The Men who made the Movies - George Cukor - Sylvia Scarlett starring Katharine Hepburn

Here's is a part of the documentary 'The Men who made the Movies'. George Cukor talks about the making of 'Sylvia Scarlett', which stars Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant.
You can find me on tumblr: thedivinemisshepburn.tumblr.com

[@stephaniestanley8041]

Beautiful portrayal.

[@spyboy1964]

Very underrated movie

[@nicholasreid1836]

A vastly overrated film. Late in life, Katherine Hepburn gave an interview in which she described this film. She said it was a disaster. Then she was told that it was now a "cult classic". She said "that's because audiences now are a disaster". Too true. Her own performance in this film is dreadful. Cary Grant (second billed) is in his elemwnt and does pretty well as a totally cynical Cockney crook. But the screenplay is bitty and wanders all over the place; the attempted humour is too broad to raise a laugh; and despite the mainly English cast (Grant, Edmund Gwenn, Brian Aherne) the England depicted is strictly Hollywood backlot. Compton MacKenzie's original novel is both much funnier and much darker . [In the same late-in-life interview, Hepburn described the original novel as "brilliant"] So why is it now a "cult classic"? Simply because of the perceived sex interest in Hepburn playing a transvestite role, and one or two [brief] scenes of sexual ambiguity, with a woman coming on to the "boy" [not that Hepburn looks anything other than a woman, despite the trousers] and a scene where Brian Aherne is very interested in the "boy" but later accepts her just as easily as a girl. And that's it, folks. A little titillation for people so sexually inclined. The film is a curiosity but otherwise crap.

[@kennethstokes5102]

I enjoyed it!

[@nicholasreid1836]

@@kennethstokes5102 Bully for you. In the same interview I quoted, after Hepburn said the film was a disaster, she was asked why it was now a cult movie. She replied "because audiences now are a disaster". I agree with her.

[@kennethstokes5102]

@@nicholasreid1836 So what? still enjoyed it.

[@nicholasreid1836]

@@kennethstokes5102 As I said, bully for you.

[@kennethstokes5102]

@@nicholasreid1836 Why, because I like a movie Katherine Hepburn doesn't like? Well escuuuuze me!