Adam's Rib (1949)

Intro.

I used to work at a customer service call center, where I answered around 80 phone calls a day.  Sometimes I thought I had heard it all, from the most colorful of obscenities to sweet, happy people who would sing to me.  From time to time my caller would make some old film reference which I would get (much to their delight).  I even got a few film recommendations, like Adam's Rib.  Now a couple thousand calls and a new job later, I came across a copy of the film and remembered the callers who told me to watch it.  As it starred Katharine Hepburn, I couldn't very well say no, and soon found myself a new favorite romantic comedy.

Overview (with a few spoilers - sorry!)
Young housewife Doris Attinger (Judy Holliday) suspects her husband Warren (Tom Ewell) of infidelity.  She tracks him down, catches him with his mistress and nervously pulls a gun on them.  Shaking all over, she fires off several rounds, one of which hits Warren in the shoulder.  Doris is brought up on charges of attempted murder, but manages to get the best defense lawyer on her side - Amanda Bonner (Katharine Hepburn).  The only problem is that Amanda's husband Adam (Spencer Tracy) gets assigned to the prosecution.  The resulting court trial challenges not only the definitions and prejudices of the law, but the marriage of Amanda and Adam.  Amanda argues that Doris was only defending herself and her family, and if a man had done what she did, no one would judge or blame him.  Adam argues that no one, not even Doris, can twist the law to forgive something that was clearly attempted murder.  As the case grows more intense, the drama at home between the Bonners worsens, no thanks to their neighbor Kip (David Wayne) who is in love with Amanda.  While Amanda does win the trial, Adam isn't quite finished as he figures out a way to make her realize that he was right all along in their domestic argument.  What results is a dramatic and hilarious conclusion about the one difference between men and women.

Highlights

Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn have amazing chemistry in all of their films, but this one is especially good.  Few couples I think could have really conveyed the love and respect the Bonners have for each other while still expressing their very stubborn opinions.  I liked how the strain on the marriage comes through gradually and erupts both in the courtroom and in their home.  Both Adam and Amanda have strong arguments and it's great to see them battle it out as they are both so well matched.

I love Judy Holliday.  One of my favorite musicals is Bells Are Ringing but that's mainly because it also stars Dean Martin and really they just make a great couple.  But in Adam's Rib, Judy gives a great performance as the slightly neurotic Doris.  Her interview with Amanda at the beginning is great:
                                    Amanda: "And how did you feel after you shot him?"
                                    Doris: "Hungry."
Doris with all her sweetness becomes the lightning rod for the whole trial.  The jury selection is even geared towards the defense.  Amanda asks each possible juror, "do you believe in equal rights for women?" and surprisingly some of them say of course not.  While hers is a cause for women and aimed to prove that Doris was only defending her home and her life, Amanda fails to realize that Adam's point is exactly that.  If Doris is to be treated equally, then the law should apply to her the same as to a man in that situation.  Their clash in the courtroom carries to the bedroom where Adam tells Amanda that he doesn't like what she's doing.  "Marriage is a law, a contract," he says.  "Are you going to outsmart that the way you've outsmarted all the others?"  Now that's good writing!

I was talking to some of my coworkers about this film and they brought up something called the Bechdel test.  Basically it's a standard test applied to films, books, etc.  The three rules are 1) it has to have at least 2 women in it, 2) they have to talk about 3) something other than men.  It all started with a comic strip, but the idea has really taken off, spawning lots of study and some interesting online debates like the ones here.  It's an interesting concept, especially as the commentors have mentioned that the test itself is like the letter of the law, but the film itself is the spirit - a film that passes the Bechdel test does not mean it is feminist-friendly.  It could even be anti-feminist.  Anyway, at first I got very upset because I think Adam's Rib is a great film for the feminist cause, but it didn't meet the requirements, as Doris and Amanda's conversation is all about Doris trying to kill her husband.  However, Amanda calls a few women to the stand to prove that women are the equals, if not superiors, of men.  We meet a prominent female chemist with more degrees than anyone could remember, a foreman with 383 workers under her (including her husband), and a vaudeville performer.  At least the conversation with the chemist does not involve men.  Katharine Hepburn embodied the feminist cause as early as the thirties; she was even banned because she insisted on wearing pants.  Her performance here is classic.  And just as we can argue over the Bechdel test, Amanda Bonner concludes for us all - "just as man is body and soul, law is letter and spirit."          
 

Review and Recommendation

Okay, this post is getting much too long, so I want to open it up for thoughts and comments.  I highly recommend Adam's Rib to everyone.  It's a great example of the legendary Hepburn-Tracy team as well as a film with such a strong leading lady. 

P.S. Special thanks to my coworkers Catherine and Rachel.  You guys rock!

Woman of the Year (1942)

Intro.

It was Katharine Hepburn day on TCM and I cheered!  What a great salute to a sensational actress.  I had been wanting to see more films featuring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, so this presented the ideal opportunity.  As I read the description of Woman of the Year, I realized how similar it was to Designing Woman, which I had recently seen.  Watching the original or the movie that inspired another is always great, so I picked the perfect film.

Overview

Woman of the Year begins with top newspaper columnist Tess Harding (Katharine Hepburn) giving a radio interview about international affairs in which she says that sports have no purpose.  Sports writer Sam Craig (Spencer Tracy), who works for the same paper, takes offense and writes his next column as an attack on Tess's statements.  She in turn writes a ripping rebuttal, but before the war can continue, their editor calls them into his office to meet in person and make nice.  They do more than that as Craig falls in love at first sight with Tess.  From their, the mismatched pair continues a fun courtship including a baseball game where Sam has to explain every single move and play on the field to Tess, and then Tess throws a dinner party where Sam is the only English-speaking guest.  They wind up married, but right from the start we can see they're in for a lot of headaches (well, at least Sam is).  While Tess might be spending all of her time trying to improve the world, she spends no time trying to improve (or even have) a marriage.  It all comes to a head when she is named Woman of the Year on the same night that Sam moves out of their apartment.

Highlights
Hepburn and Tracy have undeniable chemistry.  This was their first movie together; in fact it was the first time they had met in person.  And from there, as they say, the legend was born.  A thirty year romance started off-screen, and the love comes across in some wonderful acting on-screen.  

This film is an unusual look at marriage, particularly because Tess is the one career-driven while Sam is the one neglected at home.  The film moves from comedy to drama after the marriage, and Sam's disappointment grows.  It's refreshing to see such real characters and impressive when Sam finally moves out.  I couldn't help but think it was a pretty daring move for an audience of 1942 and would still be considered pretty bold by today's standards. 

Not to give away too much, but the film concludes with both Sam and Tess realizing that marriage is a melding of their two lives, a constant compromise, a meeting in the middle.  That's why Sam has such a good ending line: "I don't want you to be Tess Harding or Mrs. Sam Craig; what about Tess Harding Craig?"

Review and Recommendation

Woman of the Year is one of the great films by one of Hollywood's best couples.  It is a humorous, yet still powerful look at marriage.  It will pack an emotional wallop.  An enduring, endearing film, I'd recommend it to everyone. 

Boom Town (1940)

Intro.

I had no intention of watching Boom Town when it aired on television a few nights ago.  However, I had just turned off Doctor Zhivago and was casually channel surfing when I saw it about fifteen minutes into the film.  I almost changed the channel when I realized that this was the original plot line for the film North to Alaska (1960).  My jaw dropped, I laughed out loud and sat riveted as I watched the rest of the movie (which after the first half hour stopped being like North to Alaska).**

Overview

Big John McMasters (Clark Gable, handsome as ever) is an oil driller in Texas when he meets and becomes partners with Square John Sand (Spencer Tracy). Together they start their own drilling and hit oil.  Finally able to support a wife, Sand sends for his long-waiting girlfriend from back East, Betsy (Claudette Colbert).  McMasters meanwhile goes into town for some fun and winds up meeting Betsy.  While she figures out who he is, he doesn't know who she is, and a few drinks and crazy stunts later, they are married.  The next morning they have to tell Sand, who comes to tell McMasters that they've hit a bigger well and that they are millionaires.  Fortunes go from good to bad though when the men later have a falling out and decide to flip for the entire multi-million dollar operation.  McMasters loses, and packs up with Betsy and hits the road.  Each man has his fortunes rise and fall and we watch them handle it differently.  Meanwhile Betsy is strong, adventurous and most of all, happy when McMasters isn't a millionaire because that's when he needs her.  Finally McMasters gets back on top of the oil industry and winds up in a huge office in New York.  He and Sand meet up several times, but never do they bury the hatchet.  When they meet for the last time, Sand sees that Betsy is unhappy in New York, mainly because McMasters is spending so much time with his pretty employee Karen (Hedy Lamarr).  Sand decides to take action - first by proposing to Karen to get her away from McMasters, and then by joining a rival oil company and trying to put McMasters out of business.  What follows is a great turn of events including a trial, a big night of drunken fighting and of course a happy ending.

Highlights

There wasn't a single person in this film that was anything less than entertaining and talented.  It was great to see two actors of equal reputation against each other - it kept me (and I'm sure also audiences of 1940) from really choosing sides because one actor was more well known than the other.  And Gable and Tracy make a great team.  All in all, this film isn't about oil or business or the fortunes and failures of life, it's about friendship, and these two men act their parts beautifully.

At the heart of the film (both plot-wise and character-wise) is Claudette Colbert.  I always love watching her because she is so sure of herself.  Take this film for instance: imagine marrying a guy you've only known for a day - and you still haven't told him who you are!  Betsy is happiest when she is needed, but won't complain when she's put aside either because she worries about her son (although she does consider leaving McMasters before she's pregnant).  Her character is not only charming and warm, but gracious, forgiving and strong.  It takes quite a woman to cause such a long fight between two best friends, and it takes an even better woman to end it.  Not many actresses could pull the role off convincingly, but Claudette does.

Review
What I really loved about Boom Town was how the film played with the audience.  Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, another twist of plot threw the whole thing off course and we had to start over.  It was engaging, fun, humorous and a bit sad but with good pacing.  The writing was good, the acting superb and the whole picture was just plain enjoyable.  And Frank Morgan, just one year after playing the title role in the Wizard of Oz, is just as upbeat and fun to watch here.  I would definitely recommend watching Boom Town anytime you want a great old-fashioned comedy/drama/buddy movie (and unlike North to Alaska, the theme song won't get stuck in your head for days and days!).        


 **North to Alaska, I should mention, is a Western parody starring John Wayne in Clark Gable's role.  He and Stewart Granger (in Spencer Tracy's role) have a gold mine in Alaska instead of an oil rig in Texas, and when John Wayne goes to Seattle to get Stewart Granger's girlfriend, he finds that she's married.  In desperation, he hires a call girl to come as a "replacement" girlfriend, only to wind up falling for her himself.  It is a parody, so you get to see the Duke making fun of himself, which is hilarious.  It also has a great (although way too addictive) theme song.  So if you watch it, don't blame me if you find yourself humming it in the elevator at work a few days later.