Beautiful adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's novel about four sisters coming of age in the Civil War. They're played by Katharine Hepburn (Jo), Francis Dee (Meg), Joan Bennett (Amy) and Jean Parker (Beth). It follows them over the course of about 10 years dealing mostly with the men they fall in love with. It mostly centers on Jo--she's expected to get married to Laurie (Douglass Montgomery) but she wants a career as a writer also.
Faithful to the book, beautifully mounted and directed by George Cukor (who was always good with large female casts) and a mostly great cast. Hepburn is exceptional (no surprise there), Bennett and Dee are good but Parker isn't that good. She's not terrible--it's just she's not as good as the other three. The men are all OK but the movie isn't about them--it's about the women.
I'm giving it a 9. I can't give it a 10 because there are a few scenes that are just horrible (especially one where Parker sees her father returning from the war) and it goes on a bit longer than needed. Also the sound was hard to hear at times (but this WAS done over 70 years ago). Well worth seeing.
Faithful to the book, beautifully mounted and directed by George Cukor (who was always good with large female casts) and a mostly great cast. Hepburn is exceptional (no surprise there), Bennett and Dee are good but Parker isn't that good. She's not terrible--it's just she's not as good as the other three. The men are all OK but the movie isn't about them--it's about the women.
I'm giving it a 9. I can't give it a 10 because there are a few scenes that are just horrible (especially one where Parker sees her father returning from the war) and it goes on a bit longer than needed. Also the sound was hard to hear at times (but this WAS done over 70 years ago). Well worth seeing.