. A man’s man through and through, he ably conveys a somewhat expected sense of confusion in the face of  his wife’s seemingly new-found feminism, gazing at her in some moments as if she is a strange creature in a stranger zoo: “I want a wife, not a competitor! Competitor! Competitor! If you want to be a big he-woman, go ahead and be it, but not with me!” And impressively, though this statement gives Amanda pause, she doesn’t sway from her viewpoint … not until later, anyway. With Adam’s Rib,we see one of the first pop culture celebrations of feminism, at least throughout the first two-thirds of the film, and f0r me, that’s a large part of why I enjoy it as much as I do (though, as I’ve indicated, the denouement leaves something to be desired, in my opinion; but in the spirit of not spoiling the ending, I’ll refrain from further remark).

Thankfully, the delightful snap and fire of Hepburn and Tracy’s pairing doesn’t overshadow the equally delicious supporting performances from Ewell, Jean Hagen (as Ewell’s illicit lover), and, in her first major film role, the fantastic Holliday. In fact, Hepburn, realizing Broadway veteran Holliday’s talent, pushed for her co-star’s scenes to be padded and for her performance to be talked up in the publicity for the film–all of this an effort to convince Columbia studio head Harry Cohn that Holliday should be cast as the lead in the upcoming film adaptation of Born Yesterday (a part she originated on the stage). And it worked; the rave reviews for Holliday’s performance led to her star-making (and Academy Award-winning) turn as Billie Dawn.

If you miss this one, it will air again on April 1st at 8PM EST, or you can get it for a great price right now at Amazon (but try not to miss it, because that would make me sad. Do you really want to make me sad? Or make Carrie’s lip tremble? Because that lip tremble’s like a nuclear weapon).

Oscar checklist:

Nomination: Best Screenplay

The calla lillies … they’re in bloom again.

Posted on by under brandie's faves, 31 days of oscar, 4-star films, loving lucy

It has been a very busy two weeks around these parts, and my attention to my beloved classics has fallen by the wayside (though blogging itself has not; I’ve been helping with a blogging project for my alma mater’s historic alumnae association, and you can see the fruits of that labor here). Can I just say that the invention of the DVR ranks right up there (in my book) with manned missions into space? Personally, I think the ability to record my favorite TCM showings is much more beneficial than the scientific breakthroughs that come from the International Space Station.

Yes, I’m being facetious.

Since TCM’s 31 Days of Oscar celebration is winding up this week, I want to get back into the swing of things by throwing out some final recommendations, starting with a sharp little comedy that’s airing later this evening.

Stage Door (1937)

Airing 3:30AM EST

Katharine Hepburn plays Terry Randall, an aspiring actress from a disapproving and very wealthy family, who moves into a boardinghouse occupied by other young, aspiring actresses, including the talented and one-time successful Kay Hamilton (Andrea Leeds) and dancing dynamo Jean Maitland (Ginger Rogers). Terry’s high-class attitude alienates her from the other girls, and her acting ability is sub-par, at best. When her father intervenes, secretly backing a new play in exchange for Terry’s casting, the other young women dislike her even more, having seen this as “stealing” a part that should have been won by Kay. But when an unexpected tragedy intervenes, the tension between the aspiring actresses is set aside in solidarity and support, and new friendships and new talents emerge.

Hepburn and Rogers, two of my favorite actresses of all time, on the screen together? It’s heaven, truly. These two play off each other beautifully, their sly, often biting humor resulting in some of my favorite dialogue:

Terry : I see that, in addition to your other charms, you have that insolence generated by an inferior upbringing.
Jean: Hmm! Fancy clothes, fancy language and everything!
Terry: Unfortunately, I learned to speak English correctly.
Jean: That won’t be of much use to you here. We all talk pig latin.

Both actresses had something to prove here; Ginger Rogers, by this time so revered for her work with dancing partner Fred Astaire, was attempting to develop her dramatic chops (which would serve her well three years later, with her Oscar win for the treacly Kitty Foyle), while Hepburn, who was famously criticized by writer Dorothy Parker for “running the gamut of emotions from A to B” for her performance in the play The Lake (which, interestingly, provides the material for the play in which Terry performs in the film), was developing a reputation as “box office poison” after several notable under-performing films in previous years (she would not fully shake this reputation until after the success of 1940′s phenomenal The Philadelphia Story). And, having something to prove, both women ably wrestle with their material, embodying these characters to the point that, at times, you forget you’re looking at Hepburn; you stop waiting for Astaire to walk through the door and sweep Ginger off her feet.

One of my favorite things about this film is the excellent supporting female cast, with memorable turns by the great Lucille Ball and Eve Arden, as well as the first film appearance of Ann Miller, who was only fourteen at the time. Ball actually helped Miller lie about her age so she could be hired to work on the film.

She always has some 'splaining to do.

Though Lucy was, of course, best known for her work on television in her eponymous, groundbreaking series I Love Lucy, she appeared in over eighty films during her storied career. She never quite broke out as a full-fledged star (her somewhat dubious title in Hollywood was “Queen of the B’s,” as in B-pictures), but the roots of her impressive comedic skill are evident in her Stage Door performance. As Judy Canfield, Lucy is called upon to serve sarcastic asides with two of the best, and she more than holds her own against Hepburn and Rogers. Not for nothing, this is one of Lucy’s best film performances.

Yes, there is melodrama. And yes, some of the performances are over the top (Andrea Leeds’ portrayal of the ill-fated Kay Hamilton becomes, at times, particularly grating in this respect, even though she scored an Academy Award nomination for the part). But it all seems justified, and real, somehow, because the atmosphere is created so pitch-perfectly. These are young actresses, trying to learn their craft, many of them unschooled and still green. Their lives are melodramatic and over the top by virtue of their chosen profession. In the end, it all works, and it works beautifully.

Make sure you catch this great film if you can! And should you miss it, it will play again on March 24th at 11:15PM EST, or you can find it on DVD through Movies Unlimited, which is still running its amazing sale of many of the titles from the 31 Days of Oscar celebration (though it likely won’t last much longer!).

**And if you’re stopping by from SITS, welcome! We’re glad to be a part of the SITStahood. :)

Oscar checklist:

Nominations: Best Supporting Actress (Leeds), Best Screenplay, Best Director (Gregory La Cava), Best Picture

“Nature, Mr. Allnut, is what we are put in this world to rise above.”

Posted on by under 31 days of oscar, 5-star films, brandie's faves, classic pairings

The African Queen

Airing 10PM EST

When you combine arguably the best actor and the best actress that filmdom has ever seen in one movie, you’ve got, arguably, one of the best movies of all time.

While The African Queen is not my favorite film in the repertoire of its stars, Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn (those would be Casablanca and Bringing Up Baby), I nonetheless find this movie to be, frankly, quite damn awesome. Bogart stars as Charlie Allnut, the dissolute captain of the titular old steamboat, who delivers supplies to villages in Africa in the midst of World War I. When German soldiers invade one such village, resulting in the death of a British missionary, his sister, Rose Sayer (Hepburn), leaves with Charlie to return home. Though the couple are vastly different, each heartily disapproving of the other, they overcome their mutual dislike and a romance develops. But when Rose dreams up a plan to destroy a nearby German ship as revenge for her brother’s death, the drunken captain must overcome his initial reluctance to get involved in order to ensure their success and their very survival.

The film is a noteworthy one in the history of cinema for being one of the first big-budget Hollywood productions filmed almost completely on location, in the heart of the Belgian Congo. And the movie would not have been nearly as effective had the action been filmed in a studio lot with backdrops and painted scenery. At least for filmgoers, it was worth the apparent hell that the stars, director (John Huston), and crew underwent to get the film made–insect infestations, bad water, unappetizing food, illnesses, dangerous wildlife, and constant downpours created difficulties for all involved (including Lauren Bacall, who accompanied husband Bogart on the journey). Still, their suffering resulted in something truly wonderful, because the location, perhaps even more so than the performances, makes this film what it is.

Yet this is not to discount the amazing acting on the parts of Bogart and Hepburn, both of whom are virtually at their peak in this film. After a lifetime of playing gangsters, detectives, and hard-bitten romantic leads, Bogart was moving into the final phase of his career (he would pass away a mere six years after completing this film) and would finally win his only Oscar for this role. Hepburn, who had won an Oscar for one of her earliest roles (in 1933′s Morning Glory) and was perhaps best known for her many deft comedies with co-stars like Cary Grant and Spencer Tracy, would shed the ingenue roles that had been her bread-and-butter for years, ushering in a new phase in her career playing older, world-worn women (and would go on to win her other three Oscars for these types of roles in 1967′s Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, 1968′s The Lion in Winter, and 1981′s On Golden Pond).

Thankfully, after years of being unavailable, this film will FINALLY be released to DVD in the United States on March 23rd. You can pre-order the single disc edition now; also available is a commemorative box edition featuring many extras, including a reproduction of Katharine Hepburn’s memoirs about the making of the film (The Making of the African Queen: Or How I Went to Africa With Bogart, Bacall and Huston and Almost Lost My Mind). But as March is still a month away, why wait? Make sure you catch this one tonight while you can.

Oscar checklist:

Wins: Best Actor (Bogart)

Nominations: Best Actress (Hepburn), Best Screenplay, Best Director (Huston)