The First Non-Silent Cinematic Take On Little Women Soars In Its Most Quiet Moments

Louisa May Alcott’s book Little Women proved to be such an enduring literary phenomenon once it was published at the end of the 1860s that it was inevitable the artform of cinema, as it got underway in the dawn of the 20th century, would attempt to tackle it. Hollywood loved to make movies out of beloved source material as much in 1919 as they do in 2019! Two silent movie takes on the material had emerged before the 1920s had even finished but the most expansive adaptation of Little Women yet would come about in 1933 courtesy of director George Cukor, who assembled a stellar cast to bring this text to life.

Hepburn and Grant's Cinematic Partnership Kicked off in Style With Sylvia Scarlett

Sometimes, box office duds come up short at the box office simply because they're outright terrible cinema. It's hard to imagine any scenario where Battlefield: Earth or The Adventures of Pluto Nash would resonate with the public deeply enough to make big box office bucks. But more often than not, good movies are the ones that end up perishing at the box office while the likes of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen rack up over $400 million domestically. Thankfully, good movies that come up short financially can end up garnering a better reputation over time. Take Sylvia Scarlett for instance, a 1935 comedy that ended up flopping at the box office despite being an immensely important movie historically since it was the first time director George Cukor, Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant all worked together (Cukor and Hepburn had previously collaborated sans Grant on Little Women).

The Philadelphia Story Is A Total Delight, Especially In Its Excellent Ending

I'm officially head over heels for Katharine Hepburn as an actor. There's so much to love about Hepburn as a performer, but perhaps best of all about her is her assured nature. Whether she's depicting her character in a sorrowful mood or making it clear that her character feels radiant, Hepburn conveys a self-possessed quality in her performances that's truly thrilling to watch. Getting to watch her excel in a screwball comedy like Bringing Up Baby was already such a treat and her work in The Philadelphia Story is similarly top-notch stuff. Her work here is truly exceptional on its own merits while watching her rub shoulders with the likes of Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant adds another layer of delightfulness to the proceedings.