| Katharine Hepburn | ... | Jo | |
| Joan Bennett | ... | Amy | |
| Paul Lukas | ... | Prof. Bhaer | |
| Edna May Oliver | ... | Aunt March | |
| Jean Parker | ... | Beth | |
| Frances Dee | ... | Meg | |
| Henry Stephenson | ... | Mr. Laurence | |
| Douglass Montgomery | ... | Laurie | |
| John Lodge | ... | Brooke (as John Davis Lodge) | |
| Spring Byington | ... | Marmee | |
| Samuel S. Hinds | ... | Mr. March (as Samuel Hinds) | |
| Mabel Colcord | ... | Hannah | |
| Marion Ballou | ... | Mrs. Kirke | |
| Nydia Westman | ... | Mamie | |
| Harry Beresford | ... | Doctor Bangs | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Madam Borget | ... | Housekeeper (uncredited) | |
| Francesca Braggiotti | ... | Dance Teacher (uncredited) | |
| Luke Cosgrave | ... | Old Man (uncredited) | |
| Florence Enright | ... | Seamstress (uncredited) | |
| Harold Entwistle | ... | Laurence's Butler (uncredited) | |
| June Filmer | ... | Tina (uncredited) | |
| Bonita Granville | ... | Amy's Classmate (uncredited) | |
| Dorothy Gray | ... | Girl at Boarding House (uncredited) | |
| Robert 'Buzz' Henry | ... | Boy (uncredited) | |
| Virginia Howell | ... | War Worker (uncredited) | |
| Olin Howland | ... | Mr. Davis (uncredited) | |
| Tony Kales | ... | Boy (uncredited) | |
| Marilyn Knowlden | ... | Amy's Classmate (uncredited) | |
| Marina Koshetz | ... | Flo King (uncredited) | |
| Lily Lodge | ... | Lily (uncredited) | |
| Charles Miller | ... | Minister (uncredited) | |
| Mary Wallace | ... | Boarding House Girl (uncredited) | |
| Howard Wilson | ... | Young Man (uncredited) | |
| Shorty Woods | ... | Sleigh Driver (uncredited) | |
Directed by | |||
| George Cukor | |||
Writing credits | ||
| Louisa May Alcott | (by) (as Louisa M. Alcott) | |
| Sarah Y. Mason | (screenplay) & | |
| Victor Heerman | (screenplay) | |
| Del Andrews | contributing writer (uncredited) | |
| Alfred Block | contributing writer (uncredited) | |
| Charles Brackett | contributing writer (uncredited) | |
| Salisbury Field | contributing writer (uncredited) | |
| David Hempstead | contributing writer (uncredited) | |
| Jane Murfin | contributing writer (uncredited) | |
| G.B. Stern | contributing writer (uncredited) | |
| Wanda Tuchock | contributing writer (uncredited) | |
| John Twist | contributing writer (uncredited) | |
Produced by | |||
| Merian C. Cooper | .... | executive producer | |
| Kenneth Macgowan | .... | associate producer | |
Original Music by | |||
| Max Steiner | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Henry W. Gerrard | (photographed by) (as Henry Gerrard) | ||
Film Editing by | |||
| Jack Kitchin | (edited by) | ||
Art Direction by | |||
| Van Nest Polglase | |||
Set Decoration by | |||
| Hobe Erwin | (settings) | ||
| Ray Moyer | (uncredited) | ||
Costume Design by | |||
| Walter Plunkett | (costumes by) | ||
Makeup Department | |||
| Elmer Armstrong | .... | hair stylist (uncredited) | |
| Mel Berns | .... | makeup artist (uncredited) | |
| William Ely | .... | makeup artist (uncredited) | |
| Jean Woodhall | .... | hair stylist (uncredited) | |
Production Management | |||
| Wallace Fox | .... | unit manager (uncredited) | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Edward Killy | .... | assistant director (uncredited) | |
| John Lodge | .... | associate director (uncredited) | |
| Mortimer Offner | .... | assistant director (uncredited) | |
Art Department | |||
| George Peckham | .... | assistant propman (uncredited) | |
| Charles Sayers | .... | props (uncredited) | |
Sound Department | |||
| Frank H. Harris | .... | recordist | |
| Victor B. Appel | .... | recording assistant (uncredited) | |
| George D. Ellis | .... | sound recordist (uncredited) | |
| Ellis Fesler | .... | recording assistant (uncredited) | |
Special Effects by | |||
| Harry Redmond Jr. | .... | special effects (uncredited) | |
| Harry Redmond Sr. | .... | special effects (uncredited) | |
Camera and Electrical Department | |||
| Ernest Bachrach | .... | still photographer (uncredited) | |
| S.H. Barton | .... | chief electrician (uncredited) | |
| Tom Clement | .... | chief grip (uncredited) | |
| Robert De Grasse | .... | second camera (uncredited) | |
| George E. Diskant | .... | assistant camera (uncredited) | |
| Mike Fitzgerald | .... | grip (uncredited) | |
| Guy Gilman | .... | gaffer (uncredited) | |
| Mike Graves | .... | assistant grip (uncredited) | |
| J. Merry | .... | best boy (uncredited) | |
| John Miehle | .... | still photographer (uncredited) | |
Costume and Wardrobe Department | |||
| Eugene Joseff | .... | costume jeweller (uncredited) | |
| Emily Perkins | .... | wardrobe (uncredited) | |
Music Department | |||
| Bernhard Kaun | .... | orchestrator (uncredited) | |
Other crew | |||
| Del Andrews | .... | production associate | |
| Eddie Arden | .... | double (uncredited) | |
| Francesca Braggiotti | .... | instructor: ballroom dancing (uncredited) | |
| Dorothy Dawson | .... | production secretary (uncredited) | |
| Gale Evans | .... | script clerk (uncredited) | |
| S. Barret McCormick | .... | advertising coordinator (uncredited) | |
| Elizabeth McGaffey | .... | research (uncredited) | |
| Robert Sisk | .... | director of advertising and publicity (uncredited) | |
| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Jean Parker | RowTheBoats |
| In Praise of Joan Bennett | bjnevin |
| Wow! | tamsenf |
| Professor Bhaer | practicepiano |
| The Incredible Score | gerald-flynn |
| Peter Lawford Lookalike | the-who-2 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Little Women | Gone with the Wind | Little Women | Giant | Cold Mountain |
|
IMDb User Rating: |
IMDb User Rating: |
IMDb User Rating: |
IMDb User Rating: |
IMDb User Rating: |
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Drama section | IMDb USA section |
This satisfying movie adaptation of "Little Women" features a strong cast and a production that was quite solid for 1933. While a glance at the story outline might give the impression that it is simplistic or childlike, that is far from the case. The novel offers well-defined characters and many situations that bring out worthwhile insights into the characters and into life in general. While neither this nor the other movie versions of the story have the same thematic depth, this version effectively presents enough of the material in a thoughtful and entertaining way.
Katherine Hepburn heads the cast, and gives plenty of life to Jo. Naturally she gets the main focus, but the other sisters and the secondary characters also get some good moments, and most of them get a chance to steal a scene or two. Henry Stephenson and Douglas Montgomery get a number of good scenes as the March family's neighbors. Edna May Oliver is well cast, and it's only too bad that she did not get a couple more scenes. Paul Lukas makes Professor Baer come alive. By no means least are Jean Parker, Frances Dee, and Joan Bennett as Beth, Meg, and Amy.
It is often easy to tell when the movie was made, most especially because of the sound. But actually the production is better technically and artistically than are most movies of the early 1930s. Several of the sets are particularly well done, creating just the right atmosphere for their scenes. Director George Cukor puts it all together nicely.
This is the kind of movie that is generally out of style at present, because it lacks the kind of self-indulgent material and the self-absorbed style that so unduly impress many of today's movie fans. But the only genuine weakness is that it has a few technical limitations, most of which are common to many films of its era.
What this adaptation does offer is a sympathetic and sometimes insightful look at the lives of some ordinary but strong persons, who are brought to life by a good cast and a director who seemed himself to care about the characters.