I've just read Tarkington's novel Alice Adams and was haunted by the ending of the book, in which Alice sees Arthur on the corner as she approaches Frincke's Business College. Arthur says he will he come to visit her again one night and Alice speaks to him with a serene expression, knowing he doesn't mean it but wanting to keep the appearance that she hasn't been crushed by his rejecting her, and by her family's financial ruin. Her climbing the stairs with her head full of pictures of the girls at the college growing to be old maids while taking dictation from middle aged men broke my heart. I thought of my grandmother and her sisters who as Alice's age in the 1920s took classes in business studies at night school to support themselves as clerks and typists. So many women in the Depression must have felt the loneliness and despair Alice feels, having to wear the same old dress, picking flowers for corsages, and watching attractive young men and life's chances pass them by.
I've seen clips of the movie over the years and now after being able to watch the entire film I can see why Katharine Hepburn's performance was nominated for the Oscar. She is outstanding as Alice, trying to act her way to a better life, trying to paint a pretty picture over her brother's gambling and her family's modest circumstances. Alas the movie paints a pretty picture over the ruin of the family. Mrs Adams in the novel is a Lady Macbeth hammering her husband to take the glue formula and start his own business against his better judgement and his admiration of his boss. The movie adds some funny physical comedy to the disastrous dinner, which is broken off by Walter's appearance in a panic. The film tries to soften Walter's stealing money at work: in the book Walter skips town and a report of his embezzlement appears in the evening newspaper. The movie's having Alice rescue her father by being truthful with Mr Lamb is touching; in the book Lamb settles with Adams allowing him to cancel Walter's debt and keep the house he's remortgaged. Mrs Adams still bitterly says he could have held out for more money. Alice heads for the business college after Mrs Adams tries to be cheerful about the shame of them having to take in a married couple as boarders, saying to Alice that if they double up in the same bedroom they can have a second boarder.
The movie gives Fred Mc Murray and Hepburn a clinch on the porch and a happy ending. McMurray's Arthur must be either very brave or deeply smitten to not mind the scandals of Mr Adams being seen as a cheating ex employee and Walter being an embezzler (obviously he took the money for his gambling debts and his floozy girlfriends). Even with the audience pleasing happy ending Alice Adams features fine portraits of Alice, struggling against being socially outcast by her family's financial struggles and Mr Adams, a good hearted employee who breaks down in tears wanting to do whatever it takes to ensure Alice has the chance for happiness.
The film also features Hattie McDaniel's marvelous performance as the surly "girl" hired for the night. Many of Tarkington's novels are seen as embarrassing today for their stereotyped black characters that speak period argot- the social humiliation of Walter's being seen shooting dice with a group of African American servants isn't just because of gambling but also because he associates with "darkies". I could feel McDaniel giving her all as a cook and maid who wasn't going to put up with any nonsense from the social climbing Mrs Adams trying to put on airs on by serving limp "caviar sandwiches". She is hilarious and real: her gum chewing genuineness contrasts sharply with the women's pretentiousness and Mr Adams' befuddlement in his starched shirt which keeps popping open.
The movie wants to please the women in the audience who had to work to support themselves and their families in dreary jobs, who hoped that like in the movies a handsome young man would one day come into their office or store and take them away to a more comfortable life, or save them from having to climb the stairs to the business college. What a shame that the studio didn't want to be faithful to the realism of Tarkington's Pulitzer prize winning novel: it would have made a fine portrait of an American family's tragedy.
I've seen clips of the movie over the years and now after being able to watch the entire film I can see why Katharine Hepburn's performance was nominated for the Oscar. She is outstanding as Alice, trying to act her way to a better life, trying to paint a pretty picture over her brother's gambling and her family's modest circumstances. Alas the movie paints a pretty picture over the ruin of the family. Mrs Adams in the novel is a Lady Macbeth hammering her husband to take the glue formula and start his own business against his better judgement and his admiration of his boss. The movie adds some funny physical comedy to the disastrous dinner, which is broken off by Walter's appearance in a panic. The film tries to soften Walter's stealing money at work: in the book Walter skips town and a report of his embezzlement appears in the evening newspaper. The movie's having Alice rescue her father by being truthful with Mr Lamb is touching; in the book Lamb settles with Adams allowing him to cancel Walter's debt and keep the house he's remortgaged. Mrs Adams still bitterly says he could have held out for more money. Alice heads for the business college after Mrs Adams tries to be cheerful about the shame of them having to take in a married couple as boarders, saying to Alice that if they double up in the same bedroom they can have a second boarder.
The movie gives Fred Mc Murray and Hepburn a clinch on the porch and a happy ending. McMurray's Arthur must be either very brave or deeply smitten to not mind the scandals of Mr Adams being seen as a cheating ex employee and Walter being an embezzler (obviously he took the money for his gambling debts and his floozy girlfriends). Even with the audience pleasing happy ending Alice Adams features fine portraits of Alice, struggling against being socially outcast by her family's financial struggles and Mr Adams, a good hearted employee who breaks down in tears wanting to do whatever it takes to ensure Alice has the chance for happiness.
The film also features Hattie McDaniel's marvelous performance as the surly "girl" hired for the night. Many of Tarkington's novels are seen as embarrassing today for their stereotyped black characters that speak period argot- the social humiliation of Walter's being seen shooting dice with a group of African American servants isn't just because of gambling but also because he associates with "darkies". I could feel McDaniel giving her all as a cook and maid who wasn't going to put up with any nonsense from the social climbing Mrs Adams trying to put on airs on by serving limp "caviar sandwiches". She is hilarious and real: her gum chewing genuineness contrasts sharply with the women's pretentiousness and Mr Adams' befuddlement in his starched shirt which keeps popping open.
The movie wants to please the women in the audience who had to work to support themselves and their families in dreary jobs, who hoped that like in the movies a handsome young man would one day come into their office or store and take them away to a more comfortable life, or save them from having to climb the stairs to the business college. What a shame that the studio didn't want to be faithful to the realism of Tarkington's Pulitzer prize winning novel: it would have made a fine portrait of an American family's tragedy.