Classic Film Review: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner stars Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn as Matt and Christina Drayton. Their daughter Joey (Katharine Houghton) returns home from holiday unexpectedly and has a surprise for her parents - she's engaged. The fly in the ointment is that her fiancée, Dr John Prentice (Sidney Poitier) is black. Joey's liberal parents have their views tested by this relationship and when Mr and Mrs Prentice (Roy Glenn and Beah Richards) arrive to join them for dinner the bonds of both families are tested. Rounding out the cast is Isabel Sandford as Tillie the maid and Cecil Kellaway as Monsignor Ryan.

As Spencer Tracy's last film, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner holds a special allure for classic film fans. Certainly, I was as much interested in the power surrounding it as I was the film itself. Given that Tracy was seriously ill during filming and died only seventeen days after it was over, you'd imagine that allowances would have to be made for his illness. He doesn't look well, certainly, but in terms of his acting, he remained on top form. The final lengthy scene where Matt makes a speech to his guests about love is intensely moving. For many, of course, this scene is tied up with the Tracy and Hepburn myth and there is no hiding Hepburn's emotion in the final scene. It feels as though we're witnessing a private occasion. As a final exercise in his own quiet and beautiful style of acting, this film does Tracy proud.

And what of the rest of it? Well, the chemistry between Katharine Hepburn and her real-life niece Katharine Houghton makes their scenes a pleasure, though Houghton is not as compelling away from Hepburn. Some of her scenes with Poitier feel like fillers but that's possibly because the crux of the plot is not their relationship so much as the reaction to their relationship. Poitier's best scenes are John's heartfelt declaration to Matt and Christina about his love for their daughter (watch Hepburn in this scene too!) and his argument with his father much later. An unsung brilliant scene, too, is that between Christina and Mrs Prentice in the garden. However, my favourite moment also comes courtesy of Hepburn as she sacks a colleague and tells her to be on her merry way for criticising her daughter's relationship. I don't often clap in the middle of the film but I did then.

Ultimately, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner reflects attitudes of the time. It can seem dated now but that can only be a good thing. It's a film with some brilliant moments and a decent heart and, as Tracy's final screen appearance, it can't help but be captivating. I felt as emotionally wrought as Katharine Hepburn when the credits had finally rolled.

Escaping the Reeds

There's a moment in one of my favourite films, The African Queen, where Rose (Katharine Hepburn) and Charlie (Humphrey Bogart) are suffocating. The titular boat has been travelling through reeds and, despite their best efforts, they get stuck. They use the oars to try and launch their way through, they get out and pull, only to be assaulted by leeches. Even after this discovery, they are forced to get back in the water, just to have another shot at getting out of there. All the while, they're finding it close and hard to breathe.

If anything serves as a metaphor for how I've felt this week, that scene does it. Trapped, overwhelmed, lost: as though every breath was an effort. Each time I made an attempt to move, each time I dipped my toe in the water to try and navigate an escape, the leeches got me in the form of a memory. Sitting at my computer on an evening has been a device of torture. Far too many connotations and links. But, here's the rub, it's very difficult for me not to sit at my computer to work. All my thesis stuff and writing drafts are on it; my life's work, if you will. But little point in being at the computer when all I do is burst into tears. That's not focusing, in any sense of the word.

Yesterday became my 'getting back in the water' moment. It was my first Sheffield trip since all this kicked off and it was a doozy. Looking at it now, it's probably best to define it as a three hour panic attack that lasted from mid-morning until I got to my meeting at two. It involved some rather unpleasant scenes at the train station where I paced around and looked thoroughly crazy then one of those embarrassing moments on the train itself where I'm standing in the vestibule weeping, just weeping. With the aid of a friend, I made it up to uni and my meeting but I felt as though the life had been sucked out of me again.

My meeting went well, very well. Some positivity began to creep back into my mind, the possibility that I can get through the next few months. Though, when one of my supervisors asked me to think beyond that, I couldn't. With everything that's happened over the last few weeks, I don't have that ability. I just need to look at the smaller picture. The bigger one terrifies me.

Travelling home, I tried to think of ways I could force myself to work. Because the reeds are still there, threatening me every time I sit down to work. So what could I do to turn things around? Well, how about actually turning things around? By the time my dad got home from work I'd made a start on turning my desk around. For four years I've been staring at the same blank wall. That wall has been the scene of many hopeful projections, none of which came true, so perhaps it was time for a change. This is what my view was before:

Turning the desk around has had a few unintended consequences. I feel hemmed in with my chair but, bizarrely, not as hemmed in as I did when I had half the room to kick back in. And, also, I'm now facing my iPod. It's a funny thing, the music coming towards me instead of creeping over my shoulders. It's almost like hearing it anew. This is the low quality version of my desk now:

Of course, Rose and Charlie escape from the reeds in The African Queen. But the reason is largely beyond their control. The rains come, lifting up the boat and transporting it to safety. Maybe that was my meeting yesterday; the thing out of my control that grabbed me and yanked me through. For the moment, I'll ignore the fact that when Rose and Charlie reach safety, they blow up their boat... That may be a metaphor too far right now.

Classic Film Review: The Philadelphia Story (1940)

The Philadelphia Story stars Katharine Hepburn as socialite Tracy Lord. She's about to be married to the rather boring George Kittredge (John Howard) but ex-husband C.K. Dexter Haven (Cary Grant) is determined to cause mayhem before the ceremony. He's instrumental in getting journalist Mike Connor (James Stewart) and photographer Liz Imbrie (Ruth Hussey) into the wedding but he may not have banked on the attraction that springs up between his ex-wife and Mike.

Picking between the three leads of this film is nearly impossible. Hepburn shines in the role she was born for while Grant is perfect as Dexter. However, if I really had to pick, then it's Jimmy Stewart who steals the show. His drunk scenes with Cary Grant are downright hilarious, I'm smiling just thinking about them. But the chemistry between the cast as a whole is excellent. Ruth Hussey impressed me again (I saw her last month in Tender Comrade, 1943, reviewed here) and her scenes with Stewart are brilliant. There's also one gorgeous scene between Hussey and Grant which lingers in my memory. In addition, I loved the little relationship between the Lord sisters, Tracy and Dinah (Virginia Weidler) and the dynamics of the rest of the family.

The dialogue in this film is fast, witty and sometimes difficult to follow. It's both intelligent and funny, something sadly lacking in many so-called romantic comedies. Hepburn does aloof so well and her crash back down to earth is satisfying and fun to watch. If I had to pick a favourite scene (apart from Stewart's drunk ones), it would probably be the one in the pool house when Dexter interrupts Tracy and Mike and an argument ensues. That scene probably sums up the themes of the film, as well as being brilliant acted by all parties.

I can see why people call this Hepburn's best film. However, my soft spot for Bringing Up Baby (reviewed here) and The African Queen (reviewed here) and, for me, The Philadelphia Story doesn't quite knock them off the top spot. Still an excellent film though.

Classic Film Review: Rooster Cogburn (1975)

Rooster Cogburn stars John Wayne as the title character, a marshal who has his badge taken away because the criminals in his area seem to end up dead and not in prison. He's given it back on the proviso that he can catch Hawk (Richard Jordan), the leader of a gang who have stolen explosives to blow up a bank, and bring him back alive. Rooster sets off after them, coming across a settlement that the men have ransacked. Eula Goodnight (Katharine Hepburn), a preacher's daughter, is mourning the death of her father at their hands and she and Wolf (Richard Romancito) are taken along with Rooster so he can leave them somewhere safe. Eula has no intention of letting that happen - she and Wolf go with Rooster to catch the men responsible for murdering her father and friends.

It's remarkable, given the age of the two stars (both were born in 1907 so were 68 at the time this was released), the amount of energy this film exudes. At no point do you get the impression you're watching an old Katharine Hepburn as she shoots and rides her way through the country. It's quite evident that she and Wayne enjoyed making this film and their back and forth, quips and comments, are a joy to watch. Of course there are comparisons to be made with Hepburn's The African Queen (1951, reviewed here), and there are similarities, though The African Queen remains the superior article. However, Rooster Cogburn still occupies a prime space in Hepburn's later filmography and is thoroughly enjoyable.

I have to say, Westerns aren't my forte and I think it was the presence of Hepburn and Wayne that made this one so good from my perspective. However, the characterisation and portrayal of Rooster is good and several bit characters also make an impression. One person I wasn't sure about was Richard Jordan as villain Hawk. For me, he wasn't balanced enough. He often switches from calm to angry in a disjointed way which, while expressing his volatility, doesn't feel normal.

There are a couple of memorable scenes, most notably the rapids (another similarity with The African Queen) and the shoot-out in the woods where Eula shows off her shooting prowess. There are also some nice, quiet scenes between the leads, the best of these coming when Rooster gives Eula a massage. This is a gorgeous little film, worth watching for any Hepburn fan, even those who aren't too sure about Westerns.

Classic Film Review: Morning Glory (1933)

Morning Glory stars Katharine Hepburn in her Oscar-winning performance as Eva Lovelace, an aspiring actress who travels to New York trying to get her big break. When she arrives she meets producer Louis Easton (Adolphe Menjou) and writer Joseph Sheridan (Douglas Fairbanks Jr), beginning a life that will at first disillusion her then offer her success. Rounding out the cast is C. Aubrey Smith as Hedges, the first friend Eva makes in New York, and Mary Duncan as Rita Vernon.

If the plot sounds remarkably similar to one I've reviewed recently - Stage Struck (1958, reviewed here) - that's because they're adapted from the same source. As a consequence, it's really difficult not to compare them. I described Susan Strasberg's performance as 'abysmal' in that and, while the character is annoying in places, Hepburn brings a little more maturity to the part. Eva is still incredibly naive and a little bit of a chatterbox but Hepburn doesn't overplay it. Because I've seen Hepburn in similar fast-talking roles, it's not a stretch to believe Eva is real. That said, there are moments of complete over-acting, particularly in the final scene that ricochets away from believable towards the end.

Douglas Fairbanks Jr is very good as Sheridan. The scenes where he reveals his feelings for Eva, first to Easton then to Eva herself, are delightful. Equally, Menjou is good as Easton. The interactions between the three major players are very solid.

Where the film falls down a little is the length. As a relatively short film, it has to cut out a lot of 'superfluous' stuff. As a consequence, Eva disappears from her own film for a bit and the romance between she and Sheridan misses out on the development it gets in Stage Struck. Bringing her out as an alternative to the star may be a neat way of surprising the audience but it didn't work for me - I wanted to see how they got to that point.

Ultimately, this is a much better version of the story and Katharine Hepburn sparkles. It meanders a little during the set-up and rushes itself towards the end but it's a good film to spend seventy five minutes with.

Book Review: Kate: The Woman Who Was Katharine Hepburn by William J. Mann

Published three years after Hepburn's death, this lengthy biography attempts to debunk some of the myths that have sprung up about this legendary actress without diminishing her achievements and drive. It's a biography that focuses as much as possible on the woman, not the actress. As Mann notes, the films are used as illustrations of Hepburn's own myth-making and how they feed into the overall picture of her. This is really an in-depth biography that can't be summarised easily. However, one thing that is worth noting is the relish with which Mann approaches his subject. His ability to decode and hypothesise where necessary is balanced by the (sometimes anonymous) sources he's managed to consult, creating a rounded picture of Hepburn. He points out that this kind of book wouldn't have been published while she was still alive, an indication of how thorough it is, looking into places Hepburn would likely have been uncomfortable with.

The book doesn't run completely chronologically, usually taking a pivot moment at the beginning of a chapter then stepping back and seeing what led up to it. In this way, it manages to signal what a chapter will cover and what you can expect from it. For example, chapter twenty four starts with some visuals and dialogue from The African Queen, thus setting the scene for her comeback from Communist rumours. It's a good way of grounding the reader because, although there are numerous indications of where you are in the timeline, it's still easy to get lost. That's partly down to the detail amassed in the book, and that can never be a bad thing.

A lot of time throughout is spent analysing Hepburn's various relationships, especially with Spencer Tracy, and trying to pinpoint how much sexual contact this entailed. This also applies to the relationships Hepburn had with her female friends and makes for some surprising conclusions. When he doesn't have concrete information, Mann says so, but his speculations always hold the ring of truth about them, gained from his intimate research into Hepburn's life.

For me, reading slowly at the beginning then devouring the book in large chunks, one of the most painful times for Hepburn was perhaps the suicide of her older brother in their teens, when she found his body the next morning. Reading through the rest of the book, and seeing her relationships with alcoholics and the way she dedicated herself to getting Tracy sober, Tom was the person I kept returning to in my mind, even though he was barely mentioned again due to the stoic nature of the Hepburn family. More than seventy years later, following the death of their sister, Hepburn surprised another of her brothers by saying she wanted her ashes buried next to Tom's. And they were. I have no idea why that touched me so much but it brought me to tears.

Ultimately, this biography is detailed and well-constructed. Where necessary, Mann supplies brief biographies of the people involved in Hepburn's life. He debunks many of the myths that made her America's sweetheart whilst still imparting the image of a formidable woman with talent and, most of all, the will to succeed.

*This book was read as part of the 'Chunkster Challenge 2014' - information can be found here.

Classic Film Review: Mary of Scotland (1936)

Mary of Scotland stars Kathryn Hepburn as the doomed monarch with Florence Eldridge as Elizabeth Tudor, Fredric March as Bothwell and a lengthy supporting cast including Douglas Walton as Darnley, Alan Mowbray as Throckmorton and Donald Crisp as Huntly. While the film seems based on the true events of Mary Stuart's life, there are problems with the film that made it difficult to watch.

It's a very stage-like production that hasn't adapted to film very well. A lot of the scenes are static with very little movement and they last for quite a while. There are relatively few Scottish accents in attendance and those that are Scottish are not always convincing. The love story between Mary and Bothwell doesn't feel very realistic, possibly as a result of the scope of the film being on politics rather than romance.The effects are over-played and unnecessary and some of the dialogue delivery is cringe-worthy. Florence Eldridge comes across as far more comfortable in her role (though she is nowhere near the standard of Elizabeth I that Bette Davis attained in her two outings, reviewed here and here). I don't think playing a queen was beyond Hepburn - I just think that a lot of issues contrived to make this film difficult to enjoy. Hepburn herself later admitted that she respected Elizabeth and not Mary, calling the latter a 'ninny'.

So those are the bad points. However, there were sparks in the film that helped elevate it a little. For instance, Douglas Walton's performance as the effeminate Darnley is excellent to watch and the meeting scene between Elizabeth and Mary adds tension to the film - perhaps too late to save it. There is also a moment where the peasants begin singing of their loyalty to their Scottish queen in a standout scene which wasn't hampered, like most, by its length.

There is nothing inherently wrong with stage-like productions but I don't think Mary of Scotland worked particularly well. Whether this was because of Hepburn's disbelief in her role, a domineering director or screenwriter or simply a few errors of judgement, it doesn't really matter. Watch for Eldridge and Walton, not for Hepburn or March.

Classic Film Review: Christopher Strong (1933)

Christopher Strong tells the story of a happily-married politician who falls in love with a famous flier, jeopardising his marriage and the happiness of all those around him. The title character is played by Colin Clive while Katharine Hepburn is Lady Cynthia Darrington, the woman who catches his eye in one of her earliest films. Lady Strong is played by Billie Burke while their daughter, Monica, is played by Helen Chandler. Rounding out the main cast is Ralph Forbes as Monica's married boyfriend Harry.

Perhaps the most difficult aspect of this film for me was understanding what Lady Cynthia saw in Sir Christopher Strong. His attraction to her is understandable but there is little about her feelings until later in the film. Arguably, Lady Cynthia is the most important character and deserves to be the title character. She is a record-breaking aviator who is very good at what she does. While Strong is a successful politician, yes, she seems above him in all senses of the word.

The supporting cast is good, especially Billie Burke. Intriguingly enough, the film doesn't dwell on the potential ramifications of Lady Strong finding out about the affair. She finds out fairly rapidly and her quiet reaction is heartbreaking to watch, along with a subsequent scene where she finds her husband listening desperately for news of Lady Cynthia's latest flight on the radio. Burke doesn't overplay these scenes when it would be very easy to do so and she shines all the better for it.

Unfortunately, parts of the dialogue melt into over-the-top declarations of feelings. Thankfully, these don't ruin the entire film but they do spoil parts of it. The best scenes for me are not the Hepburn/Clive ones but the ones where other people - Lady Strong, Monica - are involved.

The ending, though perhaps predictable, is well worth sticking around for. The montage scene of memories that Lady Cynthia dwells on during a flight is fairly innovative and effective for 1933. As one of Katharine Hepburn's early films, it signals the promise of what's to come and, if you ignore certain aspects, it's a very good analysis of infidelity, propriety and society. It also contains an attempt at a bedroom scene between the lovers - nobody is seen but the intention is very evident. Again, not bad for 1933.

London and VPFA Conference (Part 1)

I spent Tuesday to Friday last week in our over-heating capital. The purpose of my visit was the conference mentioned in the title but I also found time to do a few other things. The title of this post is a little misleading - this part will talk about London and the second part will discuss the actual conference. So...here goes.

Me being me, I got myself worked up into quite a state before I left. My first 'job' was meeting the lovely Laura (@HistorianLaura on Twitter). We had a late lunch at Pizza Express which I thoroughly enjoyed. Nice and easy conversation with someone on my wavelength - perfect! 

That evening I was fortunate enough to have a cheap theatre ticket. I've wanted to see Merrily We Roll Along since I heard Jenna Russell had been cast and Maria Friedman was directing. Thanks to a last minute deal I found myself in the second row of the stalls gaping up at the stage. What a performance! Sondheim is never easy and you really have to concentrate - especially with a show that moves backwards - but the production was gorgeous and the acting sublime. Clare Foster and Jenna Russell's versions of 'Not a Day Goes By' were probably the highlights for me but 'Old Friends' was up there too, along with 'Franklin Shepard, Inc'. Now, here's the thing. On the performance I went to the role of Charley was taken on by the understudy, Matthew Barrow. I wasn't going to comment on his performance at all because it was the embodiment of what I felt Charley should be. He was outstanding, particularly in 'Franklin Shepard, Inc', which requires energy and a certain connection with the audience. Jenna Russell's Mary also needed this and there was no doubt she succeeded. I know Sondheim isn't for everyone and the woman sat beside me asked what the hell was going on at the interval. But, for me, it was a perfect first Sondheim for me and I'm grateful I managed to land a ticket I wouldn't have otherwise been able to afford. 

On Wednesday morning I had a few hours to kill before the start of the conference. So where better to spend it than the Charles Dickens Museum on Doughty Street? I did get told off by one guide for not lingering to listen to her rehearsed introduction but, really, I knew enough about Dickens to proceed without help. It was a wonderful little house and I thoroughly enjoyed looking round. I also had an excellent chat with another guide about my PhD before I left. Then I went down to the cafe and had a cup of tea in the back garden. As you can see from the pictures it was a gorgeous day out there. 

After I'd finished my tea I inevitably stepped into the shop. As well as a keyring, I bought the book and postcards below. The postcards are just beautiful and, really, anything that mentions Wilkie Collins I can thoroughly justify...right? I do love Hesperus books - I always get the sense they're lovingly created. 

For now I'll skip over Wednesday afternoon and all day Thursday and skip straight to Friday. I had to go to Foyles to pick up a Proms book for my grandmother. Naturally, with the music department being on the top floor, I got a little sidetracked as I progressed. I'm sure the saleswoman thought I was a bit mad: a Proms guide, a self-editing book, a Katharine Hepburn biography and a Stella Gibbons novel? Well, I'm certainly varied!

My next shop was The Tea House in Covent Garden. I've recently gone a little nutty on loose leaf tea so I decided to indulge my new obsession and I bought the below teas. I've tried all of them. The Moroccan Mint is luscious, light and still lovely. The Tutti Frutti smell nearly knocked my socks off but thankfully the taste is less intense. However, it's the Calming Tea that looks like wood-chip that really astonished me - because of the ginger, I think, it has a little kick to it making it, remarkably, the tastiest of the bunch. Also, the prices were extremely reasonable and they should last me a while. I've got no reason not to be relaxed with these in my possession!  

So that was the so-called 'fun' part of proceedings. I'll tell you almost all about the conference tomorrow...

Classic Film Review: The Little Minister (1934)

The Little Minister stars John Beal as the title character in this film based on a story by J.M. Barrie. In the 1840s Gavin (Beal) arrives at Thrums to take up his new post. He proves to be able minister until he encounters a gypsy girl who cons him into starting a riot by accident. Babbie (Katharine Hepburn) is a gypsy by descent but is also betrothed to the local lord so, essentially, she's living two lives. After inciting the riot she needs to escape the village by posing as Gavin's wife, invoking feelings in them both. But if they get over the hurdle of Babbie's engagement to someone else and the mistrust of the villagers, they still have to face Gavin's mother (Beryl Mercer), who he has devoted his life to as she devoted hers to him.

This starts off slowly with Beal and his mother arriving in the village and, to be honest, it feels a little dull up until the moment Katharine Hepburn literally frolics onto the screen. Her haphazard, bouncy character is an early version of Susan in Bringing Up Baby (1938, reviewed here) and she livens up what has the potential to be a difficult story to enjoy. I had difficulty warming to John Beal as Gavin, though his character becomes more pronounced once he has Hepburn to bounce off. His confused and bemused stance is much more enjoyable to watch than his almost self-righteous preaching of the first few scenes.

After an amusing middle third, though, the film drops towards in pace towards the end as Gavin is faced with mortal danger - which I doubt was the intended effect. I think the problem is that, for me, the film had been carried by Hepburn's exuberance and once that was forced out there was little for me to focus on. Another niggle was that Babbie's relationship with Lord Rintoul (Frank Conroy) is shown far too little considering its place in the story. Their final scene was woefully short, more an afterthought than a resolution of a plot point.

There were, however, some gems in the supporting cast. Primary amongst these has to be Andy Clyde as the weary policeman who is upset because the villagers won't speak to him any more and gets himself into trouble trying to do his job. Donald Crisp is enjoyable in the complimentary role of Dr. McQueen and Mary Gordon as Nanny, who has a subplot of eviction of her own, is the other stand-out performance.

This is an average film carried by Hepburn in one of her stranger film roles. The Scottish accents are mostly passable and the sets are reasonable for the time. There are no exceptional scenes but quite a few good moments - all involving Hepburn.

Classic Film Review: Sylvia Scarlett (1935)

Sylvia Scarlett stars Katharine Hepburn as the title character, the daughter of a thief (Edmund Gwenn) who has liberated some expensive lace from his employer and needs to escape the country. A man travelling with a daughter would be too conspicuous so Sylvia becomes Sylvester. On the boat they meet Jimmy Monkley (Cary Grant) who, after shopping them to customs for smuggling lace, invites them to come along with him and make some immoral money. Along the way they encounter artist Michael Fane (Brian Aherne), who Syvlia - still dressed as Sylvester - immediately falls for.

One of the main problems with this film is the incoherence. There seem to be a set number of 'situations' that the characters are boxed into with no real logic between them. In addition, the characterisation's a bit rubbish (you'd show more emotion if your father had stumbled off a cliff, I think) and some of the accents are appalling (surprisingly, Grant's is the worse of all!). However, it does have some comical moments stemming from the male impersonation of the title character. Hepburn, of course, does boyish extremely well and it's not a stretch to believe the impersonation - it's actually more difficult to accept the character when she goes back to being Sylvia.

One thing that did surprise me was the satisfying ending. The writers weren't overcome with the necessity to shoehorn the characters into the ending appropriate to the billing, perhaps the best bit of characterisation throughout the whole film.

This is an odd one - entertaining in parts, lacklustre in the main. However, it's worth watching just for Hepburn's performance as Sylvester (and there is an almost amorous moment where her step-mother decides to take a chance on her 'step-son').

Classic Film Review: The African Queen (1951)

Starring Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, The African Queen tells the story of a bereaved missionary and a riverboat captain who plan to use their small boat to sink a German warship during WWI. Rose Sayer (Hepburn) is out for a little revenge after her brother was all but murdered by German soldiers as they passed through their village. Although rather prim and proper, she is very determined and concocts a plan that leaves her new companion Charlie Allnut (Bogart) completely astounded. They aim to get to the distant lake where the boat patrols - only white water rapids, a German fort overlooking the river, bugs, crocodiles and thick reeds stand in their way.

I'm not sure I can explain how much I enjoyed this film. Although the opening section with Rosie's brother (Robert Morley) preaching and singing with a group of natives didn't much appeal to me, as soon as Allnut mentioned the war in passing things sped up. After the brother's death, Allnut returns and agrees to take Rosie with him on his boat, despite their differing personalities. This personality clash leads to some amusing moments - particularly when Rosie pours every single bottle of Allnut's gin supply into the river - but they eventually realise they've come to like each other during their adversity. This ramps up the tension as love complicates their plan.

The narrow focus of this film could potentially make it boring. After all, the majority of the action takes place on a very small boat. However, Hepburn and Bogart's combined abilities, along with some wonderfully directed action moments make it as tense as any film I've seen from this era. Rosie's tenacity is unflagging and very believable while Allnut's change of heart is well constructed too. It's a classic tale of opposites attracting while their world collapses around them. It builds to a stunning conclusion which I won't spoil but felt fitted the characters and the film perfectly.

Classic Film Review: Desk Set (1957)

Desk Set was the eighth of the nine films Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn made together and my first introduction to them as a pair. Tracy plays Richard Sumner, an engineer who begins hanging around the research department of a television network upsetting the staff as he hides his computerisation agenda from them. Chief of these is department head, Bunny Watson (Hepburn) who is very good at her job - quick-witted and intelligent - and isn't keen on the idea of losing it to a computer. She and the three girls in her department sit back and wait for the report but Bunny's also got a long-term boyfriend, Mike (Gig Young), who may finally have some news of his own...

This film is hilarious. Not because of physical comedy (though there are a few moments courtesy of Tracy when Richard puts his shoes in the oven to get dry) but because of exceptionally witty dialogue that allows Tracy and Hepburn to spark off each other. There are a couple of memorable scenes, the first being the picnic on the roof of the building - in November. Richard is giving Bunny a test to check her intelligence against the computer he hopes to install but her answers consistently blind-side him. Another of my favourite scenes came at the Christmas party where Bunny and Peg (Joan Blondell) are getting steadily drunk while Richard watches on. A perfectly choreographed chair-shuffling moment by Hepburn and Blondell cracked me up. Every scene, however, is memorable in its own right as the large cast play their parts perfectly. How do you fit Bunny, Richard, Mr and Mrs Smithers, several children and a mother-in-law into one small car? Hilariously. Also look out for a non-speaking woman played by Ida Moore who wanders around silently.

I can't think of a bad thing to say about this one. Hepburn is magnificent throughout and her scenes with Blondell are as amusing as her scenes with Tracy. An excellent film and one I'd be happy to watch over and over again.

Classic Film Review: Bringing Up Baby (1938)

I was astounded to learn that Bringing Up Baby was a commercial flop on release but relieved that the hilarity has since been recognised in numerous 'Best Film' lists. It's certainly going on mine. Like Monkey Business (1952, reviewed a few weeks ago), this film stars Cary Grant as a scientist, this time a zoologist called David Huxley who's about to take delivery of a very important dinosaur bone. Oh, and he's getting married to the rather prim Miss Swallow as well. A chance encounter with odd Susan Vance (Katharine Hepburn) on the golf course sets off a chain of events that involve chasing a tame leopard (the 'Baby' of the title), David trying desperately to cling onto his promised funding from Susan's aunt and chasing around a dog with a bone (yes, the priceless dinosaur bone). It all makes for an hilarious film that had me laughing from start to finish.

Grant really excels as the irritable yet chivalric David. He might not like Susan but when he thinks she's being clawed to death by a leopard he rushes to her defence. That sets him off on one of the craziest paths I've seen in film. However, one of my favourite moments of the film has to be close to the beginning when David accidentally rips the back of Susan's dress and tries to cover her up. Another is when he sees Baby for the first time and learns that the leopard's favourite song is 'I Can't Give You Anything But Love'. Well, what leopard wouldn't love that song?

The film is full of twists and turns, some expected and some not. I could tell as soon as the dog was introduced that he would take an interest in the bone but I didn't anticipate Cary Grant with a butterfly net over his head. The ensemble cast is excellent and, despite Hepburn apparently having no comic practice prior to this film, she brings it off marvellously. Susan is an eccentric character, not a purposefully comic one so I think the lack of experience helped rather than hindered. I didn't see the chemistry between Susan and David as that of lovers, they came across as more of exasperated friends but they certainly sparked off each other in this film and that's what matters. A fantastic script, a wonderful cast and a laugh-out-loud film I want to see again: perfect!