Little Women (1933)
Women...... hahahaha, yes!! 🤌WOMEN🤌
I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.
Little Women (1933) - watched 10/7/24
Director: George Cukor
Writers: Victor Heerman, Sarah Y. Mason
Starring: Katharine Hepburn, Joan Bennett, Paul Lukas, Frances Dee, Jean Parker, Edna May Oliver, Douglass Montgomery, Henry Stephenson
Available to rent or buy on most platforms
First Time Watch? Yes
I mean, what can I say about Little Women that hasn’t already been said? The semi-autobiographical Louisa May Alcott novel was an immediate success and continues to endure over 150 years, probably millions of English classes, and several acclaimed screen and stage adaptations. You could say that Little Women is what they call a “classic,” or “a work of art of recognized and established value.”
You’d think that at my big age of 37, I’d be quite familiar with Little Women in its various iterations by now. But you’d be wrong! I have to admit, I’ve never been super interested in the story of Little Women. I tried to read the book, but quickly got bored. I was seemingly one of the few who didn’t love Greta Gerwig’s 2019 adaptation. And I’ve never watched the 1994 version in full, despite my staunch belief that Winona Ryder is one of the most gorgeous people to ever walk the earth and I would literally do anything for her except apparently watch this one specific movie.
This era of history has never grabbed me in fiction, and it’s not for a lack of interest in the Civil War area itself. It’s a time in American history that’s rife with compelling stories to tell, I’m just not sure the most compelling stories from this time period were the ones that got to be told, if that makes sense. I also think because a lot of the writing feels dry and dusty, because a lot of the writers were dry and dusty. So this is essentially why, despite its compelling women characters, its feminist themes, and its status as an all-time great coming-of-age-story, never really connected with me. I do have a copy of it collecting dust on my bookshelf that I think I’ve read about twenty pages of, if that gives me any semblance of credibility here.
I know I'm not half good enough for you. But, well, if you love me, you can make me anything you like.
I mean, we all know what happens in Little Women, right? Coming of age story set in Civil War-era New England about the four March sisters, each with distinct yet complicated personalities and ambitions, one of them dies, the main sister ends up with some old German professor instead of the passionate and charming and handsome and rich neighbor boy. It’s a tale as old as time, or at least as old as something else created in 1868.
Alright, fine, I’ll elaborate.
We have Jo March (Katherine Hepburn), our protagonist and second-oldest sister. She’s bold, or some might even say spunky, has a fiery temper, and is considered more “masculine” than your average traditional young woman of the time. Don’t worry, you will be hit over the head with the fact that Jo is not your average traditional 19th century American young woman. She aspires to be a writer, and writes plays for her family to perform. We see one of these plays performed, in which Jo plays the male lead, and it’s honestly pretty hot. Jo and the March’s neighbor, Laurie (Douglass Montgomery) have a really hot, really frustrating will-they-or-won’t they situation. Ultimately, the answer is “they won’t.” Jo moves to New York to pursue her writing career, and stays in a boarding house, where she meets Professor Bhaer (Paul Lukas). Bhaer is a middle-aged German1 immigrant and language instructor at the boarding house. They become friends, and Bhaer reads and critiques Jo’s writing. After Jo leaves the boarding house to tend to her sister, Beth, as she grows more ill, she and Bhaer briefly lose touch, but he’s very much smitten with Jo, and he tracks her down at home, with her completed manuscript that’s about to be published. He bumbles through a confession of his love for her, and Jo happily returns his affections and accepts him into her home and her life.
The other three sisters are your more standard fare for the time. The oldest, Meg March (Frances Dee), is the most traditional, most domestically-inclined. She works as a governess and eventually falls in love with and marries John Brooke (John Davis Lodge), Laurie’s tutor.
Beth March (Jean Parker), the second-youngest sister, is just the sweetest, most shy and delicate little flower. As the Sensitive One in my own family, I have a soft spot for Beth, as she navigates the often chaotic dynamics of her family. Unlike her sisters, Beth is content to stay at home with their mother, continuing in their plight to help local families who are struggling. One such family, the Hummels, struggles particularly hard as three of their children contract and die from scarlet fever. Beth also contracts the disease, and while she initially survives, she never fully recovers and eventually succumbs to her illness.
The youngest of the March family is Amy (Joan Bennett), the artist of the family. Often coddled as the youngest daughter, Amy is eventually chosen by wealthy, crotchety Aunt March (Edna May Oliver) to travel with her to Europe, in favor of Jo. Amy matures while on her extended stay in Europe, and also encounters Laurie there—they end up getting together and falling in love, eventually marrying. So damn, Amy really swiped both a trip to Europe and a man from Jo. Your loss, Jo!!
I think I can sleep now. Oh look, Jo. My birds. They got back in time.
Oh! Oh, I liked this!!
I think this adaptation might have finally sold me on Little Women. Granted, it would be very difficult to walk away from this movie not feeling utterly charmed by Katharine Hepburn’s portrayal of Jo—a perfect performance if ever there was one, and she didn’t even win the Oscar for it this year!2 The word “effervescent” gets thrown around a lot when we talk about great acting performances by women, and I myself will probably use this term a lot because women are, simply, effervescent, but Katharine Hepburn as Jo in Little Women perfectly encapsulates just what that word means when we use it to describe an actor. The New York Times summed it up perfectly in their review from back in the day when they declared that “Miss Hepburn goes darting through this picture without giving one a moment to think of her as other than Jo.”
And I was, naturally, very invested in the will-they-or-won’t-they dynamic of Jo and Laurie’s relationship. They are two hot people with great chemistry and they should bone down. I get it now!! For as much credit as Katharine Hepburn deservedly gets for her portrayal as Jo, Douglass Montgomery more than holds his own as the charming, endearing, cutie pa-freakin-tootie boy next door Laurie. His love for Jo, and his disappointment when she turns him down… man, I felt that. I don’t know how their relationship reads in the book, nor do I care, but the sexual and romantic tension between these two in the film is REAL, and I wanted nothing more than to see them smooch. Like, really go at it. Honestly, Jo, you weren’t even a little curious about Laurie’s stroke game? I don’t believe you.
After the 1994 adaptation was released, Variety astutely pointed out that, since the dawn of cinema, every generation has seemingly gotten their own adaptation of Little Women. I like this idea of a continually regenerating adaptation for new generations of young girls to be exposed to. I definitely need to give the 2019 version another shot,3 but right now I can’t help but feel a little disappointed that this gorgeous 1933 version isn’t the one that my generation got.
There. I've done my best. If that won't do, I shall have to wait until I can do better.
Quick Facts:
Nominated for 3 Academy Awards, won 1
Best Picture
Best Director (George Cukor)
Best Adaptation (Victor Heerman and Sarah Y. Mason, won)
The interior of the March’s home was modeled after author Louisa May Alcott’s home
The 3rd of 7 feature film adaptations of the novel. The first two, from 1917 and 1918, are considered lost films.
Stray Notes:
First Katharine Hepburn movie of the series LFGGGGGGGGG
I wonder if Little Women is the most adapted literary work? Too bad it’s impossible to know.
(I looked it up after this and apparently it’s actually A Christmas Carol that’s been adapted the most times which like… duh, of course. I feel like I knew this already, like it’s a piece of trivia we all know, right? We just never think about it. At least I didn’t. Until now!!)
Oh I love Katharine Hepburn in this already!
This… feels like a proper movie, if that makes sense? I can’t explain why. Feels like all the elements are there and really working (the score, the acting, the writing, the costuming, the sets, the editing, the sound, all of it!) whereas with most other films so far there’s usually at least one key element that’s either lacking or missing completely.
I do love a snowy movie even though I hate IRL snow
Katharine Hepburn is seriously on another level.
I get that excited about breakfast too.
Wouldn’t it be great to live in a world where helping and feeding a poor starving family was an accepted, even routine practice, rather than a novelty or a burden?
Katharine Hepburn makes a great drag king
The way Jo clomps down the stairs… incredible.
This is very lovely!
Spread Eagle Press, lol
Women!!! 😌
I can’t decide if having this many sisters would be wonderful or annoying. Probably both!
It’s just like… nice to see people look out for and take care of each other?? Too bad it’s just fiction!
Their love for each other is palpable! So believable!
Girl, get a grip, your hair will grow back.
Beth 🙁
The piano ☹️
The amount of times I’ve teared up so far…
The cinematography and mise en scène are exceptional tbh
Laurie is down horrendous!
Oh poor Laurie 😢
That wooden turnstile thing… I like it.
I love hoop skirts. I love hoop skirts!!!
Feels like this could be one of my new cozy comfort movies…
Now I really need to give the other adaptations a rewatch
Is Professor Bhaer’s accent supposed to be… German? Because it’s giving French. Maybe even occasionally Italian. Sehr zweideutig!
The dad doesn’t say “Ah, my little women” in this one, unfortunately
Oh this last dress Amy is wearing is gorgeous
Team Laurie. Always Team Laurie.
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐½
Next Up: The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933)
Although you would never know it, based on Lukas’ confusing, decidedly non-German accent
Hepburn did win the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Morning Glory this year, her first of 12 nominations and 4 wins. I am very, very much looking forward to watching more stunning Hepburn performances through this project.
And this project guarantees that I will, as it was also nominated for Best Picture