Feministing the Classic Hollywood Starlet

Attempting to categorise classic Hollywood stars as feminist or anti-feminists is basically a futile exercise. 

In the first place, the term "feminist" or "feminism" didn't come into wide usage until the late 1960s, when the "2nd wave" was in full swing. In fact, when the term did become popular, many of our most influential leading ladies rejected the term. When talk show host Dick Cavett asked Bette Davis if she would mind if he light her cigarette for her she responded, "Oh, no, I'm not woman's lib." During Katharine Hepburn's interview with Cavett, he asked her if she was inspired to support the women's movement, to which she replied in the negative: "No, because we did that, you know, a very very long time ago."

Bette Davis gets a light from Dick Cavett

Secondly, the level of an actress's feminist tendencies is not inherently indicative of her strength of character. Nor does it in any way quantify or qualify her abilities as a performer. For example, some may call Joan Crawford a feminist because she worked so hard to earn a fantabulous career, while others can only see her as a complete witch-with-a-capital-B. At the opposite end of the spectrum other stars, like Judy Garland, may seem like nothing more than vulnerable victims of the studio system, and yet their inner strength of character still bedazzles audiences decades later.

So, what is the point of trying to label actresses as either feminist or not?

Poll: Great Adaptations of LITTLE WOMEN

A previous post on this blog mentions the various "Great Adaptations" of films based on novels Turner Classic Movies will be featuring this month. Possibly the most quintessential American novel, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, has also been made into a number of popular films, two of which will be airing this month. My personal favorite is George Cukor's LITTLE WOMEN (1933) starring Katharine Hepburn as Jo. My friend Megan, on the other hand, much prefers the June Allyson version, which also stars Elizabeth Taylor and Margaret O'Brien (1949). The most recent adaptation of the classic is the 1994 Winona Ryder version. 

Which is your favorite?

George Cukor's LITTLE WOMEN (1933)

Jo: Katharine Hepburn
Meg: Frances Dee
Beth: Jean Parker
Amy: Joan Bennett
Marmee: Spring Byington
Laurie: Douglas Montgomery
Professor Bhaer: Paul Lukas
Aunt March: Edna May Oliver 

Pros: Katharine Hepburn is Jo March - tomboy, Yankee, headstrong, devoted to family. The music and the gentleness of the black and white picture captures the warm feel of Alcott's original story.

Cons: Overall, the film can seem a bit melodramatic. Spring Byington, as much as I love her, does not give her best performance here. They also completely omit the exchange between Jo and Amy when Amy burns Jo's writing and they quarrel and then Jo saves Amy when she falls through the ice. I don't actually know if Cukor actually read the whole book, despite Hepburn's prodding.... 

Feminist Star Personas of Classic Hollywood (other than Katharine Hepburn)

http://feministguidetohollywood.blogspot.com/

Feminist personas of classic Hollywood come in many shapes and sizes. Some, like the great Katharine Hepburn, found profound new ways to represent strong women on the big screen. Others more subtly broke new ground in their private lives. There is no set way to define a feminist icon, but there are some ways you can measure how progressive the stars' personas could be. For one, all of these women are professionals who get paid (a lot) for their talent and hard work. Secondly, stars who were aware of their desire to present a progressive view of women often chose films which would showcase these strengths.