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.

Katherine Hepburn Delivers Top-Shelf Work In The So-So Feature Morning Glory

Morning Glory is a film that covers a mighty familiar storyline. It’s a yarn about a girl from a small town who comes to New York City to fulfill her dreams of stardom, which was a well-worn cinematic narrative even in 1933 (its initial year of release). However, an extra layer of meta-importance is injected into the feature by way of it being an early star vehicle for Katharine Hepburn, who would receive her first Oscar nomination for Morning Glory. We’re not just watching a fictional character ascending to stardom in Morning Glory, we’re also watching Hepburn do the exact same thing.

The Marx Brothers Are Delivering Constant Quack-Up's In The Excellent Comedy Duck Soup

One interesting thing about watching all of these classic movies for the first time is getting to go do research and see how these films were received in their original release compared to their modern-day reputation. Duck Soup, like fellow 1930's comedy classic Bringing Up Baby, is one of those motion pictures that received mixed reception in its initial release before later gaining higher marks. But back when it came out in 1933, Duck Soup was seen as a lesser effort from the Marx brothers and also failed to make all that much money at the box office. Of course, today Duck Soup is regarded as one of the best pieces of cinematic comedy ever made and for good reason, the film is absolutely hysterical.

It Is In Its Most Subtle Moments That King Kong Really Earns Its Status As A Classic

The trailers for the new King Kong feature Kong: Skull Island have come with a tagline that simply reads "We Don't Belong Here". It's an eye-catching phrase that stuck out in my mind throughout watching the original 1933 version of King Kong for the very first time, as it's very much true in relating to both the group of human beings who travel to a mysterious island and for the titular ape when he's brought to civilian surroundings in the third act. Before all of that occurs though, a number of sailors, cameramen and a lone actress, Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) set out to sea under the guidance of famous director Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong).