The Strength of CHRISTOPHER STRONG (1933)

The famous moth costume

I’d forgotten how much I like Dorothy Arzner's CHRISTOPHER STRONG (1933). The plot isn’t very good, and Hepburn’s acting is a bit flat at times, but the Lady Cynthia Darrington character is very good, even if the plot doesn’t treat her well. Arzner’s directing is also very strong. The costumes are amazing - every one of Hepburn's outfits in this film is stunning. Do not underestimate CHRISTOPHER STRONG as merely an early Hepburn film (her second, in fact), as I mistakenly did at first. It is a good film in its own right, and it deserves a closer look.

Writer - Zoe Akins: The fascinating thing about this film is that it was both written and directed by women. Screenwriter Zoe Akins is possibly best remembered for writing HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE (1953), the successful play adaptation of Edith Wharton's THE OLD MAID (1939), and CAMILLE (1936). Akins also wrote the screenplay which earned Katharine Hepburn her first Academy Award, MORNING GLORY (1933).