Little Women (1933)

I wanted to use "Christopher Columbus!" as my title, but I knew to check first to see if someone else already used it cause I knew there was a good chance of that and by golly, I was right. I have counted how many times Katharine Hepburn says it in this film. This was a sweet, old fashioned film. So was the 1940s version with June Allyson, but I never saw the 1990s version with, wasn't it Wynoda Ryder? I'm sure it wasn't the same as the 2 Golden Age versions. Nothing more modern is. I am a true fan of old films. I love Katharine Hepburn and find her one of the most skilled diverse actresses from that era. Other Golden Age films of hers I love are "Morning glory", "Bringing up baby", "Undercurrent", and "Philadelphia". I also love her later on 1970s films ''The corn is green" and "On golden pond". This old fashioned country Civil War era film has a lot of passion and a good story of 4 girls who live with their loving guardian mother figure Spring Brightin, who's very good at those mother nurturing roles. Jo (Hepburn) and her 3 siblings live through the different highs and lows as they work at getting along, working together, and having fun together while the father is off fighting the war. Spring works in a clothing store, and we see her kindly big heart as an elderly gentleman tells her about how his sons have either been casualties of war or very ill. Spring is very taken aback and feels a real emotional pain for the man. One of the sisters Amy is in school in class being made by the strict headmaster to sit in the old fashioned dunce chair up front holding the 'I'm a bad student'' sign, and narrowly misses a turn of the old schoolhouse corpral punishment. Jo starts falling for the good looking boy next door, we get another of that theme just like in many other films such as for example "Meet me in St. Louie"' with Judy Garland, who sings the song "The boy next door". The boy next door to Hepburn in this film lives in a nice big classy house, noticeably more affluent than her house, with the tough yet caring father. Jo's Aunt March, long narrow faced Edna A. Oliver plays another of her unhappy uptight roles. Another of the sisters Beth, who is also considered the sweetest of the girls, comes down with scarlet fever and gets quite ill. We get a really poignant emotional moment when the father returns from war and Beth gets up and starts to walk towards him. Very moving and a tearjerker. This film has several tearjerkers. Another beautifully sweet scene was when Spring and the girls are about to sit down to a good hot meal and then decide to make themselves second and takes the food to an even poorer family with a baby. Could you imagine anyone now in the 21st century doing that, even if they were well off and could easily afford to do so? We then see the grateful family eating with Beth feeding the baby while on her lap. A little while later, we learn the baby dies. That really did bring out a tear in me, and I believe would to anyone but the hard hearted. Back in those days, there were more saintly people around that cared and had faith. Beth, as her illness continues to progress, mentions how she is not scared anymore because she knows that she will be going to heaven. I could definitely relate to her. I'm a believer too.

A practically perfect version of Louisa May Alcott's famous story of four sisters taking care of their mother and growing up during the struggles of a civil war. Katharine Hepburn heads the cast, delightfully perfect casting as the tomboy Jo, supported by Joan Bennett as the impetuous Amy, Frances Dee as the Meg, and Jean Parker as Beth. Complete opposites all four, they are still the pride of their gentle, loving mother Marmee (Spring Byington), struggling due to the absence of her beloved husband. But with four growing young ladies in the house, she'll have her hands full, especially with the presence of their haughty spinster aunt (Edna May Oliver) who pretty much watches everything they do.What starts off as a typical Christmas film pretty much becomes a drama of survival as they struggle to make ends meet while helping out those less fortunate than them. Jo remains the focus as she goes from tomboyish teen to young lady, finding romance with professor Paul Lukas as she tries to publish her writing. Where else would be more perfect to put on one's own play than one's own living room? This adds much energy to the film, although at times, Hepburn does seem to be trying to act for the stage rather than for the screen. Douglass Montgomery and Henry Stephenson are very good as the handsome neighbor and his good natured grandfather whom everyone seems to believe is a grouch until they get to know him.Remade successfully several times, both for the big screen and as several television specials, this was also immortalized as a Broadway musical with Sutton Foster and Maureen McGivern. The Hepburn version was overshadowed for years by MGM's color version with June Allyson, Elizabeth Taylor and Margaret O'Brien, but thanks to home video it was given a new lease on life much like many other 1930's films that were remade. Fans of the 1994 version had their own opportunity to catch up on the earlier versions. While this lacks color and technical improvements of later versions, it does feature a charm that those versions lack. Perhaps the detail laid out by director George Cukor is enough as far as making this the one which in time will stand out as the classic.

"Little Women" is a good, early '30's adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic tale about the March sisters and their mother as they struggle without their father/husband, who is off fighting in the Civil War.There is certainly plenty to recommend about this film. The look of the film, costumes, sets and overall "feel" of the film is quite genuine and fine. The acting is terrific from all involved. From Katharine Hepburn to Joan Bennett, Spring Byington and Paul Lukas.The problem is that, in my humble opinion, it is an incredibly hard film to watch, due to the extreme sweetness and, at times, corny dialog that is spoken. Now I know that being the early '30's, this is what many, during the depression era needed to make them feel warm and secure. But this is laid on way to thick. As I said, it was very hard to get thru this film. I'm glad I've seen it, but I would not watch it again.

I will always have a soft spot for this film, and to me it is the best version of the three versions I've seen so far of Little Women(1994 and 1949 were the others, and I liked both of them very much). The sound here is a little too tinny, and the Laurie of Douglass Montgommery is too fey for my tastes. However, it still looks beautiful, the costumes and hairstyles are well suited to the period, the sets are sumptuous and the film is very handsomely shot. There is also a stirring score from Max Steiner, making it sound appropriately nostalgic, the script is faithful and warm-toned, it is directed with great taste by George Cukor and the story has all the warmth and poignancy of the book, which is one of my favourites of all time. Apart from Montgommery I loved the acting, Edna May Oliver here does what she did best, more than convincingly play sharp-tongued spinsters, and Henry Stephenson is a dear Mr Laurence. Paul Lukas is an unexceptional but romantic Professor Bhaer, an improvement on the wooden and too-Italianate Rosanno Brazzi in the 1949 film, and Spring Byington a Marmee of real sincerity. The four March girls Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy(aka the Little Women of the title) are what drive the story, and all four really shone here. Joan Bennett is appealing as Amy and leaves room for character growth from a vain little girl to an elegant young lady. Jean Parker is a very sweet and moving Beth, and Frances Dee is beautiful as Meg should be. Best of all is the Jo of Katharine Hepburn, who is perfectly cast in a role she was born to play. All in all, truly lovely and the best version to me. 9/10 Bethany Cox