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.... 

Poll: Who were your favorite male newcomers to Summer Under the Stars on TCM?

Poll: Who was your favorite female newcomer to Summer Under the Stars on TCM?

POLL: What's your favorite Katharine Hepburn WWII movie?

1.) WOMAN OF THE YEAR (1942)

(Dir. George Stevens; Writ. Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon)

Sam teaches Tess baseball. She catches on fairly quickly.

In Hepburn's first ever film with Spencer Tracy, she plays high-flying political journalist Tess Harding and he is lowly sports writer Sam Craig on the same newspaper. Although at first the two clash ideologically, they quickly fall in love and marry. The couple struggles to stay together as Tess (Hepburn) continues to rate her job as a higher priority than her marriage. One of the strongest portrayals of a successful business woman on the big screen.

POLL: What is your favorite 1930s Katharine Hepburn movie?

1.) HOLIDAY (George Cukor, 1938)

Although Johnny (Cary Grant) is crazy about his fiancee Julia, Julia doesn't seem crazy about Johnny's plans for their future. Her sister Linda (Hepburn), on the other hand, feels more than sympathy for the young energetic dreamer engaged to her beloved sister.

POLL: Who's your favorite director of Hepburn movies?

And the winners are...

Over the past month or so I've posted four polls about Katharine Hepburn movies and co-stars. Although you can continue to cast your votes on those polls, I thought I'd give all those who have already voted a run-down on the scores.

What's your favorite Katharine Hepburn classic? has 20 votes so far and they are pretty evening distributed across the board. BRINGING UP BABY (1938) is in the lead with five votes, followed by LITTLE WOMEN (1934) with four votes. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940) and AFRICAN QUEEN (1951) are both tied for last place with three votes each. The remaining five votes selected "other" and that list includes to votes for THE LION IN WINTER (1968), and one each for HOLIDAY (1938), ON GOLDEN POND (1982), and CHRISTOPHER STRONG (1933).

15 people have voted on What's your favorite Katharine Hepburn Oscar win? GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER (1967) and THE LION IN WINTER (1968), for which Katharine Hepburn won back-to-back Oscars, are tied for the lead with six votes each. MORNING GLORY (1933), Hepburn's first ever Oscar nomination and win, is trailing with only two votes and Hepburn's final Oscar win, ON GOLDEN POND (1982) brings up the rear with a single vote.

Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn made four films together and you can vote for your favorite in What's your favorite Cary Grant/Katharine Hepburn movie? Nine of the fourteen votes went to the ever-popular BRINGING UP BABY (1938). THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940) has only three votes and HOLIDAY (1938) only two. Unfortunately, SYLVIA SCARLETT (1935) brings up the rear without a solitary vote.

The most recent poll Who's your favorite of Hepburn's leading men? gives several options, but so far people have only voted on two: six votes have gone to Cary Grant and five to Spencer Tracy. John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Henry Fonda, and Peter O'Toole are also listed, but no one seems overly impressed with their performances, apparently!

These are all running polls, so feel free to cast your vote at any time. If you don't see the answer you would like, you can always enter your own in the "other" option. Let me know if you have an idea for a poll question and I will post it for you. You can see all the existing polls under the "Polls" tab at the top of the blog, and there is also a link to each individual poll in the Table of Contents. Thanks for voting!

Poll: Who's your favorite of Hepburn's leading men?

Poll: What's your favorite Cary Grant/Katharine Hepburn movie?

Blog Updates

There have been a lot of changes around here, making The Great Katharine Hepburn a much more user-friendly site to navigate! Check out my new pages via the tabs along the top of the blog, just under the blog title. The Table of Contents groups posts by category, making it easier to navigate to the posts your most interested in. Under Polls you will find a collection of ongoing surveys about Katharine Hepburn and her movies - don't forget to place your vote! In the Gallery you will find a display of Katharine Hepburn photos by prominent photographers. I will also be adding behind-the-scenes pictures and personal family photos of the Hepburn clan. Stay tuned for Gallery updates! The Bibliography tab will lead you to a list of books by and about the great lady herself. Under Filmography, you will find a list of all Katharine Hepburn's movies, in chronological order, with relevant information about each picture she made. The Shop is now open! There you can view Katharine Hepburn products for sale on Amazon. You will also find Amazon links to Hepburn movies and books at the end and within the text of each post. It's the best way to find the best price for the best products!

I hope you enjoy exploring my blog! If you have any comments or suggestions about how I can improve the look and functionality of this blog, please let me know and I will make adjustments accordingly! Thank you for being loyal Katharine Hepburn fans!

Poll: What's your favorite Katharine Hepburn Oscar win?

Poll: What's your favorite Katharine Hepburn classic?