Director: Gregory La Cava
Distributor: RKO Radio Pictures
Top Billed Actors: Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Adolphe Menjou
Won 0 Oscars
Nominated for 4 more:
Outstanding Production - RKO Radio Pictures
Best Director - Gregory La Cava
Best Adaptation - Morris Ryskind and Anthony Veiller
Best Supporting Actress - Andrea Leeds
Plot: A bunch of wannabe actresses live together in a boarding house and always have something sarcastic to say while hoity-toity Hepburn changes things up and gorgeous Ginger has a brush with the casting couch.
Distributor: RKO Radio Pictures
Top Billed Actors: Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Adolphe Menjou
Won 0 Oscars
Nominated for 4 more:
Outstanding Production - RKO Radio Pictures
Best Director - Gregory La Cava
Best Adaptation - Morris Ryskind and Anthony Veiller
Best Supporting Actress - Andrea Leeds
Plot: A bunch of wannabe actresses live together in a boarding house and always have something sarcastic to say while hoity-toity Hepburn changes things up and gorgeous Ginger has a brush with the casting couch.
Another Best Picture nominee from 1937, another film starring Adolphe Menjou. Seriously, Stage Door (1937) is Menjou's third Best Picture nominee from this year. The man was coveted but he did yield the floor to a gaggle of women in this stage play adaptation from RKO Radio, most notably Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers. A relatively unknown Lucille Ball is mixed in with other character actresses to form a close-knit boarding household. Amidst all of these actresses, another relatively unknown performer received the Oscar nod - Andrea Leeds (more on her below). The success of this film led to a renewed faith in Hepburn; her previous films were considered financial failures. And although this received the Best Adaptation nomination, the screenplay borrowed very little from the source material. Apparently, only the names and some scenarios were the same but most of the dialogue is ad-libbed and Menjou's character was added.
These ad-libbed lines were the result of the actresses actually living together and an assistant jotting down dialogue as they naturally spoke to each other. As a result, the dialogue is quick, witty, and laced with comedic sarcasm throughout. Rogers and Hepburn never pause and it keeps the pace of the film at a rocket pace. Every time Rogers is conversing, I'm just waiting for some smart ass comment. Despite her rich upbringing, Hepburn's character is able to hold her own and she shakes things up just enough to get the plot going. For a while, I wondered how Rogers', Hepburn's, and Leeds' storylines were going to intersect, but they eventually do in rewarding ways. The final moments we spend with Leeds as she ascends the stairs is the most cinematic moment in a movie that primarily focuses on amusing banter, but boy is it quite the shot. In a film known for laughs, that shot will haunt any viewer.
Although I like Leeds' performance for the most part, she breaks down in a hysterical fit one too many times. These moments eventually become justified, but her breakdowns just seem a bit dated in the moment. As is often the case with these films that contain a lot of words, chances are that certain exchanges will feel dated as well. Fortunately, when they do, its interesting enough to chalk it up to a bygone era; however, it does take me out of the movie every now and then. The Code also diminishes the potential interactions Menjou has with Rogers and Hepburn. The casting couch aspect of the story cannot be fully explored in 1937.
Overall, three different but extremely strong performances from Rogers, Hepburn, and Leeds anchor a movie full of wonderful performances. The charisma of these actresses are bouncing all over the boarding house and there is so much chemistry between everybody on screen. When the main characters' stories finally come together, it makes for a memorable finish.
My Score: 8/10
These ad-libbed lines were the result of the actresses actually living together and an assistant jotting down dialogue as they naturally spoke to each other. As a result, the dialogue is quick, witty, and laced with comedic sarcasm throughout. Rogers and Hepburn never pause and it keeps the pace of the film at a rocket pace. Every time Rogers is conversing, I'm just waiting for some smart ass comment. Despite her rich upbringing, Hepburn's character is able to hold her own and she shakes things up just enough to get the plot going. For a while, I wondered how Rogers', Hepburn's, and Leeds' storylines were going to intersect, but they eventually do in rewarding ways. The final moments we spend with Leeds as she ascends the stairs is the most cinematic moment in a movie that primarily focuses on amusing banter, but boy is it quite the shot. In a film known for laughs, that shot will haunt any viewer.
Although I like Leeds' performance for the most part, she breaks down in a hysterical fit one too many times. These moments eventually become justified, but her breakdowns just seem a bit dated in the moment. As is often the case with these films that contain a lot of words, chances are that certain exchanges will feel dated as well. Fortunately, when they do, its interesting enough to chalk it up to a bygone era; however, it does take me out of the movie every now and then. The Code also diminishes the potential interactions Menjou has with Rogers and Hepburn. The casting couch aspect of the story cannot be fully explored in 1937.
Overall, three different but extremely strong performances from Rogers, Hepburn, and Leeds anchor a movie full of wonderful performances. The charisma of these actresses are bouncing all over the boarding house and there is so much chemistry between everybody on screen. When the main characters' stories finally come together, it makes for a memorable finish.
My Score: 8/10