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Holiday [1938]


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1930s commedy at its best
Review date: 2008-05-12 Rating: 10 out of 10

This is one of the best teamings of grant and hepburn. I won't tell you what is going to happen but the build up to the inevitable is brillaintly acted and paced. It's a gentler and more well observed than the screwball antics of 'bringing up baby' and much more in the style of 'the philadelphia story'. I'm not saying it's predictable in any way. It's one of those situations where you want the ending you get and can't wait for it to happen.
I love the pairing of grant and hepburn as much as grant and irene dunne, check out 'the awful truth' and 'my favourite wife' if you want to see a woman get the better of grant! Grant and hepburn as a team are superlative and I prefer them to hepburn and spencer tracy.
The observations on money and success are still relevant to today and we should all take heart from this.
I love this film and it it is definitely in my top ten. I cannot recommend it enough.

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Reviews


Fast-paced, period piece
Review date: 2008-04-25 Rating: 6 out of 10

I was a bit disappointed after my expectations were raised by the review in the Halliwell film guide where it gets a high rating and is described as "hilarious". It's a stylish film in appearance, the actors perform with great verve, but it's dated and the comedy depends on slap-stick rather than wit. Worth-seeing, but not a classic.

Cary Grants best
Review date: 2008-02-05 Rating: 8 out of 10

This film is far from perfect but it is the best Grant, Hepburn colaboration of there careeers. It beats sylvia Saint, Philadelphia story and even in my opinion, Bringing up baby. It doesn't have the same production values nor even the plot as those films but it simply works as the perfect romantic comedy. It's also the only film i can think of where Grant displays his expertise as an acrobat and it's the only film where i actually sympathised with Katherine Hepburns character (i usually find her quite irritating)

The story is very simple. Boy meets girl. Boy meets family of girl. Girls sister falls for Grant. Girl turns out to be wrong for him. Sister turns out to be right for him. Simplistic but believable and rewarding.

It's warm, genuine and entertaining....prabably my favourite Grant film

This film is for life not just for Christmas!
Review date: 2008-02-03 Rating: 8 out of 10

Although this is set at Christmas, don't think it's the usual touchy-feely festive nonsense; it isn't.

This is refreshingly feisty with Hepburn in particular on fine form and getting her teeth into a character that you don't usually find in films like this. Interestingly, this film was made during the period when Hepburn was deemed to be "box office poison". It's funny how her character is appealing to our 21st century eyes as it's not run of the mill and she plays it with a lot of charm and gusto.

Grant is good here, although clearly hasn't settled into his peerless screen persona that served him so well in later films (North by Northwest, Charade, Walk Don't Run).

Supporting characters are also a cut above the average.

If you're looking for something that's not sentimental drivel a fiver spent on Holiday is a fiver well spent.


Sophisticated Romantic Comedy with star power
Review date: 2007-12-23 Rating: 10 out of 10

"Holiday" was directed by George Cukor in 1938 and is another excellent example of the sophisticated comedies that made him famous. Cukor made Katherine Hepburn a star directing her in several quality films from the period which include Little Women(1933); Sylvia Scarlett (1935); The Philadelphia Story (1940); Keeper of the Flame (1942); Adam's Rib (1949) so much so that Cukor became known as a womens director having also produced fine work with Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford and Marlene Dietrich and later with Judy Holiday and Audrey Hepburn.

"Holiday" was adapted by Sidney Buchman (Mr Smith goes to Washington,1939) and Donald Stewart (Dinner at Eight,1933) from the Broadway play by Philip Barry and is about the quality of life one chooses for oneself free of the expectations of others. The character of Linda Seton was apparently based on Gertrude Legendre who once said "I don't contemplate life, I live it" and that seems to be the crux of this film: Getting out there and finding out who you are and want you want before it's too late and not being weighed down by the accumulation of material possessions. Cary Grant stars opposite Hepburn in one a several teamings but really it is Katherine Hepburn who's star shines the brightest here.

Cinematography was by Franz Planer (Roman Holiday, 1953; Criss Cross, 1948; Letter from an Unknown Woman, 1948; Champion, 1949; Breakfast at Tiffiny's,1961)

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Katharine Hepburn
Lew Ayres
Charles Trowbridge
Cary Grant
Doris Nolan

Creators:
Cary Grant (Primary Contributor)
Charles Trowbridge (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Uca
Manufacturer: Uca
EAN: 5050582358193
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Black & White, Dubbed, Full Screen, PAL,
Release date: 2006-03-06
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Audience rating: Universal, suitable for all
Region code: 2
Running time: 91 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1938
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: Arabic (Subtitled)
Language: Dutch (Subtitled)
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: French (Subtitled)
Language: German (Subtitled)
Language: Hindi (Subtitled)
Language: Italian (Subtitled)
Language: Portuguese (Subtitled)
Language: Spanish (Subtitled)
Language: Turkish (Subtitled)
Language: German (Dubbed)
Language: Italian (Dubbed)
Language: Spanish (Dubbed)

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