Thank goodness that World War II allowed America to grow up! Poor Alice Adams -- a young woman (Katharine Hepburn) who lives in a fantasy world where she pretends to to be happy, while all the time being lonely. Poor Mother Adams who nags her husband constantly to make more money, even though it appears he is recovering from a heart attack. Poor Father Adams, suffering from a nagging wife while wanting all the best for his daughter, even though her prospects seem slim. And poor Brother Adams who has to take his sister to dances, putting a crimp on his ability to play craps.
And then, into Alice's life comes a ray of sunshine -- Fred Mac Murray.
Katharine Hepburn is excellent here, although the part is absolutely the opposite from the type of role that Hepburn later excelled at. This film was made only 3 years after Hepburn's film career first began.
Fred MacMurray is excellent here as the beau. Today, audiences have forgotten just how popular MacMurray was, and how long his Hollywood career lasted. He was a very pleasing actor who could handle comedy or drama equally well.
Fred Stone play's Alice's father here. He's an actor with whom I'm not familiar, but he had a very successful career dating back to the days of Annie Oakley, up through important roles in a number of motion pictures. Ann Shoemaker plays the mother, and plays the role so well that you'd like to see the poor husband shoot her dead; everyone hates a nag! Frank Albertson (not the one from "Chico And The Man") is good as the not very likable brother. Although their roles are small, it's interesting to see Hedda Hopper and Hattie McDaniel in supporting roles (the later, of course, as a maid, but here in a most demeaning nature).
Once this film gets off the ground -- and it takes so LONG for it to do so -- it gets quite interesting. We could have learned that Alice was a wallflower much quicker at the beginning of the film. It really takes MacMurray to bring some life to the flick, and the dinner party scene is quite humorous...a comedy of errors. Admittedly, this happy ending could only happen in a much earlier era.
I don't give this film the high marks some sources do, but it's a pretty decent outing about a very different time.
And then, into Alice's life comes a ray of sunshine -- Fred Mac Murray.
Katharine Hepburn is excellent here, although the part is absolutely the opposite from the type of role that Hepburn later excelled at. This film was made only 3 years after Hepburn's film career first began.
Fred MacMurray is excellent here as the beau. Today, audiences have forgotten just how popular MacMurray was, and how long his Hollywood career lasted. He was a very pleasing actor who could handle comedy or drama equally well.
Fred Stone play's Alice's father here. He's an actor with whom I'm not familiar, but he had a very successful career dating back to the days of Annie Oakley, up through important roles in a number of motion pictures. Ann Shoemaker plays the mother, and plays the role so well that you'd like to see the poor husband shoot her dead; everyone hates a nag! Frank Albertson (not the one from "Chico And The Man") is good as the not very likable brother. Although their roles are small, it's interesting to see Hedda Hopper and Hattie McDaniel in supporting roles (the later, of course, as a maid, but here in a most demeaning nature).
Once this film gets off the ground -- and it takes so LONG for it to do so -- it gets quite interesting. We could have learned that Alice was a wallflower much quicker at the beginning of the film. It really takes MacMurray to bring some life to the flick, and the dinner party scene is quite humorous...a comedy of errors. Admittedly, this happy ending could only happen in a much earlier era.
I don't give this film the high marks some sources do, but it's a pretty decent outing about a very different time.