Spitfire

This would have to be one of the oddest films ever, so much so, I taped it, re-ran about five times and still could not make my mind up. What on earth was the studio/director/writers et al up to ? Then suddenly it hit me, it was an early joke movie someone dreamed up; something like how do we stop immigration into the States, easy, we'll convince the would be newcomers that all Americans are like this ? and thus they'll all return to their native lands. No surely not. Perhaps it was the studios way of pacifying a would be investor who had millions, but a very bad storyline ? Well I do know that Katherine Hepburn became the worlds most incredible actress because she had enough gumption to do silly jobs like this one and rise so far above it that the 'sum of the parts became greater than the whole' Trigger, ah luvsyer gal. (please tell a foreigner whether there actually are/were people like these hill-billies in the US of A) Do you want to see this anomaly ? rent it buy it steal it even. If it gives you something to think about, then good, that's entertainment, I think.

There are some good things about Katharine Hepburn's 1934 RKO film, SPITFIRE, but they are overshadowed by the film's numerous failings. However, if you are in the correct mood to witness a "hillbilly" Hepburn or experience a fun time warp back to a time when a film like this could actually be made without being laughed at because it is so ridiculous (oh wait...I think it was!).

Anywho, Hepburn gives a fine, sensitive performance and there are some devastating closeups of her exquisite face. There is a nice subplot about how people can be judgmental of others and assume things which are not true. There was a much too contrived romance between Hepburn and Robert Young, as a city slicker out in the country wooing the "spitfire" hillbilly girl. The catch is he's married, and when she finds out she is heartbroken. The film ends on a good note with a scene of poetic brilliance. Hepburn is leaving, after being scared out of town, but promises to come back in a year for her love (or maybe much sooner, she says, as they share a kiss)! All in all, I was not unhappy I recorded this unusual film, even though stretches of it were boring. The production values seemed high, performances were good for the most part, and the score by Max Steiner was excellent. I was initially intrigued by the film's original poster art, which has great art deco style.

Any chance to see Katharine Hepburn in something I haven't seen or from her early movie career is a treat, and on that level the film is amusing, but she's horrible miscast as a Hill Billy. Her famous New England enunciation slips through, making lines like, "I'd better rustle up some Vittles" pretty ludicrous. She's so pretty and so young… it almost overcomes this major flaw. The story is an old fashioned melodrama, and there fore, a younger generation may think this pretty corny stuff, but this was the staple of American Entertainment well into the 1940's. It has its moments, but you might need to be a die-hard movie buff to appreciate it.

Yes, this is one of the weaker Hepburn RKO films, but instead of the truly horrible film I expected, I thought it was not as bad as is generally thought.

I like mid-1930's movies, and I'm a big fan of Hepburn. I'm always fascinated watching favorite actors doing unusual roles.

One of the reasons she took the part is due to her obvious talents as a sportswoman....can you imagine someone like Ginger Rogers in the role? Constance Bennett?

I was pleasantly surprised at Sara Haden's performance. She in support of scores of movies, and this role is one of her biggest parts. She's first-rate.

All in all, a very minor film, but if Warners ever gets around to releasing Hepburn's RKO films on DVD, this is one that I will buy.

Okay, you have a lame script about a hillbilly girl. She's emotional and immature, ignert and superstitious, grubby and mystical, with an innocent yet powerful sexuality. Who do you cast? Perhaps an actress who can project some of those qualities? Possibly someone who can do the accept properly, maybe someone in the right age group, or even someone whose background has something in it that would allow her to connect to the character? YOU might, but the producers cast the most damnably Yankee actress in Hollywood - Katherine Hepburn.

Katherine Hepburn - of New England old money, graduate of Bryn Mawr, officially inducted into the Preppie Hall of Fame, the living embodiment of well-bred hard-headed plain-spoken Yankee common sense, whose best roles are as sophisticated and professional women... cast as a ragged teenage Hillbilly outcast illiterate mystic thought to be a witch by her backwoods neighbors? Hepburn had enough Yankee common sense to try everything possible to get out of doing this role, but the idiots who ran studio had the upper hand and forced her into this little stinker. Her awkwardness shows she knows what a fool she's making of herself, but still gives it the old college try (yuk, yuk), taking this movie from ordinary badness into truly amazing eye-popping badness. I mean, classy Kate Hepburn throwing stones at the neighbors and having bug-eyed visions? You have to see this to believe it.

Without Hepburn the movie would still be terrible (but with her it's funny). It's one of these horrible condescending scripts about how ignernt and cruel them backwoods white trash is, and how being ignernt and immature is kinda sexy in a purty girl. Eeew.

(Note: Way funnier than her second-most spectacularly miscast role. In 1941 she played a Chinese peasant woman in "Dragon Seed". It's not nearly as funny, being just a bad war-effort film, it's rather dull and this one is absolutely daffy.)