A Bill of Divorcement
by George Cukor
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Product details
Actor: Billie Burke, David Manners, John Barrymore, Katharine Hepburn, Paul CavanaghDirector: George Cukor
Cinematographer: Sidney Hickox
Editor: Arthur Roberts
Producer: David O. Selznick
Writer: Clemence Dane
Writer: Harry Wagstaff Gribble
Writer: Howard Estabrook
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language), Analog
Format: Black & White, NTSC, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
Running Time: 70 minutes
Release Date: 2000-10-10
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: Starz / Anchor Bay
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
VHS Movie Reviews of A Bill of Divorcement
Movie Review: Kate's Striking Debut Opposite a Touching Barrymore in an Antiquated Drama About Family Obligations
Summary: 3 Stars
At 25, fourth-billed Katharine Hepburn bursts off the screen with her characteristic persona already fully formed in her screen debut as Sydney, the headstrong daughter of WWI veteran Hilary Fairfield, in this antiquated 1932 melodrama. Fifteen years earlier, Hilary was shell-shocked triggering a latent mental instability, which required his wife to institutionalize him. On the day his wife Meg files for divorce, he escapes the asylum in a deceptively docile state little realizing how much time has elapsed. In fact, he mistakes Sydney for Meg, as ironically, both mother and daughter are soon to be betrothed, The crux of the drama lies in Hilary's insanity and how his sudden appearance forces both women to make life-altering decisions. Directed by George Cukor, the film already shows his innate ease with larger-than-life actors like Hepburn and John Barrymore.
However, the screenplay by Howard Estabrook and Harry Wagstaff Gribble (adapted from an earlier British play by Clemence Dane) is severely dated in its attitude toward familial self-sacrifice, and the film is further hampered by a stilted feeling of staginess throughout. Already in career descent from his alcoholism, Barrymore gives a poignant performance as Hilary giving into heated theatrical fervor in just a couple of key scenes. In what was likely the most substantial role of her long career, an unusually subdued Billie Burke (later the fluttery-voiced Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz) makes Meg's dilemma genuinely palpable, while Elizabeth Patterson (much later the Ricardos' lovable babysitter Mrs. Trumble on I Love Lucy) is surprisingly dour as self-righteous Aunt Hester. Hepburn's destiny seems assured from the very first scene, and this was to be the start of her remarkable 47-year professional relationship with Cukor. As of April 2008, the film is not available on DVD.
Movie Review: A rather stagey melodrama that is still worth viewing
Summary: 4 Stars
This somewhat stagey early talkie is noteworthy for several reasons. First, it is Katharine Hepburn's screen debut, and it is interesting to see that even at 24 she is the prototype of the confident woman that she played in all of her films. Hepburn likely made quite a first impression on audiences with her lean athletic look versus that of typical film heroines of that era that still had that combination china doll and ex-flapper look that was so popular in the 20's. Likewise, just as it is the beginning of Hepburn's career, it is nearing the end of John Barrymore's. By the end of the decade alcoholism and, by some reports, early onset Alzheimer's disease, cause the end of his career. Also, it is interesting to see society's attitudes towards divorce and mental illness in the early 1930's.
Meg Fairfield (Billie Burke) has waited fifteen years while her husband Hilary (John Barrymore) is in a mental institution before finally obtaining a divorce. Shortly before her remarriage, Hilary "comes to himself" and returns home. To complicate matters further, their daughter Sydney (Katharine Hepburn) believes her father has been insane due to shell-shock. However, she soon learns that there is actually insanity in the family and wonders if either she will go insane herself or if her children will. The family doctor also hardly has a good bedside manner in dealing with the situation, saying that "who shall be sacrificed the lame or the whole?" and mentioning that Hilary's child, Sydney, shouldn't even have been born. Startling today, but probably a pretty typical attitude 75 years ago. One of the players puts it best when they mention that people always grieve the dead, but wonder how their reaction would change if the dead were suddenly alive again, which is basically Hilary's situation. Insane he could be mourned for what he once was, recovered he is just in the way. In spite of the usually able direction of George Cukor, this movie comes across as over-the-top melodramatic. However, given its place in Hepburn's film career, it would still be nice to see this one come out on DVD. As far as I know, Warner Home Video has the rights to this film and six other 1930's era RKO Hepburn films that are not on DVD yet either. One, "A Woman Rebels", isn't even on VHS. It would be nice to see that situation change.
Movie Review: Katharine Hepburn's film debut in insanity melodrama
Summary: 4 Stars
This 1932 RKO film directed by George Cukor was Katharine Hepburn's screen debut, which means a lot of people will be checking out this particular melodrama now that the legendary actress has passed on. Hepburn plays Sydney Fairchild, with John Barrymore as her father and Billie Burke as her mother. The original play had elevated Katharine Cornell to stardom and it was hoped it would do the same thing for Hepburn. In retrospect, you can at least say it certainly opened the door.
The Story: Hepburn is engaged to be married and her mother is about to be remarried when her father arrives home from the insane asylum only to discover he is about to be divorced (hence, the title). Hepburn discovers that her father is not suffering from shell shock as she has always been told, but rather than he is insane (leading to the most melodramatic scene in the film where she soberly declares, "So, there is insanity in our family). As a result Hepburn sends her fiancee away. She will never marry, never have any children that would pass on the horrors of mental illness and instead will take care of her father. Face it: at the time people did not know any better (compare to "Suddenly Last Summer" where Hepburn's character wants to lobotomize Elizabeth Taylor).
Hepburn's debut is a relatively subdued performance. Cukor begins the film with her entrance, as she runs down a long staircase into the arms of her fianc?e. At the time the quintessential movie star was Greta Garbo and clearly Hepburn is being fitted for that same mold: the striking looks with her high cheekbones and the accented voice, albeit it with more personality and vitality than the dour Garbo.
Barrymore, as usual, is a bit over the top. Watching him in film almost inevitably leads you to think that he was a greater stage performer when he did not have to contend with closeups. Of course at the time he was a major star with enough power that when he played Ahab in "Moby Dick" the film was turned into a romance where he kills the whale and returns to the arms of his beloved Faith ( I am NOT making this up). Barrymore does the stereotypical insane look with bugged out eyes and wild hair. Fortunately neither Hepburn nor Burke try to out emote him. Their quiet despair works off of his performance quite effectively, and there are times when they manage to bring him down to a more realistic level. In the history of Hollywood it is usually "The Snake Pit" that is mentioned as the film that shows how horribly the mentally ill were being treated in this country. Even thought "A Bill of Divorcement" takes place in England there is certainly a sense of the inherent fear and loathing "normal" people had for those with mental illness.
His best scene (and the most true in the movie) is when he and Hepburn meet for the first time. He mistakes her for his wife and when she replies, "I think I'm your daughter" there is the first indication of what she is capable as an actress. It might have been the first time we saw Katharine Hepburn with tears in her eyes, but it certainly was not the last (e.g., "Alice Adams" in particular). What Hepburn thought of the story line would have been interesting to know. After all, her mother was a leading proponent of birth control so she had to know that her character did not have to be so melodramatic. Ironically, there is a legendary story that Barrymore arrived at Hepburn's dressing room, threw off his dressing robe to reveal his naked body, whereupon young Kate frantically explained "My mother doesn't want me having babies."
There was a rumor floating around for a while that there was another remake it the works (the first one was in 1940 with Maureen O'Hara, Adolph Menjou and Fay Bainter), as a vehicle for Jon Voight and Angelina Jolie. It certainly would have been an interesting choice (please insert your own jokes about that particular father-daughter team trying to do this particular movie).
Movie Review: Katharine Hepburn's Hollywood Debut - A Gem
Summary: 5 Stars
The truest actor she has to play against is Barrymore - and she triumphs against his drunkardness and sexual advences. She even brings out of him a touching performance! But despite a very strong supporting cast, thisis Kate'film: from stepping down an impossibly long aristochratic star to laying casually and free in front of a fire.Hollywood might have trouble dealing with the East Coast Queen of Cool - but when they truly understood it was in her civilized nature, there just was no stopping her - 4 Award Winning Academy Awards in a Leading Role (and stilling count)!)
Movie Review: Not worth the (money)
Summary: 1 Stars
This was Katharine Hepburn's first starring role; she looked divine. Unfortunately, the film was terrible. I wanted to smack all the characters for being so ridiculous. None of them were sympathetic or compelling. The only thing that makes this film worthwhile is to gaze upon the fabulous styles of the era and see a very young Hepburn.
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