Senza amore

Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn are "Without Love" in this 1945 romantic comedy, also starring Keenan Wynn, Patricia Morison, and Lucille Ball. Based on a play by Philip Barry, Tracy plays Pat Jamieson, a scientist looking for a place to live in Washington, D.C. in wartime; he signs on as a caretaker for the home of Jamie Rowan (Hepburn), a widow. Jamieson has had his heart broken by a French woman, Lily Vine, and Jamie feels that she can never again recapture what she had with her late husband. The two decide to marry but keep it platonic.

This light comedy is obviously predictable, elevated by the excellent cast. Tracy and Hepburn are both delightful with their usual great chemistry. Keenan Wynn and Lucille Ball are on hand as an on-again, off-again couple; the Wynn character is engaged to Patricia Morison, a bossy woman, but he keeps flirting and kissing Ball. Ball's delivery is priceless.

Hollywood didn't know what to with Morison for most of her films, either B movies or small parts in A movies; in fact, her fabulous role in "Kiss of Death" was cut by the censors. Instead, she became a tremendous musical stage star on Broadway and in London, her best role being Kate in "Kiss Me, Kate." At this writing, she's 96 and still with us.

An entertaining film, good watch.

WITHOUT LOVE is such an uneven film--some of it is quite inspired--but it's safe to say that there are a few scenes that make it worth watching even if it is a bit overlong in getting to its inevitable conclusion. Hepburn and Tracy are at their most polished as romantic partners. The subplot is handled with skill by Lucille Ball and Keenan Wynn (who does a great drunken bit) and fans of Tracy and Hepburn won't be disappointed in their handling of rather unusual roles.

Hepburn has never been one of my particular favorites--I find her mannerisms are a turn-off by the time any film starring her has gone beyond fifteen minutes--but here she is actually showing a warmth, tenderness and vulnerability that she seldom really showed in any of her more well-known comedy roles. And Tracy is so natural, you forget he is just acting.

The plot has two unlikely people who have given up love for opposite reasons actually finding out that they truly do love each other--but not until the last reel. All of their scenes are enhanced by the added device of having a dog who looks just like Toto (from the 'Wizard of Oz') steal many a scene. For added measure, Lucille Ball pops up in a brief but delightful supporting role opposite Keenan Wynn.

Hepburn is more appealing here than she was as the stuck-up heroine of THE PHILADELPHIA STORY and the story, although predictable, has some very unusual touches that make it well worth watching, especially if you're fans of Hepburn or Tracy.

Patricia Morison has a thankless supporting role and Gloria Grahame has a brief bit as a flower girl allergic to flowers in a nightclub scene.

Both Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy gave performances throughout their year that are deservedly highly regarded, not just together but also in other films individually. Their pairing, which can be seen in nine films over a 25 year period (from 1942 with 'Woman of the Year' to 1967 with 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner') is considered one of cinema's most legendary and one can see why when seeing all their films together.

'Without Love' does very little to waste this iconic pairing and serves both Tracy and especially Hepburn, as well as the rest of the cast, well. It is not one of their best films together (one of the lesser ones for me), my personal favourite is 'Adam's Rib' with my least favourite perhaps being the still pretty decent 'Keeper of the Flame'. But that 'Without Love' is not one of their best and still be quite good, while uneven too, indicates how great their best films together were ('Adam's Rib' being a classic).

Maybe the pace could have done with more momentum in spots when the direction had moments where it lacked spark and became stagy. Some of the film, or at least on occasions, is silly and too reliant on coincidence, and the wit of the best Tracy-Hepburn films is not quite as strong here.

Also found the ending rather saccharine and with not enough build up getting there, which made what happened somewhat random and compared to what we'd seen in the rest of the film not entirely plausible.

However, both Tracy and especially Hepburn are on top form. Again Tracy giving the more subtle performance and the ever radiant Hepburn sinking her teeth into her role. Their chemistry is charming and also sizzles in wit and intensity and they succeed in giving their material and characters substance. They also have a good supporting cast, with Keenan Wynn providing plenty of zest and Lucille Ball having a whale of a time. Gloria Grahame has a nice short appearance and it is hard not to endear to Dizzy.

Further advantages are a script that still does have enough wit and sophistication (just not as strongly as some of their other films) and just about avoids being too talky, a very entertaining train-sequence and the chemistry between Tracy and Hepburn makes the romantic element believable. The production values are pleasing and the story has a good deal of charm and is easy to like.

In conclusion, nice film if not a Tracy-Hepburn essential. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Philip Barry's play about a scientist/inventor who rooms with a widow during the war might've fallen flat with a less-experienced cast; it is middling material, weighted with palaver, not even offering anything in the way of surprises. However, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn are well-attuned to these characters (and to each other) and make the most of it. Tracy is talked into a platonic marriage with Kate, but eventually feels the pangs of real romance. The play's stagy action is opened-up expertly for the screen, with talky scenes nicely balanced by lively set-pieces (such as the train-sequence, the best moment in the film). The colorful supporting cast, including Gloria Grahame (in a bit part) and Keenan Wynn, perform with aplomb, plowing right through the contrivances. As Kate's girlfriend, Lucille Ball gives one of her best performances, and she has a classic retort to Spencer Tracy who commands his dog to lie down (Ball to Tracy: "Who, me?"). Not a perfect showcase for the leads, but very pleasant nonetheless. *** from ****

This is an excellent vehicle for Tracy-Hepburn, not their best but darn close to it. Cleverly made comedy.

The whole cast is just fine, but I think this is Lucille Ball's all-time best feature film performance. She didn't have much opportunity for high-brow sophisticated parts, and as Kitty, the real estate agent and love interest for Keynan Wynn, Ball is just wonderful. What a shame she didn't get parts like this very often.

Direction and set design is typical of MGM's best of the 1940's.

Nifty film.....now if Warner Home Video would get around to releasing it on DVD, I'd be a happy camper.