Adam's Rib (1949)

Adam's Rib (1949)

When we think about all-time movie pairings, we think about Walter Matthau/Jack Lemmon, Jennifer Lawrence/Bradley Cooper, Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan, etc. The greatest pairing of them all, in my opinion, is the wonderful pairing of Katherine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy. They have such wonderful chemistry together as evidenced by George Cukor’s 1949 feature, Adam’s Rib. The film was written by the husband/wife duo, Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin whom were close friends with Hepburn and Tracy and they really gave the chance for both actors to constantly spar with each other. Although the film shows its age, I really like the idea behind the film. The writers were influenced by the real-life event of two lawyers who were husband and wife, but they were working against each other at a divorce proceeding. After the completion of the proceeding, the lawyers divorced each other and married their respective clients. That story really makes for a charming, amusing movie even if the big belly laughs are hard to come by.

A Brooklyn mother and housewife of three kids, Doris Attinger (Judy Holliday) is fed up with the cheating ways of her husband, Warren (Tom Ewell). One day when he leaves his office job, Doris decides to follow her husband to the apartment of his girlfriend, Beryl (Jean Hagen)…..with a pistol. She is only able to wound him. The next morning, we follow the Manhattan District Attorney Adam Bonner (Spencer Tracy) and his defense attorney wife, Amanda (Katherine Hepburn) as they read about this event. Right away, they take opposing sides. Adam believes it was wrong what Doris did and deserves just punishment. On the flip side, Amanda is an active voice for woman’s rights. She believes that if the situation was reversed, the man would be let off with no charges. The case is given to Adam as the prosecutor….but Amanda decides to represent Doris pro bono against her husband. So now a rivalry is born….both inside and outside of court to very amusing results.

Adam’s Rib is Hepburn’s and Tracy’s sixth collaboration, and perhaps their most accessible film. It was very fun watching these two acting giants spar with each other on-screen, and their chemistry is off the charts. This isn’t their best collaboration (of the films I have seen with them), but it’s their most fun and charming. Also of note, the rest of the supporting cast were essentially making their film debuts. Judy Holliday, Tom Ewell, and Jean Hagen were well known to the public, but as Broadway stars. Holliday was known for her play Born Yesterday and both Cukor and Hepburn were using this film as her audition for 1950 film version of the same name. As a result, Holliday had some great monologue scenes and worked very well with what was given to her. Both Ewell and Hagen also had great scenes, so don’t count them out.

There is much to praise about here. From the expert, deft direction of Cukor using black-and-white cinematography to the smart, bristling script of Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin, to the wonderful performances by the cast-there is much to enjoy about the film. The themes regarding women’s rights remains a topical and relevant event in today’s world and it really opens your eyes about how different the world was in the late 1940’s. Although there were not many comedic moments per se, the film is amusing, charming, and just an overall fun watch. If you love the onscreen pairings of Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, Adam’s Rib is just the film for you.

My Grade: B+