Adam's Rib (1949)

The Worst Film Ever

Memorable, crazy movie

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

for me, the best romantic film ever. or, maybe, the standard of romantic films. smart, amusing, magnificent scene by scene, it is a revelation at each new show. not surprising, because it is the expected duel between two great actors and the right translation of the chemistry between them. and this does the film to be more than a remarkable one. because it remains the standard of a genre who gives more than touching scenes and amusing scenes but a perfect story, impeccable performance and fine irony.

. . . when her gun went off through Johnny's lover's door, in MGM's paean to Responsible Gun Ownership, ADAM'S RIB. Lesson One: Don't be a dumb cluck like Doris here, leaving your three kids home alone to go gunning for Daddy WITHOUT EVER HAVING FIRED A TARGET PRACTICE SHOT! Katherine Hepburn plays the NRA's poster girl in ADAM'S RIB, urging American wives to come to their marriage beds not only armed to the teeth, but as proficient Annie Oakley Sure Shots, too. That way when a husband such as ADAM'S RIB'S "Warren Attinger" busts wife's Doris' molar, she can simply shoot off his acorns and avoid Planned Parenthood altogether. Spencer Tracy, on the other hand, plays title character Adam, a typical Republican Bleeding Heart Liberal, aiming to keep America's Great Equalizers out of the hands of the "Little Ladies." Tracy does not wish to risk losing a future U.S. Commander-in-Chief just because the dude gets drunk one night and rapes one of his aging baby-mom spouses, as documented in Official Court Papers for American President #45. However, IF MGM had done a better job of promoting ADAM'S RIB to America's Womenfolk, Putin's Puppet would not be around to Lord it over us in the White House right now! Therefore, after watching ADAM'S RIB, why not send some dough to your local chapter of BANGS (Broke Americans Need Gun Stamps!)?

What a sheer delight it was to watch this movie, and I cannot understand why I have not watched it before. The chemistry between Tracy and Hepburn is clearly shown in this comedy and the banter made me smile for the whole duration of the movie. I am now keen to watch the other 8 or so movies that these two classic actors have made together, something that I have surprisingly not thought of before, given my love of the movies of the 40's and 50's. I am not going to review the story, all I am going to say is that this was one of the most enjoyable movies I have watched recently from this era, and I will be definitely adding this to my movie collection. Loved it.

often billed as a funny battle of the sexes, it really isn't; it's no contest; tracy comes off as asoft-spoken guy who treats his wife pretty well; hepburn on the other hand is frequently strident and rude; he seems devoted to her while she constantly flirts with the neighbor; he treats her respectfully, she revels in humiliating him at home and at work in court; sure, some of the disconnected skits are funny, mainly helped by judy holiday, not hepburn; and his moment of ethical and legal revenge is instantly dismissed by her; overall needed more give and take like other tracy-hepburn movies, and less of the relentless, one-sided pounding where tracy in the end has to pull a girlish trick to win back the woman who treats him as an incompetent fool