Adam's Rib

1949 Comedy

Cast:

Adam Bonner: Spencer Tracy

Amanda Bonner: Katherine Hepburn

Doris Attinger: Judy Holliday

Warren Attinger: Tom Ewell

Kip Lurie: David Wayne

Beryl Caighn: Jean Hagen

Director:

George Cukor

Adam and Amanda Bonner are happily married attorneys who find themselves on opposing sides in the courtroom when a woman shoots and critically injures her cheating husband.

The drama and disagreements spill over into the Bonner home and cause serious problems in their marriage.

Doris Attinger (Holliday) follows her husband, Warren (Ewell) to his mistresses apartment and shoots him, critically injuring him.

Adam Bonner (Tracy) is assigned by the district attorney to prosecute the case. When Amanda Bonner (Hepburn) discovers this, she feels compelled to defend Doris in court. Her basis for the defense is that women are not treated the same as men in legal matters, specifically in crimes of passion.

The Bonners are very happily married however, Amanda's defense of Doris begins to rankle Adam. He feels she is showing a disregard for the law and is making a public spectacle of the trial.

Judy Holliday is hilarious as Doris and, frankly steals the scene on several occasions.

Hepburn and Tracy prove they are just as brilliant in comedic roles as in dramatic ones.

The Bonner's neighbor, Kip (Wayne) is a songwriter with a huge crush on Amanda which only causes more trouble for the married couple.

The writing in this movie, the characters, the courtroom antics, even the soundtrack make this a fun film to watch from beginning to end.

One great quote from Kip: "Lawyers should never marry lawyers. It just causes idiot children and more lawyers".

Katherine Hepburn is one of my all time favorite actors.

In the scene where she is interviewing Doris, she wanted to be sure to showcase Judy Holliday's acting chops

in the hopes she would be given her role in "Born Yesterday". She generously let Holliday be the focus of the scene and she did indeed win the role in the movie.

The ending is fairly typical of portraying a traditional marriage for that time, however Hepburn's character is able to bring attention to women's rights which was fairly revolutionary.

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