Memorable, crazy movie

Just what I expected

A Masterpiece!

Blistering performances.

There's a famous scene in Alice Adams where Katharine Hepburn cries at her bedroom window. Reportedly, she wasn't able to act convincingly in the scene until director George Stevens yelled at her. Humiliated, she was thrust in front of the camera and sobbed. I always thought that was terribly mean of George Stevens, but if you dig deep enough, you'll learn countless Hollywood horror stories.Katharine Hepburn plays the title character, a girl from a poor family who wants a better life. She tries terribly hard to act as though she's more wealthy and classy than she actually is, and when she's noticed by the truly wealthy and classy Fred MacMurray, she enlists her family in the effort to pretend they're well-to-do. This is the premise for many old comedies, but Alice Adams is a drama. It's heartbreaking at times, and one of my favorite Katharine performances. She isn't strong and tough; she's frightened of poverty and constantly hides where she comes from. If you like Stella Dallas or Pocketful of Miracles, you'll like Alice Adams.

Producer: Pandro S. Berman. Copyright 15 August 1935 by RKO Radio Pictures. New York opening at the Radio City Music Hall: 17 August 1935. 11 reels. 99 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Alice Adams and her family don't quite have what it takes to rise in the social scale. NOTES: Nominated for prestigious Hollywood awards for Best Picture (won by Mutiny on the Bounty) and Best Actress, in which category Katharine Hepburn was out-voted by furious members of the Academy who were outraged that Bette Davis had been passed over in favor of Claudette Colbert in 1934. In fact, Bette had not even been nominated for her performance in "Of Human Bondage". So they rallied to her side and voted for her second-rate performance in "Dangerous" instead).The National Board of Review chose "Alice Adams" as the second best American film of the year. Only "The Informer" received more votes. COMMENT: The accent here is firmly on dialogue. In fact, the film resembles a stage play rather than a screenplay (or indeed a novel), in both its construction as well as in the obvious theatricality of its dialogue and principal characters.Nonetheless, the players seize their opportunities with relish. True, Fred Stone tends to overact and director Stevens seems a bit overawed. In fact, Stevens reveals his basic training in low comedy by using a far-too-long reaction shot of Stone's efforts to eat a caviar sandwich. Aside from this slip, however, the film is beautifully composed with loving close-ups and striking long shots such as the high angle showing the party dancers in the bottom half of the screen and Miss Hepburn, a lonely figure in white, isolated at the top.Evelyn Venable has only a tiny role, but Albertson, Shoemaker and, to a lesser degree (as they have much smaller parts), Grapewin and Sutton are outstanding. As said, Stevens uses lots of close-ups. Fortunately, de Grasse has lit Hepburn charmingly. In fact so attractive does she look, it's hard to comprehend why she is so ignored at the Palmer party. I, for one, would have run to her side and thrown my arms around her immediately.Aided by one or two ventures out-of-doors (a tracking shot in front of a process screen), Stevens puts the story across at a brisk pace and is further aided by some superlative work from other behind-the- camera talents such as photographer de Grasse and art director Polglase who designed the sets himself rather than farming them out to one of his assistants. These sets impressively range from the vast and spacious Palmer mansion to the dingy, furniture-cluttered, putting-a-brave-face-on-poverty, shabby genteel interiors of the Adams' home.Film editing is deft and smooth. Stevens employs cuts from medium shot to close-up to striking effect as in his later films, although there are none of the dissolves (either ordinary or lingering) that became his trademark, as in "A Place in the Sun". Music and costumes are right in period. The sound recording, however, has a few rough edges (which is actually another Stevens trademark)!All told, emotion and atmosphere are brought home most effectively in this beautifully photographed and absolutely entrancing movie.

George Stevens directed this adaptation of the Booth Tarkington novel about a social climbing mother (Ann Shoemaker) and daughter (Katharine Hepburn, in the title role). Hepburn and the film were Oscar nominated.Alice is a small town girl whose brother (Frank Albertson) is "forced" to take her to a society party, hosted by Mildred Palmer (Evelyn Venable, who's parents are played by Hedda Hopper and Jonathan Hale), in their dumpy automobile. There she meets the wealthy Arthur Russell (Fred MacMurray), who she thinks is "attached" to the hostess. Though she's embarrassed by her brother (found gambling with the hired help) and later their shabby home, Alice has intrigued Arthur with her plain, simple, self-deprecating nature and he begins to pursue her. He invites Alice to another party, hosted by her father's employer J. A. Lamb (Charley Grapewin), but she's too embarrassed to accept. Alice's mother, upset by this, shames her husband Virgil (Fred Stone), who's been recovering from a long illness, into getting off his butt to better provide for their family.Virgil decides that the glue formula he invented while working for Lamb is his, and goes into business for himself. This leads to an obvious conflict between himself and his "former" employer, who'd been supporting him through his illness. Her father's newfound success and "wealth" enables Alice to feel comfortable enough to be courted by Arthur, and invite him to their home for dinner. Mrs. Adams hires a cook-servant (Hattie McDaniel) for the occasion and, in an hilarious scene, all does not go as planned. Evidently, one can't "buy" class;-) However, a happy ending is (of course) a foregone conclusion.

"Alice Adams" is the story of a somewhat poor family in a small town. The mother and the daughter, Alice (Katherine Hepburn), long for money and standing in the community. When Alice meets an attractive, well-to-do man, Arthur (Fred McMurray), she is afraid to be herself lest Arthur reject her.Things come to a head when the family invites Arthur to dinner. No amount of preparation or posing can stop the truth from revealing itself. The result is edgy comedy.Hepburn, who often plays the strong, willful woman, here plays a more vulnerable character convincingly. McMurray plays an affable character--the type he is most known for.A related story involves Alice's father, the man in the middle of all the conniving and contrivance. Oddly enough, the most satisfying part of the story's climax has to do with his relationship with his former employer.