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We watched LOVE AMONG THE RUINS (1975) on YouTube today for my birthday. Having heard good things about this ABC television movie here, I tried watching it once before, but was sidelined and unable to finish it. For a change of pace, I decided to watch it today with my wife.
I am typically not fond of movies that take place in this time period (the story takes places in the Edwardian period of London), but I got over it fairly quickly. I found the story quite breezy rather than heavy-handed, witty rather than laugh-out-loud funny. It is a very dialogue-heavy story, but I'm fine with that. This has probably edged its way into being one of my favorite Katharine Hepburn performances. She is perfectly suited to this feathery-style of comedy. Having only seen Laurence Olivier in THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL (1957; which I don't like at all), I was thoroughly impressed with how much I liked him here. Olivier and Hepburn share a good on-screen chemistry. No one could've carried this story as well as they did.
LOVE AMONG THE RUINS bombed in the ratings when it premiered, but it won Primetime Emmy Awards for leading actors Hepburn and Olivier, director George Cukor, and writer James Costigan. It also won awards for costume design and art direction. The critics loved this movie, but apparently ABC advertised wrong, thus pushing audiences away from it. And it's a shame, too.
Anyway, I enjoyed this movie. I'm glad I finally took the time to watch it.
I am typically not fond of movies that take place in this time period (the story takes places in the Edwardian period of London), but I got over it fairly quickly. I found the story quite breezy rather than heavy-handed, witty rather than laugh-out-loud funny. It is a very dialogue-heavy story, but I'm fine with that. This has probably edged its way into being one of my favorite Katharine Hepburn performances. She is perfectly suited to this feathery-style of comedy. Having only seen Laurence Olivier in THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL (1957; which I don't like at all), I was thoroughly impressed with how much I liked him here. Olivier and Hepburn share a good on-screen chemistry. No one could've carried this story as well as they did.
LOVE AMONG THE RUINS bombed in the ratings when it premiered, but it won Primetime Emmy Awards for leading actors Hepburn and Olivier, director George Cukor, and writer James Costigan. It also won awards for costume design and art direction. The critics loved this movie, but apparently ABC advertised wrong, thus pushing audiences away from it. And it's a shame, too.
Anyway, I enjoyed this movie. I'm glad I finally took the time to watch it.
Toni
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I loved LATR, but The Corn Is Green is even better. I prefer Bette Davis ' version, Kate was too old for this role.
Toni
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I've rewatched every Kate movie except that turd she did with Bob Hope... Not once now that I think about it.
There’s a lot I have never seen but Bringing Up Baby, Holiday and Philadelphia Story are never miss. She’s awful in The Glass Menagerie however, worse than Gertrude Lawrence. Joanne Woodward gets it right.
Jane Fonda talking about her during On Golden Pond is too funny. “You’ll never catch me now”.
Jane Fonda talking about her during On Golden Pond is too funny. “You’ll never catch me now”.
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BRINGING UP BABY is easily one of my favorite Katharine Hepburn performances, and easily one of my favorite classics films period.
I own THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, but I've never watched it, and I've never seen HOLIDAY, either.
Agreed on Bringing Up Baby - still funny and her performance is one the main reasons why. Holiday is another Phillip Barry play and costars Grant. Barry was a witty playwright. More batty rich folks like Philadelphia Story. Common folk really weren’t Hepburn’s wheelhouse. Arguable but of the women stars of that era she probably gets the fairest shake. Not a victim, not over exalted and time was reasonably kind.
I’m surprised re. Olivier no Wuthering Heights or Rebecca? Recommend both. He’s also quite good in Boys from Brazil and Marathon Man in the latter stages. Not sure I saw him in anything in between. I miss TV movies. Just watched the Mae West one on Tubi. Terrible but fun. There really isn’t a contemporary equivalent. Lynda Carter as Rita Hayworth, Cheryl Ladd as Grace Kelly all lost to time.
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We have a thread going about TV Movies About Celebrities.
TV Movies About Celebrities
Several celebrities have gotten "their" stories told on the small screen over the years. I've been thinking about these: Catherine Hicks in MARILYN: THE UNTOLD STORY (1980) Ann Jillian in MAE WEST (1982) Lynda Carter in RITA HAYWORTH: THE LOVE GODDESS (1983) Cheryl Ladd in GRACE KELLY (1983)...
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Thank you. Folks brought up ones I had forgotten or missed. The success of Feud hasn’t seemed to spark a bio renaissance…yet. Kaley Cuoco is apparently trying to develop a Doris Day biopic and Zendaya and Selena have been mentioned in relation to a couple of other singers. I like the inspired by the truth but not restricted to the facts recipe Feud uses.
Snarky Oracle!
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Boy, that doesn't tend to work for me -- although, of course, what they facts are in any celebrity story are always up for debate.
But is making things up really more interesting than the truth (if we indeed know what the truth is)?
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Maybe not on the small screen, but I feel like the big screen has done many biopics in recent history. Elton John, Whitney Houston, Freddie Mercury, Judy Garland, Lady Diana, and many others.
Lifetime did a Marilyn Monroe two-part miniseries two years before Ryan Murphy did FEUD, and then there's that artsy Netflix Monroe film out there, too.
Netflix also has a Selena miniseries.
I'd like to see this, if it doesn't die in development like the Bette Midler as Mae West biopic seems to have done.
I'm iffy on biopics taking this format. If they change too much or take too many liberties, then is it even a biopic?
Crimson
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Biographical films need some degree of liberty, but if the filmmakers are going to outright fictionalize then why bother with a biopic? Make it a roman à clef and go nuts.
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Soaplover
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I enjoyed Katherine Hepburn in two movies the most... Bringing Up Baby and Desk Set.
Bringing up Baby showcased a wealthy heiress that acts out because she's unfilfilled and bored with her life. It showed that being wealthy doesn't make one happy or content. She was drawn to Cary Grant's character because he was the exact opposite of who she was.. and vice versa.
Desk Set showcased a career woman that was settling for a man that wasn't in love with her or vice versa.. but has a satisfying work life. Spencer Tracy's character comes in and not only does her work life get shaken up, so does her love life. I liked to think that his character was her equal at and outside of work.
Bringing up Baby showcased a wealthy heiress that acts out because she's unfilfilled and bored with her life. It showed that being wealthy doesn't make one happy or content. She was drawn to Cary Grant's character because he was the exact opposite of who she was.. and vice versa.
Desk Set showcased a career woman that was settling for a man that wasn't in love with her or vice versa.. but has a satisfying work life. Spencer Tracy's character comes in and not only does her work life get shaken up, so does her love life. I liked to think that his character was her equal at and outside of work.
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I like Hepburn best in comedy, with BRINGING UP BABY being one of my favorite classic screwballs.
Snarky Oracle!
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Richard Channing
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Snarky Oracle!
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Men are "humbled" all the time, even in Old Hollywood films. But we never tend to notice.