JohnHowardReid
Katharine Hepburn (Eva Lovelace), Douglas Fairbanks, Jr (Joseph Sheridan), Adolphe Menjou (Louis Easton), Mary Duncan (Rita Vernon), C. Aubrey Smith (Robert Harley Hedges), Don Alvarado (Pepe Velez, the gigolo), Fred Santley (Will Seymour), Richard Carle (Henry Lawrence), Tyler Brooke (Charles Van Dusen), Geneva Mitchell (Gwendolyn Hall), Helen Ware (Nellie Navarre), Theresa Harris (maid), Jed Prouty (Seymour), Robert Greig (Roberts), Mildred Washington (Emma), Arthur Rankin (Frank), Max Wagner (smoker in diner), Leroy Johnson (janitor), Nathan Curry (elevator operator), Helene Chadwick (secretary), Shirley Chambers (party guest), Louise Carver (Miss Roberts), Robert Adair (butler), Sana Rayya.Director: LOWELL SHERMAN. Screenplay: Howard J. Green. Based on an unproduced stage play by Zoe Akins. Photography: Bert Glennon. Film editor: William Hamilton. Art directors: Van Nest Polglase and Charles Kirk. Costumes: Walter Plunkett. Music: Max Steiner. Make- up: Mel Burns. Set decorator: Ray Moyer. Special effects supervisor: Harry Redmond, senior. Music orchestrations: Bernhard Kaun. Assistant director: Tommy Atkins. Sound recording: Hugh McDowell. RCA Sound System. Producer: Pandro S. Berman. Executive producer: Merian C. Cooper.Copyright 17 August 1933 by RKO-Radio Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Radio City Music Hall, 17 August 1933 (ran 1 week). U.K. release: 24 March 1934. 8 reels. 74 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Stand-in steps into leading part at the last minute and becomes an instant success.NOTES: Best Actress, Katharine Hepburn. Other Oscar nominees were May Robson in Lady For A Day and Diana Wynyard in Cavalcade. Re-made as Stage Struck (1958) with Susan Strasberg and Henry Fonda under Sidney Lumet's direction.COMMENT: A filmed stage play. Almost no attempt is made to extend the movie's scenes outside the original stage area. The opening and closing sequences in the theater, a brief episode in a coffee shop, and a short montage of the heroine trying out in vaudeville, modeling, etc., are the only exceptions that come to mind. For the First Act or so, the movie does have a bit of pace and style, but Sherman seems gradually defeated by the talky and restrictive script, and even the actors tire of infusing life into their persistently superficial, one-dimensional characters. Nonetheless, Miss Hepburn acts with verve throughout, and certainly looks appropriately emaciated. Sherman has kept Fairbanks and Menjou subdued, so as not to draw attention away from her, but Mary Duncan and Geneva Mitchell are delightfully catty as established stars. Right at the very end, a new character (the dresser) is suddenly introduced to explain the meaning of the title.The plot is the hoariest of all show biz pix. This certainly dates the movie, — as does Glennon's now long-out-of-fashion habit of over-lighting all the faces. Thanks to Hepburn's cult status (her third picture, her first Academy Award), Morning Glory is still occasionally aired on TV. Despite the movie's faults, Hepburn makes a viewing worthwhile; — and Max Steiner has contributed one of his most haunting and lovely themes.
wes-connors
Arriving in New York City from a small town in Vermont, ambitious and wafer-thin Katharine Hepburn (as Eva Lovelace) wants to be an actress. Her irresistible pretensions and unusual beauty catch the eye of playwright Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (as Joseph Sheridan) as Ms. Hepburn attempts to join the company of Broadway producer Adolphe Menjou (as Louis Easton). Hepburn's career staggers one step forward and two steps back, with her memorable moments highlighted by a tipsy impromptu performance of the "Romeo and Juliet" balcony scene at a snooty party... This unoriginal, but appealing story would have worked better without lurching around so often... Hepburn won her first "Academy Award" as "Best Actress" for this role; however, this "Oscar" was another in the film organization's puzzling choices. Note, the eligibility period was confused and extended, which inadvertently excluded Greta Garbo's "Queen Christina" from the running. Moreover, RKO quickly followed-up "Morning Glory" with a hit version of "Little Women". Hepburn was also perfectly mannered in her winning role, and received great support from an excellent cast. As the man attracted to Hepburn's true nature, Mr. Fairbanks is particularly good.******* Morning Glory (8/16/33) Lowell Sherman ~ Katharine Hepburn, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Adolphe Menjou, Mary Duncan
David Allen
Morning Glory (1933) starring Katherine Hepburn, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Adolph Menjou, and C. Aubrey Smith is a wonderful movie starring the incredible (4 Best Actress Academy Awards) Katherine Hepburn giving a "star" performance in a "star vehicle" show aimed at dazzling audiences with wonderful acting exhibitions, and succeeding completely.It is a stage play presented unpretentiously in movie form. Seeing Mornging Glory (1933) starring Katherine Hepburn is like going to a stage show, a dramatic Broadway stage show of quality part of the great tradition of Broadway (NYC USA) stage show performances given in huge numbers during the 1920's and early 1930's, during the historic period in USA cultural history when stage plays were the most important and honored form of performing, story telling art, and movies were not yet at all considered a serious art form, but rather were (justifiably) ranked with and compared to circuses and amusement parks (the owner of Loew's Inc., also owner of MGM movie studio during the 1930's and Louie B. Mayer's boss was Nicholas Schenck, who also owned New Jersey amusement parks, his work before he entered the movie business).Morning Glory (1933) starring Katherine Hepburn depends completely on actor performances, and the movie is essentially an exposition of wonderful (incredibly skilled) actor work with only simple movie settings, and no cinema camera, editing, music, special effects, or director "auteur" tricks or emphases.It's a movie carried completely by the actors in the show, and one can see good actor work clearly and for long, sustained periods in this movie in a way almost never seen in other movies.See Morning Glory (1933) starring Katherine Hepburn to see fine, skillful, talented, inspired, disciplined acting at it's best, presented during a cultural period in USA history when such acting was honored and emphasized, and when the subjects and depictions presented by good actors were intelligent, worthy, and culturally impressive and honorable.It's a breathtaking movie made during the early days of movie talkies, and before the oppressive Hays/ Breen "Hollywood Self-Imposed Censorship" Office imposed it's infamous code on cinematic art in 1934.The sound is not always good (mikes were placed back then in flower arrangements and actors sometimes failed to "talk into the flowers" with the result that voices could not be heard clearly), and the only flashy visual parts of the movie are montages showing the Times Square lights and panorama of 1933, and hands clapping superimposed over depictions of actors on stage and audiences reacting to stage performances, and of course the elegant white tie and tails and gowns for the ladies dress part of parties and backstage scenes in the movie.The big thing about Morning Glory (1933) starring Katherine Hepburn is actor performances of astounding quality...the fact that this movie gave great actors a chance to work out and show the audience their stuff.George Lucas and his "Industrial Light And Magic" movie special effects factory were not needed to make Morning Glory (1933) starring Ktherine Hepburn a success and an honored movie....one which should be honored for more than Katherine Hepburn's justifiably praised and awarded leading lady actor performance.--------- Written by Tex Allen, SAG Actor. Visit WWW.IMDb.Com and choose "Tex Allen" "resume" for contact information, movie credits, and biographical information about Tex Allen. He has reviewed more than 42 movies posted on WWW.IMDb.Com (the world's largest movie information database, owned by Amazon.Com) as of January 2011. These include: 1. Alfie (1966) 29 July 2009 2. Alien (1979) 24 July 2009 3. All the Loving Couples (1969) 17 January 2011 4. All the President's Men (1976) 16 November 2010 5. American Graffiti (1973) 22 November 2010 6. Animal House (1978) 16 August 2009 7. Bullitt (1968) 23 July 2009 8. Captain Kidd (1945) 28 July 2009 9. Child Bride (1938) 24 September 2009 10. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) 22 September 2010 11. Destination Moon (1950) 17 January 2011 12. Detour (1945) 19 November 2010 13. Die Hard 2 (1990) 23 December 2010 14. The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (1993) 19 November 2010 15. Jack and the Beanstalk (1952) 26 July 2009 16. King Solomon's Mines (1950) 1 December 2010 17. Knute Rockne All American (1940) 2 November 2010 18. Claire's Knee (1970) 15 August 2009 19. Melody Ranch (1940) 10 November 2010 20. Morning Glory (1933) 19 November 2010 21. Mush and Milk (1933) 17 January 2011 22. New Moon (1940) 3 November 2010 23. Pinocchio (1940) 6 November 2010 24. R2PC: Road to Park City (2000) 19 November 2010 25. Salt (2010) 24 August 2010 26. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960) 21 January 2011 27. Sunset Blvd. (1950) 1 December 2010 28. The Forgotten Village (1941) 21 January 2011 29. The Great Dictator (1940) 1 November 2010 30. The King's Speech (2010) 19 January 2011 31. The Last Emperor (1987) 20 January 2011 32. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) 9 January 2011 33. The Man in the White Suit (1951) 5 August 2009 Written by Tex Allen, SAG-AFTRA movie actor. Visit WWW.IMDb.Me/TexAllen for more information about Tex Allen. Tex Allen's email address is
[email protected] Tes Allen Movie Credits, Biography, and 2012 photos at WWW.IMDb.Me/TexAllen. See other Tex Allen written movie reviews....almost 100 titles.... at: "http://imdb.com/user/ur15279309/comments" (paste this address into your URL Browser)
sdave7596
"Morning Glory" released in 1933, in Hepburn's early career at RKO Pictures, tells the story of stage struck Eva Lovelace. He character is from a small town in Vermont - we hear her tell it a few times. At the beginning of the film, I did not find Hepburn's character likable. In fact, I thought she was downright touched. As the film progresses, we come to understand that her art (acting) is seemingly everything to her and she is obsessed with it, yet she is not very successful. At a party, Hepburn gets tipsy and gets to show her stuff, performing "Romeo and Juliet" in front of the guests (at a cocktail party, no less!). Hepburn falls for Adolphe Menjou, playing a typical stage producer, who sees only the bottom dollar. Exactly why she falls for the aging Menjou over the young and handsome playwright (played nicely by Dougls Fairbanks Jr.) who is kind to her - well, that is indeed a mystery that also strains credibility. This movie has glitches and flaws that don't quite make complete sense, and the film seems to be little more than RKO showing off Hepburn as its newest star. Fortunately for her, better roles lay ahead. Hepburn won an Oscar for this film - not her best by any means, but the Academy Awards were new then and maybe not as picky. Not that Hepburn isn't good here - she's always good - just not great.
